sights in Plymouth, MA
 

I'm planning to spend a day in Plymouth, en route from Boston to Cape Cod. Other than Plymouth Plantation, what would you recommend for things to do in Plymouth?

See the Mayflower reproduction or go to the Ocean Spray Cranberry place. Otherwise, not much. By far, the best thing is Plymouth Plantation and it's good for at least 3 to 4 hours. By the way, Plymouth Rock is probably a fraud and no big deal at all. Don't waste your time.

I think I would just do Plimoth Plantation (note the spelling) for the three to four hours the other poster recommended. You could go into the town of Plymouth afterwards to see the Mayflower replica and the bay but I personally would just get to the Cape!

The only thing I would possibly add, depending on if it interests you is the Jenny Grist Mill
you can look online and see if it is a spot that would appeal to you - it is a small area, but a lovely peaceful setting and close to 'the rock' - which as someone mentioned is usually quite disappointing to visitors, - basically a small rock in a cage on the waterfront - but after Plimoth Plantation and Cranberry place, should you decide to do that, you could have a nice lunch on the waterfront and see the Rock and the Grist Mill and head down to the Cape.

I agree with the suggestion of concentrating on Plimoth Plantation. You really need to plan on spending at least two or three hours there. And there's no question in my mind that if I had time for only one thing in Plymouth, that would be it! It really is amazing.

CAPH52: Do you think Plimouth Plantation could hold the attention of two 14/15 year old boys? For the last three years I have been meaning to visit the Plantation while on Cape Cod and haven't made it. I'm a bit more determined this summer.

If you want to take 14/15 yr old boys to the Plantation, I would do it now. With my kids, and we live within 30 minutes of it, and also have done Sturbridge which is also in our state, - the older they were, the less interested they were.

I would say take them now, my opinion - they may not want to spend hours and hours there, but i would think you could keep them interested for at least 2 hours, and a visit to the waterfront after is always nice for some seafood, looking at the boats, walking around.

Thanks, escargot. That's kind of how I was thinking! They're gonna have to go, because I want to see it!

We'll be staying near Woods Hold, so we could make a 1/2 day trip out of it!

Try Pilgrim Hall Museum. It's small, but it's right in the center of town and has some great stuff(Myles Standish's sword, a cradle that came over on the Mayflower, a whole shipwreck). They even have an exhibit on gravestones and mourning rituals, which gives a pretty unique perspective on the history.

Another option is to just skip Plymouth and drive on by to the Cape.

Once there you can drive to Provincetown (where the Pilgrims first landed) and visit the Pilgrim Monument and Museum as well as nearby First Encounter Beach and many other historical sites.

They will likely find Plymouth Rock amusing - it is a non-descript small rock in a mesh cage. Near this fake rock is a reproduction of the Mayflower. When my kids were this age, they liked the Plantation, but found the Rock and Mayflower hokey.

Hmmm...the Mayflower is a reproduction of the real thing...made to scale from the original plans. And I believe sailed here from England. It is hard to believe it is so small but so were the Pilgrims.

As for the Rock. It has been moved, I think more than once and lots of chips and chunks have been lost in the last few hundred years. Hokey....maybe.

BuffaloGirl, FWIW, we took our kids to Plimoth Plantation when our daughter was 17 and our son 13. Neither they nor my husband were thrilled about going. I insisted 'cause I'd read so many positive things about it. (Also because we were staying at a motel right across the street!) Well, they all wound up really, really enjoying it. In fact, our daughter, who is definitely not a history buff, liked it so much that she said if she ever moved nearby she'd want a membership! It's just so incredibly well done. I've never experienced anything else that makes you experience another time period the way it does. Our kids were really drawn into it.

Plimoth plantation, Mayflower replica and museum. Have a bite to eat at the Lobster pot. Paul

Buffalo Girl--
Can't say if your teens will like it; however, I would encourage you to be sure to go to the Wampanoag Native American section of the Plantation if you do go. My younger kids and their preteen cousins liked that area the most when we visited. Also the crafts area is quite interesting (in a building on your way from the visitors center to the plantation.

The Plantation and the Mayflower (run by the same organization) are definitely the biggest game in town. But since erin454 asked about OTHER things to do in Plymouth, here's a small list:

x Jenney Grist Mill (see above)
x Pilgrim Hall Museum (see above)
x Several small house museums, such as the Howland House and the Alden House.
x Memorial Hall has occasional concerts. Not big names to plan your trip around, but possibly an evening's entertainment if you're in town.
x Burial Hill for views of the harbor.
x Captain John Boats if you're looking to get out on the water.

www.visit-plymouth.com should have some additional suggestions.

erin454: Sorry, I didn't really mean to hijack your thread with my question to CAPH. Hopefully, you got the information you were looking for.

I am definitely dragging my husband and the teenagers to Plimouth Plantation on our trip. Thanks for the info. everyone.

I recommend a whale watch cruise from Plymouth that goes out to the cape.