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Coordinates: 41°57′29.1″N 70°39′43.7″W. Plymouth Rock is the historical site of disembarkation of the Mayflower Pilgrims who founded Plymouth Colony in December 1620.
- .mw-parser-output .geo-default,.mw-parser-output .geo-dms,.mw-parser-output .geo-dec{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .geo-nondefault,.mw-parser-output .geo-multi-punct,.mw-parser-output .geo-inline-hidden{display:none}.mw-parser-output .longitude,.mw-parser-output .latitude{white-space:nowrap}41°57′29.1″N 70°39′43.7″W / 41.958083°N 70.662139°W
- 70M
Apr 5, 2024 · Plymouth Rock, granite slab that rests on the coast of Plymouth Bay, an inlet of the Atlantic Ocean, in Plymouth, Massachusetts, said to be where the Pilgrim Fathers first set foot on December 26, 1620, at what became the colony of New Plymouth, the first permanent European settlement in New England.
Nov 20, 2017 · NMAH. Plymouth Rock, located on the shore of Plymouth Harbor in Massachusetts, is reputed to be the very spot where William Bradford, an early governor of Plymouth colony, and other Pilgrims...
Overview. This waterfront park, home to historic Plymouth Rock and the Mayflower II museum, draws more than 1 million visitors each year. You'll also find fantastic views of Plymouth Harbor and monuments. Hours. Sunrise to sunset. Parking. 2 hour parking; 9 am – 7 pm $1.25 an hour, April 1 thru Nov. 30. Facilities. Restrooms. Scenic viewing area.
- 79 Water St, Plymouth, 02360, MA
- Overview
- HISTORY Vault: America the Story of Us
Explore the real history of the Pilgrims' purported landing place—Plymouth Rock.
Two words inevitably cross the lips of first-time visitors to Plymouth Rock: “That’s it?”
Yes, Plymouth Rock never fails to underwhelm, leaving tourists struck by disappointment rather than awe. But don’t blame the rock. America’s most famous piece of granite is simply a victim of outsized expectations. The overhyped legend surrounding the Pilgrims’ supposed landing place conjures visions of the Rock of Gibraltar. The reality, however, is that the country’s birthstone is a mere boulder.
The Pilgrims
And then there’s the inconvenient truth that no historical evidence exists to confirm Plymouth Rock as the Pilgrims’ steppingstone to the New World. Leaving aside the fact that the Pilgrims first made landfall on the tip of Cape Cod in November 1620 before sailing to safer harbors in Plymouth the following month, William Bradford and his fellow Mayflower passengers made no written references to setting foot on a rock as they disembarked to start their settlement on a new continent.
It wasn’t until 1741—121 years after the arrival of the Mayflower—that a 10-ton boulder in Plymouth Harbor was identified as the precise spot where Pilgrim feet first trod. The claim was made by 94-year-old Thomas Faunce, a church elder who said his father, who arrived in Plymouth in 1623, and several of the original Mayflower passengers assured him the stone was the specific landing spot. When the elderly Faunce heard that a wharf was to be built over the rock, he wanted a final glimpse. He was conveyed by chair 3 miles from his house to the harbor, where he reportedly gave Plymouth Rock a tearful goodbye. Whether Faunce’s assertion was accurate oral history or the figment of a doddering old mind, we don’t know. (And if Faunce indeed was telling a tall tale about the humble chunk of granite, he broke the cardinal rule of American mythology: When you make stuff up, go big—really big.)
America The Story of Us is an epic 12-hour television event that tells the extraordinary story of how America was invented.
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Dec 27, 2019 · What is the most visited rock in New England? It's Plymouth Rock in seaside Plymouth, Massachusetts, of course. This famous landmark south of Boston is housed within the smallest state park in Massachusetts, Pilgrim Memorial State Park, visited by more than 1 million people each year.
Plymouth Rock is known the world over as the rock the Mayflower Pilgrims stepped on in 1620 to disembark from their shallop onto land. Historians have argued since it was reported, in 1741, whether this is fact or fiction. Plymouth Historian Jim Baker says it could be true.
