Plymouth, Massachusetts

Brewster Gardens, a large park in downtown Plymouth, Massachusetts, stretches along both banks of Town Brook. Just south of Plymouth Rock, it runs from the nature trail, past Jenney Grist Mill, and underneath the two bridges. The park was established in the early 1920s, and it still occupies the original plot granted in 1620 to Elder William Brewster. In the heart of the park along the nature trail that runs along the brook is The Pilgrim Maiden, a bronze statue made by Henry Hudson Kitson in 1922, as well as a stainless steel sculpture that honors immigrants who settled in Plymouth from 1700 to 2000. The gardens are densely forested at the perimeter, with manicured lawns and shrubs along the small ponds that are scattered throughout the park. There are many seasonal plants such as black-eyed Susan and native bottlebrush.

30 Water St, Plymouth, MA 02360, Phone: 508-747-1620

Located in South Carver, Massachusetts and open since 1947, Edaville Railroad is a two-foot heritage narrow gauge railroad line that works as an excursion train and entertainment park for tourists. One of the oldest railroad heritage operations in the country, Edaville was built by Ellis D. Atwood on his massive cranberry plantation about an hour’s drive from Boston in Southeastern Massachusetts. The park has more than 90 attractions and rides and covers 11.5 acres of the lush, green New England land. Some of the most popular attractions include the Island of Sodor, Knapford Station, Tidmough Sheds, and 11 theme rides such as Harold the Helicopter and Cranky the Crane. Visitors can enjoy a scenic 20-minute train ride on a full-sized Thomas the Tank Engine™ through the entire Edaville USA.

5 Pine St, Carver, MA 02330, Phone: 508-866-8190

Explore Natural Plymouth is an association of government, private, and non-profit organizations that is dedicated to offering visitors to Plymouth a very special experience by connecting them to the local farms, forests, wetlands, indigenous and historic sites, and diverse habitats. Their goal is to ensure that visitors as well as residents of Plymouth appreciate and enjoy the natural beauty and ecological heritage of Plymouth County and to ensure more sustainable development of tourism. Some of the members of Explore Natural Plymouth are Friends of Myles Standish State Forest, Goldenrod Foundation, Indigenous Resources Collaborative, Manomet, Plimoth Plantation, Plymouth Conservation Commission, Plymouth Farmers Market, and many others.

Built in 1667 for Jacob Mitchell and his family, the Jabez Howland House is one of the oldest houses in Plymouth. The historic two-story wood frame house is located at 33 Sandwich Street. Jacob Mitchel was a son of one of the Pilgrims Experience Mitchell. The house was subsequently bought by Jabez Howland, the son of another Pilgrim John Howland and his wife Elizabeth Tilley. The family lived in the house until John died and Elizabeth moved to Rhode Island. The house went through a number of families and served as a private residence until 1915, when it was purchased by The Pilgrim John Howland Society. They carefully renovated the house to return it back to its original look, furnished it with period furniture and décor, and opened it for tours and events. The house is listed on the National Register of Historic Houses.

33 Sandwich St, Plymouth, MA 02360, Phone: 508-746-9590

Jenney Museum is probably the best place to learn about the history of Plymouth, the pilgrims, and how they influenced the culture, government, and values of the United States. The museum features a range of revolving exhibits on pilgrim life and organizes interesting and informative tours of Plymouth. There are three exhibition rooms that focus on different aspects of the pilgrims’ lives, their Christian values, and the influence they had on the American way of life and government. Educational tours organized by the museum are very popular and highly educational and range from a walk through the Historic District, a visit to the Forefathers Monuments, American Heritage, and Conversation with a Pilgrim.

48 Summer St, Plymouth, MA 02360, Phone: 508-747-4544

The Mayflower House Museum is located in the Edward Winslow House, an 18th-century historic house museum in Plymouth, Massachusetts just across the road from Plymouth Rock. Built in 1754 for Edward Winslow and his family, the house is now operated by The Mayflower Society, or the General Society of Mayflower Descendants, which bought the Edward Winslow House in 1941 and is using it as their office and library. Edward Winslow was a great-grandson of one of the pilgrims, Edward Winslow. The mansion is wonderfully restored and furnished with original period furniture and décor. Guided tours bring to life the lives of Winslow and other influential Plymouth families that lived in the house throughout three centuries of its existence.

4 Winslow St, Plymouth, MA 02360, Phone: 508-746-2590

Myles Standish State Forest is located between Plymouth and Carver, 45 miles from Boston. Operated by the Department of Conservation and Recreation, Myles Standish is the largest public recreation area in this area of Massachusetts. The lush forest is an intrinsic part of the Atlantic Coastal Pine Barrens ecoregion. Covering 26 square miles, it consists mostly of scrub oak and pitch pine forests and is among the largest forest of this kind north of Long Island. There are six ponds and lakes within the forest and several ecologically important coastal Kettle Ponds. The forest is a popular place for family outings, and it offers swimming, especially in College Pond, camping, horseback riding, and hiking along the 13-mile long hiking trail.

194 Cranberry Rd., Carver, MA 02330, Phone: 508-866-2526

National Monument to the Forefathers is the largest freestanding granite monument in the world. It is perched on top a hill in Plymouth, Massachusetts, seemingly staring across the ocean toward Plymouth, England. The 81-foot-tall monument took 30 years to finish and was completed in 1888 as a tribute to the legendary pilgrims who arrived on the Mayflower at Plymouth. On top of the monument is a 36-foot-tall sculpture called “Faith,” and on buttresses on all four sides of the pedestal where the monument sits are smaller, intricately carved allegorical figures, each made from one block of granite. The monument was commissioned by the Pilgrim Society, which gave it to the State in 2001.

Allerton St, Plymouth, MA 02360, Phone: 434-978-4535

Opened in 1824, the Pilgrim Hall Museum is America’s public museum that is still operating. It houses an incomparable collection of Pilgrim artifacts and private possessions, which tell the fascinating story of these intrepid and determined people who crossed the ocean and built lives in the new world. Some of the most significant exhibits are the Myles Standish’s sword, William Bradford’s Bible, the portrait of Edward Winslow, the cradle of Peregrine White, the New England’s first–born, William Brewster’s great chair, and the first sampler Myles Standish’s daughter embroidered in America. The museum also tells the story of the Wampanoag, the Native People who lived in the Plymouth area for 10,000 years before the new settlers arrived, and about their conflict.

75 Court Street, Plymouth, MA 02360, Phone: 508-746-1620

Plimoth Grist Mill is a reproduction of the original grist or corn grinding mill built in 1636 by the Pilgrims. The reproduction, which was completed in 1970, consists of parts such as the stones, stone furniture, and spindle salvaged from the early 1800s mill near Philadelphia, PA. It is a tribute to the first grist mill built by the Pilgrims and comes as close to the original Pilgrim Plymouth grist mill as is historically possible. The original mill was run by the colonist John Jenney on Town Brook. Before the mill was built, the colonists were grinding corn by hand.

6 Spring Ln, Plymouth, MA 02360, Phone: 508-830-1124