Plymouth's Historic Burial Hill: History & Beauty Rolled into One

Burial Hill sign in Plymouth, Massachusetts

Burial Hill is a really cool place to visit if you are at all a history buff. I recommend a daytrip or vacation to Plymouth for anyone who loves exploring historical cities. Living in Fall River, I had had easy access to this gorgeous old city for weekend daytrips and explored the area regularly.

One of my favorite historical sites in the city is Burial Hill, a historic cemetery with gravestones dating back to the 1600’s. It is the final resting place of several Pilgrims, including Governor William Bradford and Mary Allerton, the last surviving Mayflower passenger.

The cemetery is a bit hidden from the tourist traffic on quiet Leyden Street, which is not only the oldest street in Plymouth, but also one of the oldest continuously inhabited streets in America. I love that this cemetery is located far away from the touristy waterfront district. It’s a nice tranquil place to stroll around and take in some history.

Many of the gravestones are so weathered (made of carved wood) that you can’t even read them anymore. In fact, we noticed many split in half. It’s kind of creepy and fascinating at the same time to walk around such an old graveyard. The oldest gravestone of Edward Gray dates back all the back to 1681. The views are fabulous due to the cemetery’s location on a hill overlooking the harbor. I am not a fan of cemeteries, nor am I the biggest history connoisseur, but I have to say, the views are really beautiful.

Old graves at Burial Hill in Plymouth — A look at a few of the weathered down gravestones

The most scenic place in town!

Who would think that the most gorgeous place in town would be a cemetery? I typically avoid cemeteries as much as possible as they tend to creep me out. The one exception I make is for old historical sites – maybe because the deaths are not so recent, it feels a bit less scary and depressing to me. The setting is so gorgeous here and I love the look of the old weathered gravestones.

This cemetery has a lot of character. I love visiting even more around Halloween as that eerie vibe is really in the air. The amazing coastal view really is the main reason I recommend putting a visit high on your bucket list. I took this picture on a grey day in late fall. This is my favorite time of the year as the overcast skies really set the mood. The cemetery takes on a more tranquil and spooky vibe at the same time. The lack of tourists adds to the somber vibe even more.

The final resting home of many Mayflower Passengers

What really sets this cemetery apart if the historical value. Several Mayflower passengers were actually buried here which I find pretty cool. William Bradford was the mayor of Plymouth colony for 30 years. He was one of the 41 “true” signers of the Mayflower Compact, Plymouth Colony’s first governing document. I like that they mark some of the graves, so you do not have to go around searching and guessing.

Major William Bradford grave in Plymouth

The oldest legible gravestone belongs to Edward Gray. There could be older graves, but some of them are just so beat down that no one knows. Edward was one of the richest merchants in the city. When he died, he owned one of the largest estates. His holdings included nine thirtieths of the land that became Tiverton and Little Compton. He died in 1681 which seems like such a long time ago. It’s hard to actually imagine that people that lived in a world so different from our own are actually buried here.

Edward Gray gravestone at Burial Hill in Plymouth

Site of the First Fort

Up until 1677, this fort served as a meeting place for the colony and the First Parish Church. Today it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

One of the oldest churches

The Pilgrims founded this gorgeous church in 1620. In 2014, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. According to the church website, it is considered “the birthplace of religious and civic freedom in America.”

Have you ever visited Burial Hill? What is the oldest cemetery you have ever visited? As a history buff or ghost hunter, visiting during the Halloween season truly is a dream come true. You can never have enough activities planned 🙂

Ghost hunting

I am a fan of anything to to do with the supernatural, ghost hunting, and Halloween. I am an avid fan of Ghost Adventures, horror movies, and ghost stories. When I found out about various ghost tours in town, I knew Mike and I had to plan a spooky night out. It’s a great Halloween date night activity or really anytime of the year if ghosts are your type of thing.

This town is one of the best towns to ghost hunt in with the eerie cemeteries, old history, and many reported ghost sightings over the last few decades. Over 20 years ago, I saw a ghost of my recently deceased aunt in the window at a cabin I was staying at in Michigan. Let’s just say that it spooked me for life and started my lifelong obsession with anything supernatural. To this day, I never sleep facing a window! I have even considered starting a ghost hunting business at one point.

This cemetery is reportedly one of the most haunted places in all of New England, which is really not surprising to me considering its’ status as one of the country’s oldest cemeteries. The Plymouth Night Tour is an awesome year-round ghost tour. Expert guides will take you through this cemetery at night (as well as other spooky sites in town). You will hear many stories about local hauntings, some of them too eerie and mysterious not to be true.

I loved that each guest got to use their own EMP monitors to capture electromagnetic changes just like Zak Bagans and the Ghost Adventures crew! I really recommend taking this tour if you love the paranormal and/or history. The tour guides are fantastic. Our guide gave us a wonderful overview of the history of the city and shared so many interesting ghost stories. I could tell that he was really passionate about ghost hunting vs just in it for the money.

More to do in

There are many wonderful attractions in and around Pilgrim Memorial State Park, particularly for anyone interested in historical monuments and museums. I wrote a handy little guide to give you an idea of some of the attractions you should add to your must-do list.

Overall, I would say this city is the perfect destination for history buffs, anyone into the paranormal, as well as leaf peepers. History aside, I love all the waterfront restaurants, small boutique shops, the local art museum, historical landmarks, and parks. I really recommend the fabulous whale watching cruise.