National Monument to the Forefathers (Pilgrim Monument)

National Monument to the Forefathers (Pilgrim Monument)

It's not an official National Monument, but it was renamed to show that it is dedicated to the entire nation and to keep it from being confused with another monument in the same town called 'Pilgrim Monument.'

The National Monument to the Forefathers, formerly known as the Pilgrim Monument, commemorates the Mayflower Pilgrims.

The monument is made entirely of granite and is 81 foot (25 m) tall.

The sculptor was Joseph Archie.

The corner-stone was laid August 2, 1859. The monument was completed in October 1888, and was dedicated with appropriate ceremonies on August 1, 1889.

The monument faces northeast to Plymouth Harbor (and, roughly, towards Plymouth, England).

Upon the four buttresses are seated figures emblematical of the principles upon which the Pilgrims founded their Commonwealth; counter-clockwise from the east are Freedom, Morality, Law and Education. Each was carved from a solid block of granite.

The monument was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on August 30, 1974. Originally under the care of the Pilgrim Society, it was given to the Massachusetts government in 2001. It and Plymouth Rock constitute the Pilgrim Memorial State Park.

Location

Allerton Street
Plymouth, Massachusetts
USA

Getting There

To reach there by public transportation from Boston, you can take the Plymouth & Brockton Street Railway Company (P&B) bus from South Station or Logan Airport to Plymouth. From there, you can take the Plymouth Area Link (PAL) bus to the monument. The PAL bus also stops at other attractions in Plymouth, including Plymouth Rock and the Mayflower II. Alternatively, you can take the Kingston/Plymouth line on the MBTA commuter rail from South Station to the Plymouth station, and then take a taxi or ride-sharing service to the monument.

Nearby Airports

This is a list of primary airports in Massachusetts that have scheduled passenger service on commercial airlines.