Myles Standish Monument State Reservation is a lesser-known yet important ode to the captain of the Mayflower and military leader of Plymouth Bay Colony. Being only a few miles north of Plymouth, visiting this 116-foot tower should be on every New Englander’s bucket list.
Nearby is the location of Myles Standish’s homestead. It’s a park with views of Kingston Bay. In this post, you’ll see photos of both historic landmarks.
The Monument
The monument is located on the top of a hill in a nice, residential area of Duxbury. There’s not a lot of parking, but we were able to find a place with no problem. There is no admission to get in. That’s right; it’s free! There are also picnic tables if you’d like to enjoy a packed lunched. We both highly recommend that you check out the state site to make sure that the park and tower are both open when you’d like to visit.
When we parked, Benny jumped out and started running up the stairs to the monument. He was very excited to get to the top to see the great views of the surrounding area. I have to admit that I struggled to keep up with him. Thankfully, he turned around and stopped long enough for me to catch my breath and take this photo.
Satisfied with his picture, Benny started running again. He stopped when he saw the stairs.
“Hurry up, Bob! Put me in your backpack and climb the stairs!” he said.
At this point I was panting, but I received no consolation from my little bear friend. “Myles Standish wouldn’t put up with slackers! He was the military leader of the colony! There are only 125 steps. Let’s go!”
He wasn’t happy that I told him to wait, but within the next two minutes we were on our way to the top.
The narrow, spiral staircase was a trip within itself. We had to squeeze by other visitors who were descending. I was about to remark that my legs were burning, but I decided against it.
Finally, we reached the top of the Myles Standish Monument. Benny jumped out of my bag and landed on one of the windowsills.
“Photo op!” he exclaimed. There are four windows, each with an amazing view. Benny chose to have Kingston Bay in the background. I was afraid he was getting to close to the edge, but he told me not to be such a worry-wart.
After enjoying the views, we climbed down and explored the area behind the tower. There’s a nice area where you could play catch or throw frisbee.
Myles Standish Homestead
Our next stop brought us to the nearby location of Myles Standish’s homestead. There isn’t a parking lot, but you should be able to find a spot on the street. This small park includes two small monuments, as you can see from Benny’s famous “photo ops.”
Just like the monument, there is no admission to visit the park.
Myles Standish definitely had great views of the bay. Markers lay where the corner of his home once stood. We followed a path that led us to a staircase and then out to the water. We took in the views for a while before heading back to the car and continuing with our day’s adventures.
We hope you enjoy our video about Myles Standish Monument State Reservation and Myles Standish Homestead.
Join us on our adventures!
Check out our map of places we’ve been in New England.
Find New England Travel Guides and Books. This is an affiliate link, and we may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
Leave a Reply