Looking for free things to do in Plymouth? Well, thanks to my bear friend, we’re able to share with you some fun things to do in America’s Hometown that don’t cost a dime.
Every New Englander who’s worth their weight in clam chowder knows that a sunny, warm late winter day means one thing: Get outside while you can. So, that’s exactly what Benny and I did. This time, however, we wanted to play tourist. What better place to pretend being tourists then in the nearby town of Plymouth, MA?
Plymouth is full of history and things to do and see. There’s a good chance that you know about the things that you can do which require money, but what if you’d like to explore Plymouth on limited or no funds? Or you want to supplement your experience without opening your wallet? Well, you’re in luck; Benny and I have for you a list of free things to do in Plymouth.
Town Brook Park
Town Brook Park is a small park not far from the town’s center. The best thing about this park is that parking is free. Yes, that’s right. FREE. YEAR-ROUND. Benny and I decided to start our adventure here.
Helpful hint: We were able to find a place to park, but in the summer, this place is packed. If you go in the summer, go early.
The park is relatively small, but don’t let that fool you. It has a lot of wildlife. There were lots of ducks swimming and quacking all over the place. Benny wanted to go up and talk to the ducks, but there were a few Canadian geese in his way. They started hissing at Benny, which prompted him to jump and hide in my backpack.
The Baby Turtle
After quacking at the ducks and running away from the geese, we started to walk towards the Brewster Gardens. Before we made it out of the park, my wife, who often joins us on our journeys, looked down and found a baby turtle on the sidewalk! Not wanting it to get squished by people or nearby cars, we decided that we had to intervene and save this turtle’s life.
We brought it next to the river, hoping that it would find its way back home. But no, it still wanted to go back towards the sunny, albeit dangerous, sidewalk. (I have always wanted to use “albeit” correctly in a sentence! Yay, me!)
Benny thought that maybe he could convince the turtle to stay away from the perils of the public. He was, after all, an animal like the turtle, and hoped that he could speak some sense into him.
Thankfully, the turtle saw the wisdom in Benny’s words and decided to find a sunny rock near the water for his next round of sun bathing.
Brewster Gardens
The next stop on our list of free things to do in Plymouth was the Brewster Gardens. If you park at Town Brook Park, you don’t even have to drive anywhere; just follow the path that goes past the Plimoth Grist Mill and follows the stream.
Benny wanted to go for a swim, but I reminded him that it was still technically winter and that the water was cold. This short path will lead you to the Brewster Gardens.
The Brewster Gardens has a few more more monuments. It also has some benches in case you’d like to sit and relax. Right across the street is our next stop: “The Rock.”
The Rock
That’s right, viewing “The Rock” is free. I assume, of course, that you know I’m saying “The Rock” in reference to Plymouth Rock. Legend has it that it was on this rock where the first Pilgrims stepped foot in Plymouth. I was going to write, “The New World” instead of “Plymouth,” but my astute bear friend reminded me that they first landed in Provincetown. What a smart bear.
The Rock viewing area is surrounded by Romanesque columns.
Benny was dismayed to see that people had been throwing pennies and other coins onto the rock, even though there was a sign asking not to do so.
A couple came up to the side of us. They guy took out a shiny penny and threw it down to the rock.
“That’s going to wear the rock down!” Benny screeched. He started getting agitated, looked around, and yelled, “It’s called erosion, people! Have you NO respect for history?”
I had to calm him down. I’ve never seen him so angry. My wife said she hadn’t been that embarrassed since my meltdown at the Denver airport.
If you visit the rock, keep Benny in mind. Throwing a coin at it may not seem like a big deal, but if hundreds of people do it, then over time it will erode.
The Breakwater
Benny needed to relax, so we took a walk to the Breakwater. It’s about a 10-minute walk away from The Rock. Along the way, we took in the sights of the water, the Mayflower II, and yet another clamshell.
The Breakwater is one of the lesser-known free things to do in Plymouth, but it’s worth checking out. The entrance is behind a few buildings near a wharf. Go past the Harbor Master’s office and you’ll see it right around the corner.
Be careful while walking on the Breakwater; there’s no paved path and if you don’t pay attention, you may fall through the cracks in the rocks, especially if you’re a small bear.
The cool breeze, the salty air, and the sun helped Benny forget about the incident at The Rock. We were on to our next stop on our free things to do in Plymouth tour: Burial Hill.
Burial Hill
If you’re coming from the waterfront and heading to Burial Hill, be prepared to, well, go up a hill. The cemetery is located behind the First Parish of Plymouth and the Church of the Pilgrimage. You can’t miss it.
The burial ground has been in use since the 1620s, and it’s also where the Pilgrims built their first fort. Thank you, informative plaque! The plaque also asked us to not touch any of the gravestones. By not doing so, they have a better chance of surviving for future generations.
Benny had decided to walk up the hill. As you can imagine, that’s a bit for a small bear. When he got to the top, he saw this plaque and decided that it was a nice place to lie down and be overly dramatic about how tired he was.
The cemetery is also where Governor Bradford, among other figures of historical significance, is buried. My born-and-raised Rhode Island-loving wife tried to find Bradford’s grave. You see, Governor Bradford had a role in Roger Williams, the founder of Rhode Island, being exiled from Massachusetts. I wasn’t sure if my wife wanted to personally thank Bradford for his role or demand that he explain himself to her.
Either way, I used the setting sun as an excuse to leave the cemetery before we found the grave.
“I’ll be back, Bradford,” she said sternly. Benny melodramatically rolled off of the watchtower plaque and joined us.
National Monument to the Forefathers
The next place on our free things to do in Plymouth tour required us to walk back to the car. The National Monument to the Forefathers isn’t far away from Town Brook Park; it’s perhaps a 5-minute drive, but at this point we all needed a little rest.
The monument resides on top of a hill and is surrounded by a large, grassy area. In the warmer weather, it’s a perfect place to go for a picnic.
To quote Benny, the monument is “wicked big.” To help you get an idea of just how, ahem, monumental it is, Benny decided to use himself to put things to scale.
Anyone interested in the history of Plymouth should visit this monument.
Even though this was our last stop on that day’s adventure, I absolutely have to mention another place in Plymouth that we visited in the past.
Ellisville Harbor State Park
We featured this state park in one of our past adventures. A mile or so path leads from the parking lot down to the beach, and staying true to the theme of this post, it’s completely free. For more info on the state park and Benny’s big idea that he had when we were there, check out our post.
For more information on things to do in Plymouth, check out SeePlymouth.com.
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