Pilgrim Memorial State Park is designed around Plymouth Rock, a large glacial boulder deposited in the harbor and smoothed by centuries of tidal wash. The rock is not only a landmark, but also a symbol of the courage and faith of the men and women who founded the first New England colony. Tradition tells us that the Pilgrims first stepped here when they arrived in December of 1620, on land long inhabited by Wampanoag (or Pokanoket) Native Americans whose sachem, Massasoit, befriended the Pilgrims. Without the help of the Wampanoag, the Pilgrims would likely have starved soon after their arrival.Here, the Pilgrims began their new lives in North America when the Mayflower anchored offshore. Today, the site of the world-famous Plymouth Rock is a picturesque landscaped park that offers historical and recreational opportunities for nearly one million people every year. During your visit, you will find that there is much to do within the park. Here you can: · Visit Plymouth Rock where you can learn the interesting history of the Rock and its famous portico. · Climb the steps across the street to enjoy a panoramic view from Cole's Hill, where a sarcophagus is the final resting place of many early Pilgrims and where a number of organizations have memorialized their connections to the Pilgrims. · Tour the works of art dedicated
to historical events and figures in Plymouth's history - the Massasoit statue on Cole's Hill, the William Bradford statue on Water Street near the portico, and the Pilgrim Mother fountain across Water Street. · Take a stroll on the Frazier State Pier. · Enjoy a picnic or cultural program in the grassy south end of the park.
"Here is a stone which the feet of a few outcasts pressed for an instant; and the stone becomes famous; it is treasured by a great nation; its very dust is shared as a relic."Alexis de Tocqueville, 1835
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