Mayflower II

Top choice in South Shore


If Plymouth Rock tells us little about the Pilgrims, Mayflower II speaks volumes. Climb aboard this replica of the small ship in which the Pilgrims made the fateful voyage, where 102 people lived together for 66 days as the ship passed through stormy North Atlantic waters. Actors in period costume are on board, recounting harrowing tales from the journey.

The ship is back in Plymouth after a thorough restoration in preparation for the 2020 quadricentennial of the Pilgrims' landing.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby South Shore attractions

1. Plymouth Rock

0.12 MILES

Thousands of visitors come each year to look at this weathered granite ball and consider what it was like for the Pilgrims who stepped ashore on a foreign…

2. Mayflower Society Museum

0.14 MILES

The offices of the General Society of Mayflower Descendants are housed in the magnificent 1754 house of Edward Winslow, the great-grandson of Plymouth…

3. 1749 Spooner House

0.16 MILES

On pretty North St, this 18th-century house was the home of the Spooner family for more than two centuries. Nowadays, the two-story house still contains…

4. 1809 Hedge House

0.26 MILES

You can't miss this grand, Federal edifice overlooking Plymouth Harbor. Originally built on Court St for a sea captain, it became the home of merchant…

5. Pilgrim Hall Museum

0.32 MILES

Claiming to be the oldest continually operating public museum in the country, Pilgrim Hall Museum was founded in 1824. Its exhibits are not reproductions…

6. 1667 Jabez Howland House

0.38 MILES

This is the only house in Plymouth that was home to a known Mayflower passenger. John Howland lived here with his wife, Elizabeth Tilley, and their son…

7. Richard Sparrow House

0.42 MILES

Plymouth's oldest house was built by one of the original Pilgrim settlers in 1640. Today, there is a small art gallery in the more recent addition, while…

8. Plimoth Grist Mill

0.47 MILES

In 1636, local leaders constructed a gristmill on Town Brook so that the growing community could grind corn and produce cornmeal. Today, the replica mill…