Historic Homes and Sites
South of Boston/Plymouth welcome guests to historic homes and sites
Our picks
Plymouth, MA
Plimoth Patuxet Museums
137 Warren Avenue, directions to Plimoth Patuxet Museums 508-746-1622Inspiring Journeys Begin Here and Last for Generations!
At Plimoth Patuxet, experience the interwoven legacies of the Wampanoag and English people who met in the 17th century. Explore the Historic Patuxet Homesite to learn from the experiences of the Indigenous People who have lived here since time immemorial. In the 17th-Century English Village, traverse the early Pilgrim settlement and interact with historical performers portraying real residents. Discover downtown Plymouth and climb aboard Mayflower II to hear stories about the 1620 transatlantic journey of the Pilgrims, or visit the Plimoth Grist Mill to learn about the importance of corn in the 17th century and today. Named the Best Open-Air Museum in the USA in 2024, 2025, and 2026 by USA Today’s 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards.
Plymouth, MA
See Plymouth
4 North Street, directions to See Plymouth 508-747-0100A visit to Plymouth means a stroll through the history of 17th-century America
Check out some more great things to do while visiting Plymouth County, MA!
You stroll through history when you visit Plymouth. Start with Plymouth Rock and the Mayflower II, the statue of Massasoit and the Pilgrim Sarcophagus, containing the remains of those who died in the first year after the Mayflower arrived. In the Plimoth Patuxet Museums, interpreters will talk about life in a 17-century English village and a Wampanoag homesite. (You might even help dig out a canoe or play a Pilgrim child’s game.) The 1749 Court House Museum is the oldest wooden courthouse and longest-used municipal building in America, and the Jabez Howland House is the only existing house in town where Pilgrims spent time. China Trade treasures are displayed in the Federal-style Hedge House Museum, and Pilgrim and Wampanoag artifacts are displayed in the Pilgrim Hall Museum.
Middleborough, MA
Peter H. Peirce Homestead
132 North Main Street,, directions to Peter H. Peirce HomesteadDiscover Timeless Elegance at the Historic Peter H. Peirce House
Built in 1814, the Peter H. Peirce House is a beautifully preserved three-story Federal-style mansion in Middleborough. Originally the grandest home in Middleborough Four Corners, it was constructed for Colonel Peirce and his wife, Abbigail.
In 1827–28, it was raised one story with a wider base added beneath, featuring higher ceilings and elegant moldings that blend late Federal and early Greek Revival styles.
Beyond the house, Peirce built a store in 1834, a cotton mill, and a shovel factory near the Nemasket River. He also directed the region's earliest railroad and served as a state senator, cementing his legacy in both business and politics.
Today, it is managed by a nonprofit dedicated to restoration and community events.
Quincy, MA
Discover Quincy
City of Quincy Welcome Center - 1259 Hancock Street, directions to Discover Quincy 617-471-1700Quincy offers a variety of ways to learn about, and celebrate, the nation’s history
Quincy bows to no one when it comes to cities that honor their history. Visit Adams National Historical Park to see the Old House at Peace Field, the Adams family residence from 1788 to 1927, featuring a vast collection of original artifacts. The Stone Library, America’s first presidential library, includes, among its 12,000 books, the Mendi Bible given to John Quincy Adams by the Amistad enslaved people. The park also contains birthplaces of both John and John Quincy Adams. You can also visit the “Church of the Presidents,” where the family worshiped and where their tombs now lie. Take the Presidents Trail, which goes past Adams, Quincy and Hancock homes and ultimately to the Abigail Adams Cairn, where she and John Quincy saw smoke from the Battle of Bunker Hill.
Plymouth, MA
Mayflower II
State Pier, directions to Mayflower II 508-746-1622A reproduction of the original Mayflower, the ship in which the Pilgrims journeyed to America. Visitors will get a sample of what life was like during their voyage in 1620.
Hours: Mid-March-end of October, plus Thanksgiving programming.
Admission: Adults, $10; children age 6-12, $7; seniors, $9. Combination tickets for Plimoth Plantation also are available.
Information: http://bit.ly/iYXlFA
Plymouth, MA
Plymouth Rock
79 Water Street, directions to Plymouth RockThe real thing! Plymouth Rock commemorates the site where the Pilgrims first came ashore in 1620.
New Bedford, MA
Schooner Ernestina
State Pier, directions to Schooner Ernestina 508-992-4900This schooner was built in 1894, and was used as a vessel for immigrants and exploration of the arctic. The ship now offers sails and educational programs. Docked at the State Pier, off MacArthur Blvd. near the Cuttyhunk Ferry terminal.
Plymouth, MA
Harlow Old Fort House
119 Sandwich Street, directions to Harlow Old Fort House 508-746-0012This Pilgrim home was built in 1677. Open for visitors most Saturdays 1-4pm.
New Bedford, MA
Rotch-Jones-Duff House and Garden Museum
396 County Street, directions to Rotch-Jones-Duff House and Garden Museum 508-997-1401This 28-room Greek Revival mansion was built for whaling merchant William Rotch, Jr. in 1834. The house and formal gardens chronicle 150 years of economic, social and domestic life in New Bedford. Greek Revival in style, it was designed by architect Richard Upjohn. The gardens are well-planned and historically interesting. Admission includes a 30-minute self-guided tour of the Museum and access to the exterior grounds and gardens.
Hours: Monday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; Sunday, noon-4 p.m.
Admission: Adults, $6; seniors over age 65, $5; students, $5; children age 12 and younger, $3.
Information: www.rjdmuseum.org
Attleboro, MA
La Salette Shrine
947 Park Street, Route 118, directions to La Salette Shrine 508-222-5410These historic statuary gardens were designed as areas for meditation and worship. During the Christmas holiday a unique and decorative light display is offered. Information: www.lasalette-shrine.org
Hull, MA
Paragon Carousel
205 Nantasket Avenue, directions to Paragon Carousel 617-925-0472A working antique carousel with authentic wooden horses. Visitors ride to music on a 1928 Wurlitzer organ.
Hours: April 1 to June 19, weekends, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.; June 19 to Labor Day, daily, 11 a.m.-9 p.m.; Labor Day to Halloween, Friday, 4 p.m.-dusk and weekends, 11 a.m.-dusk. Closed Halloween to late March.
$2.50 per ride
Information: www.paragoncarousel.com
Plymouth, MA
Forefathers Monument
Allerton Street, directions to Forefathers Monument 508-746-1620Monument to the pilgrims made out of solid granite. The largest of its kind in the United States. Free admission.
Marshfield, MA
Winslow House
Careswell and Webster streets, directions to Winslow House 617-837-5753The Historic Winslow House, built c. 1699, is the ancestral home of the founding family of Marshfield. Built by the descendants of Mayflower Pilgrim Governor Edward Winslow, this 18th-century mansion is one of the least altered homes in the area. Featuring tours, lectures, kids' events, and more, the Winslow House has something for everyone.
Hours: Open seasonally
Admission: Donations appreciated
Plymouth, MA
Mayflower Society Museum
4 Winslow Street, directions to Mayflower Society Museum 508-746-2590The museum grounds host the 18th-century dwelling built by Edward Winslow. Behind the mansion are the offices and library of the General Society of Mayflower Descendants. The property overlooks a snug harbor where a reproduction of The Mayflower is moored.
Hours: Open occasionally; call ahead for hours of operation.
Information: www.themayflowersociety.com/museum
Fall River, MA
Battleship Massachusetts
Battleship Cove, 5 Water St, directions to Battleship Massachusetts 508-678-1100The battleship Massachusetts, submarine Lionfish, destroyer Joseph P. Kennedy Jr., are among the World War II vessels docked at this location. Visitors will enjoy tours of the vessels and related exhibits.
Hours: Year-round, daily, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
Admission: Adults: $20; Seniors: $18; Children 4-12: $10; Children 3 and under: Free.
Fall River, MA
Fall River Carousel
At Battleship Cove, 5 Water Street, directions to Fall River Carousel 508-678-1100On the Fall River waterfront, this carousel was built in the 1920s and placed in Lincoln Park. It has been fully restored. It is located in a Victorian pavilion and has nearly 50 carved horses moving to classic carousel organ music.
Hours: Open seasonally.
Admission: $1 per ride or $5 for 7 rides
Information: www.battleshipcove.com/carousel.asp
Duxbury, MA
Alden House Historic Site
105 Alden Street,, directions to Alden House Historic Site 781-934-9092Part of the property granted to two of the Mayflower's most famous passengers, John and Priscilla Alden, visitors can tour the family home of their descendants and explore the nearby foundation of the couple's 17th century homesite.
Hours: June 1-mid-October; Wednesday-Saturday, noon-4 p.m.
Admission: Adults, $8; children under age 18, $5.
Information: www.alden.org/
Swansea, MA
Martin House Farm
22 Stoney Hill Road at Route 6, directions to Martin House Farm 617-742-3190The Martin House Farm is a rare example of an 18th and early 19th century farm which still retains the character of its original setting. It consists of the house, two barns and cultivated fields surrounded by dry stone walls and woodlands. Check the farm website for many interesting public events through the season.
Hours: Open for tours on Sundays, early July through September, 1-4 p.m. Group tours can be arranged by appointment.
Admission: Adults, $5; children under age 12, free; active military and their families admitted free
Plymouth, MA
Plimoth Grist Mill (formerly Jenney Grist Mill)
6 Spring Lane, directions to Plimoth Grist Mill (formerly Jenney Grist Mill)A replica of a grist mill built on this site in 1636 and used by the Pilgrims to grind corn for flour. Visitors can see the water wheel turning and watch the miller grinding grain. Owned and operated by Plimoth Patuxet Museums.
Canton, MA
Eleanor Cabot Bradley Estate
2468B Washington Street / Route 138, directions to Eleanor Cabot Bradley Estate 781-821-2977sprawling gardens on an historic estate
Once a Colonial farmstead, the property was transformed into a country estate. The property includes a country house, landscaped grounds, and a complex of farm and estate buildings, manicured lawns, a walled garden, and a brick-edged garden. Visitors may explore more than 60 acres of meadow and woodland along three miles of trails.
Hours: Year-round, daily, sunrise to sunset. No charge.