Pilgrim Hall Museum

Check-in

Overview

The Pilgrim Hall Museum was established in 1824 by the Pilgrim Hall Society. It is known as the oldest operating public museum in the country and features a collection of 17th-century artifacts that tell the story of the early Plymouth Colony. The mission of the Plymouth Pilgrim Museum is to drive connections to the Mayflower Pilgrims, the Wampanoag people, and the evolution of Plymouth as an impactful narrative of America’s history. 

IRISH TIES TO PLYMOUTH

The Town of Plymouth has had ties to the Irish from the days of the Pilgrims. In fact, in 1626, several Irish servants who survived the shipwreck of the Sparrow Hawk remained in Plymouth until they could secure passage to Jamestown, their original destination. All aboard survived and were removed to the nearby Plymouth Colony. The Sparrow Hawk is the earliest ship to participate in the first decades of English settlement in the New World to have survived to the present day. 

EXHIBITS AT THE PILGRIM HALL MUSEUM

There are many exhibits to explore at the Pilgrim Hall Museum. One exhibit includes the Sparrow Hawk, which was buried beneath the sand until storms in May 1863 uncovered the hull.  Keel, planks, rudder, and other hull elements from the Sparrow Hawk were found in good condition, removed from the beach and carefully reconstructed for subsequent exhibition. The other two exhibits include the permanent exhibit which has Pilgrim and Native artifacts and changing exhibits, which are based on special interest topics.