With Thanksgiving right around the corner, there’s one particular place on the mind of many Americans: that inimitable site of the first Thanksgiving. Despite how tragically quick Native American and European relations ultimately deteriorated, at least the country has a single holiday devoted to communion and cooperation between cultures, and Plymouth Rock is indeed a locale that preserves that memory.
So here are 5 weird things to do in Plymouth, Massachusetts. And while not all of these places are conventionally odd, most of them have been around long enough to have accrued a few ghosts. So fire up that EVP equipment and enjoy one of America’s oldest European settlements.
Cranberry Bogs
Although official cranberry season ended in October, that doesn’t mean you can’t still visit a few of the farms that supply much of the nation’s cranberry crop. For the truly intrepid, you can even front $150 and adopt your own cranberry bog. Or you could just wait until late summer or early fall and opt for a bog tour instead. Either way, cranberries are among the most unusually harvested crops in America, and Plymouth has you covered when it comes to cool, open-to-the-public farms, so don’t miss out.
The Jabez Howland House
This house holds the distinction of being the sole remaining home occupied by one of the original Pilgrims. It also happens that passenger–John Howland–outlived all the other Pilgrims, surviving to age 80 despite being tossed overboard while making the perilous cross-Atlantic journey on the Mayflower. The website doesn’t seem to say much about hauntings at the house, but with that much history, the chances are most definitely in favor of a few stray spirits, so keep your eyes open while touring this beautiful historic home.
Myles Standish Forest
With a history of tragic and weird occurrences, this forest might very well be among the most haunted in the state. Some even claim there is an abandoned mental hospital somewhere on the grounds, but no one’s ever seemed to verify that. But with great bike trails and beautiful scenery, this is an area worth seeing, even if specters are scarce.
Spooner House Museum
Owned by the Plymouth Antiquarian Society, this historic site in downtown Plymouth is home to the ghost of a little girl who supposedly roams through the house, moving random objects and looking out windows. The Spooner family occupied this house for almost two centuries, and the grounds and home are refurbished with era-appropriate furnishings, so even if you don’t see a ghost, you’ll still feel like you stepped back into time.
Plymouth Rock
No visit to Plymouth is complete without at least a quick stop at the famed rock. Although probably not haunted in and of itself, this chiseled souvenir of American exploration is definitely one of the odder markers of our national identity. Thanks to previous generations splitting the rock into numerous pieces, there’s not too much left to see, but what remains is worth a visit if only to remember just how weird American history really is.
Happy haunting, and happy Thanksgiving!