Must-see attractions in South Shore

  • Colonial homes and garden

    Plimoth Plantation

    South Shore

    Three miles south of Plymouth center, Plimoth Plantation authentically re-creates the Pilgrims’ settlement in its primary exhibit, entitled 1627 English…

  • Mayflower II

    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…

  • Pilgrim Hall Museum

    South Shore

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

  • Adams National Historic Park

    South Shore

    The Adams family sights are accessible by guided tours departing from the Adams National Historic Park Visitor Center. Every half-hour (until 3:15pm),…

  • Plymouth Rock

    South Shore

    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…

  • Battleship Cove

    South Shore

    ‘You sank my battleship!’ This cry was ne’er heard aboard the mighty USS Massachusetts, a hulk of a craft that survived 35 battles in WWII, gunning down…

  • Presidential Crypt

    South Shore

    John and Abigail Adams and John Quincy and Louisa Catherine Adams are all interred in the basement of the handsome granite United First Parish Church, in…

  • Plimoth Grist Mill

    South Shore

    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…

  • 1809 Hedge House

    South Shore

    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…

  • Seamen's Bethel

    South Shore

    Across from the Whaling Museum, this small chapel was a refuge from the rigors and stresses of maritime life. Melville immortalized it in Moby-Dick, where…

  • Hancock Cemetery

    South Shore

    Opposite the United First Parish Church, Hancock Cemetery is the final resting place of many notable Quincy residents, including most of the Quincy and…

  • New Bedford Whaling Museum

    South Shore

    The centerpiece of New Bedford, this excellent, hands-on museum remembers the town's heyday as a whaling port. The museum occupies seven buildings…

  • Myles Standish State Forest

    South Shore

    About 6 miles south of Plymouth, this 16,000-acre park is the largest public recreation area in southeastern Massachusetts. It contains 13 miles of biking…

  • 1667 Jabez Howland House

    South Shore

    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…

  • Mayflower Society Museum

    South Shore

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

  • Richard Sparrow House

    South Shore

    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…

  • 1749 Spooner House

    South Shore

    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…

  • Sacrifice Rock

    South Shore

    'The other rock' is an ancient landmark where Wampanoag travelers would place branches and stones as offerings in exchange for safe travels. It's about 6…

  • 1677 Harlow Old Fort House

    South Shore

    A half-mile east of Town Brook, this is one of the few remaining 17th-century structures in Plymouth. Furnished with early-American artifacts, it's open…