Historic Patuxet

Located on the Eel River, Historic Patuxet is where guests learn about the Native peoples who have lived here for over 12,000 years. We invite you to learn about the Indigenous heritage of the Northeast from contemporary interpreters who discuss the 17th-century life-ways of a culture that continues to thrive today.

 

17th-Century English Village

Plymouth Colony comes to life in our recreation of early Plymouth, complete with timber-framed houses furnished with reproductions of the types of objects that the Pilgrims* owned, aromatic kitchen gardens, and heritage breeds livestock. Spend some time exploring! When you encounter someone wearing historical clothing, they are playing the role of an actual inhabitant of Plymouth Colony. They will talk about historical events and lifeways as if they are happening in the present, and will express their hopes, fears, and viewpoints. Modern-day guides will help you better understand the 1600s.

 

Plimoth Grist Mill

At our reconstruction of the Plymouth Colonists’ original 1636 grain mill on Town Brook, take a fascinating look at the mill’s history and workings, from the 200-year-old millstones grinding corn to the ecology of the brook that has powered mills throughout the centuries.



Plimoth Grist Mill is a working mill and is proud to be part of a growing movement to localize grain production and rebuild regional grain economies. Take home some of our freshly stone-ground grains or order them online—it's a great (and delicious) way to support our local grain efforts. Plimoth Grist Mill grains are a taste to give thanks for!

 

Mayflower II

Along with national treasures such as the Statue of Liberty and the Lincoln Memorial, Mayflower is an iconic symbol of freedom. Of the hundreds of ships that made the transatlantic crossing in the 1600s, she is the ship we remember. Three hundred years later, on June 13, 1957, a full-scale reproduction arrived in Plymouth Harbor, Mayflower II.



Since then, Mayflower II has become the majestic centerpiece of historic Plymouth Harbor, and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. In many ways, America is the product of the events that happened in Plymouth and Native Patuxet over four centuries ago—the choices made, risks taken, and the adaptation of community structures to new civic realities. Mayflower II tangibly embodies those choices and risks for hundreds of thousands of lifelong learners each year. More than twenty-five million people have stepped aboard her decks to imagine the perils and contemplate the modern impacts of the historic crossing.



Today, Mayflower II is a floating classroom and working vessel. Following her restoration and return to Plymouth in 2020, she was added to the National Register of Historic Places, illuminating that she is a historic ship in her own right.