Plimoth Grist Mill
6 Spring Lane, Plymouth, Massachusetts
Travel back to the time of the Plymouth Colony settlers with a visit to this reconstruction of the historic Plimoth Grist Mill, which was originally built in 1636, set along the Town Brook stream in Plymouth, Massachusetts. This working mill still operates today, offering visitors a hands-on history lesson. See the 200-year-old millstones and learn how water diverted from the brook powers the mill.
Take a tour of Plimoth Grist Mill to learn how the water-powered mill was constructed, and the process by which it turns ground local corn into meal. In the gallery, you’ll find interactive exhibits feature knot-tying and corn-grinding with a mortar and pestle. While the mill is worth a stop all on its own, you can book a guided tour to combine it with a visit to a full-scale reproduction of the Mayflower, along with the nearby living museum that features colonial reenactors.
Freshly stone-ground grains and sampe (similar to grits) are available for purchase on-site.
The original mill burned down in 1837; the reproduction was built on the same site and completed in 1970.
A trip to the mill is usually combined with a visit to the living museum, which was formerly known as Plimoth Plantation and was renamed “Plimoth Patuxet” in honor of the Wampanoag Nation who lived in the region.
The grist mill is located near the Town Brook and the scenic waterfront, and within close proximity to the Mayflower II in historic downtown Plymouth, Massachusetts. It’s a little over an hour away if you’re driving from Boston, and there’s a large parking lot at the mill site. Public transit options are also available from Boston. Some guided tours of historic Plymouth provide transportation between the local sites.
Plimoth Patuxet Museums, which Plimoth Grist Mill is a part of, are open from April through the Sunday following Thanksgiving. Expect the biggest crowds on weekdays during the school year. Spring is generally less crowded than the summer and fall seasons. Grinding usually takes place on Saturday afternoons, and in the spring, river herring swim upstream to spawn, migrating past the mill.
Most travelers combine a visit to Plimoth Grist Mill with a stop at the Mayflower II on the Plymouth waterfront, about a 10-minute walk from the mill. Hop aboard this life-size replica of the ship and interact with costumed characters to discover what life was like for its passengers, and to learn about early navigation techniques.
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