Visiting the Pilgrims' Plymouth

The town south of Boston offers visitors a chance to see life as it was in Colonial New England.

A stroll down Route 3A in Plymouth by the bay brings you by the shops "Ye Olde Towne Crier," and "John Alden Gift Shop" - fitting names for Plymouth, a South Shore town that still remembers its start as Plimoth Plantation. Nearby, a pair of visitor shops are housed in old-New England, gray structures reminescent of the colonists' early dwellings. Not too far from these shops the Mayflower II, a replica of the infamous ship, rocks in the bay. The original Mayflower brought 102 passengers to Plymouth in 1620 where they set up a new home. They were religious Separatists from Holland and England and were originally headed further south - their destination was believed to be Hudson Bay - but they settled in what would become Massachusetts instead.

Plymouth Rock, with the date 1620 engraved on it, is located just steps away from Mayflower II. Story has it that when the Pilgrims first landed in Plymouth, they stepped on this rock. Atop a hill behind Plymouth Rock, the Plymouth Wax Museum offers visitors a history lesson. Further down the street from the Mayflower II and the wax museum is Plimoth Village - probably the town's biggest attraction. The outdoor living museum is staffed with actors dressed in period outfits re-enact the days and lives of the setters of Plimoth Plantation.

Plymouth today is a modern, South Shore town, with scenic seaside views, whale watches and horse-drawn carriage tours during warmer months. It was once one of the first settlements in America, founded by Puritans fleeing religious persecution. The many historical re-enactments and tributes and other activities make it worth a stop for at least a couple of days. Plymouth is also the location of Cranberry World - an exhibit by Ocean Spray on the fruit which is native to the area. In local shops you'll also find a bevy of cranberry harvest images, photos, and books. Also nearby is Plymouth Colony Winery - New England's "original cranberry winery."

Getting There:

Web Links

Plymouth Rock
Plimoth Plantation

Author: C. Danko
Last update: