Plymouth

The colonists landed in 1620 and the town has marked it since, though the rock itself - a boulder under a portico on the waterfront - was first identified as the landing place well over a century after the fact, and is smaller than almost everyone expects. The substantial site is Plimoth Patuxet, a few kilometres south: an English village of 1627 staffed by role-players in period speech, and separately a Wampanoag homesite staffed by Native people speaking as themselves in the present tense, not in character. That distinction is deliberate and the museum explains why. Mayflower II, a full-size reproduction built in England in 1957, is berthed on the waterfront.

What you actually see

• Plymouth Rock - much smaller than expected, identified long after the fact.
• A 1627 English village - role-players in period speech.
• The Wampanoag homesite - Native staff speaking as themselves, not in character.
• Mayflower II - a full-size 1957 reproduction at the wharf.

When to go

April to November; the museum closes for winter. A full day.

Honest expectations

The rock disappoints nearly everyone who has not been warned. The museum is several kilometres from the waterfront - two separate stops. Tickets are separate for Mayflower II. Thanksgiving week is very busy.

Nearby

Cape Cod begins south; Boston is north.