When you board Mayflower II, you’ll see and experience a reproduction of the boat that brought the Pilgrims to the New World. Talk to the actors dressed as a working crew; they can describe for you all the ways that the Mayflower II maintains fidelity to the Pilgrims’ original vessel. Picture how you would have fared as one of the 102 Pilgrims who sailed across the Atlantic Ocean on this small ship.

Mayflower II has become a celebrated piece of Plymouth. Designs for its interiors and exteriors are based on accounts from trade and travel records and diaries. In a truly collaborative effort, a team of expert researchers and shipbuilders used these clues to bring the ship to life. Their efforts realized not only a ship that thoroughly replicates its original source, but also a fully sea-ready vessel. Note that it is handsome as well as functional.

Appreciate the historically accurate details that make this ship a feat of craftwork. Inhale the scent of dusty English oak timbers on the floors and sides. Regard the beauty of the hand-sewn linen sails and quilts that copy those that were found on typical 17th-century English ships. Appreciate the hand-forged nails, hemp cordage and high-grade pine tar produced in line with the technology used to build the Mayflower.

For another view of Mayflower II, board the Pilgrim Belle paddlewheel boat tour. This tour allows you to get close to Mayflower II while also covering a number of other sites in the seafront surrounding Plymouth.

Mayflower II is located just off the northern end of Plymouth Harbor. Purchase tickets to board it online or in person. Visit any time of year, but note that Mayflower II is kept in dry-dock until spring. Also, check that the boat will be in Plymouth when you are here; the seaworthy vessel occasionally sails to other areas.