Plymouth’s Historic Burial Hill: History & Beauty Rolled into One
Burial Hill is a historic cemetery located in Plymouth, Massachusetts 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 passenger of the Mayflower. It is located on Leyden Street, which is the oldest street in Plymouth and supposedly the oldest in America. If you are at all a history buff, Burial Hill (and really Plymouth in general) is guaranteed to be one fantastic time!
Many of the gravestones are so weathered (made of carved wood) that you can’t even read them anymore. In fact, many are broken in half! The oldest gravestone of Edward Gray dates back all the back to 1681! Burial Hill is built high on a hill overlooking Plymouth Harbor. I am not a fan of cemeteries, nor am I a big history buff, but the views were amazing!
Ghost hunting
On the other hand, I am a fan of ghost stories, and Burial Hill does not disappoint in this department! Burial Hill is reportedly one of the most haunted places in all of New England, which is really not surprising considering its’ status as one of the country’s oldest cemeteries. The Plymouth Night Tour is an awesome year-round ghost tour which will take you through the cemetery (as well as other spooky sites in town) while using real life ghost hunting equipment! You will hear many stories about local hauntings, some of them too eerie and mysterious not to be true!
View of Plymouth Harbor
Old weathered gravestones
Grave of Major William Bradford
Oldest grave – Edward Grave, 1681
Site of the 1st fort, 1620
1st Parish Church
Have you ever visited Burial Hill? What is the oldest cemetery you have ever visited?
More to do in Plymouth!
There are many wonderful attractions in Plymouth, including a ghost tour that walks through this very cemetery (at night if you can handle that!). Also be sure to check out my 5 Things to do in Plymouth County post for more ideas on area activities. You can never have enough activities planned 🙂
Location
More info on Burial Hill
School Street
Plymouth, Massachusetts
