Cape Cod's Pilgrim Trail

Cape Cod’s Pilgrim Monument

The Pilgrim Monument and Provincetown Museum (PMPM) will open for the season on Monday, April 1, 2019 at 9am with free admission all day. Visitors can enjoy an invigorating climb up the iconic 252-foot granite Monument with 116 steps and 60 ramps to take in the breathtaking 360-degree view of Provincetown, the tip of Cape Cod. For those who don’t want to climb the Monument, the beautiful grounds of the PMPM are the ideal setting to watch the hustle and bustle of the busy Provincetown Harbor.

The PMPM oversees Provincetown 400 which was established to guide the town’s commemoration activities for the 400th anniversary of the arrival of the Mayflower Pilgrims in Provincetown, the signing of the Mayflower Compact, and to also share the story about the native peoples living here long before the Pilgrims landed. Many exciting activities are planned in 2019 leading up to 2020 when a variety of festivities and educational programs will commence.

The Monument was built to commemorate the Pilgrims’ first landing in the “new world” in Provincetown. The Provincetown Museum exhibits the building of the monument, the arrival of the Mayflower Pilgrims, the town’s rich maritime history and the early days of modern American theater in Provincetown. There is a recreation of a 19th century sea captain’s parlor at home and his quarters at sea, a diorama of the Mayflower Compact being signed aboard the Mayflower in Provincetown Harbor and a scale model of the first theater of the Provincetown Players.

Fascinating artifacts of Provincetown and American history are on display that are sure to engage kids and adults alike including a Polar bear, musk ox and Inuit objects brought back by Provincetown native son Donald B. MacMillan who explored the Arctic with explorer Robert E. Peary.  The exhibition also includes pieces from the local native Wampanoag tribe including arrowheads, implements and tools.  For fire buffs, Provincetown’s first fire engine is on display, built in the 1830s by an apprentice of Paul Revere, and more.

The Museum also features the exhibition, “The Del Deos – One Creative Family in Provincetown” that focuses on the work of the late author, historian, and community activist, Josephine Del Deo, her husband, the painter Salvatore, and other members of their family.

The PMPM hosts events throughout the season including the upcoming Chamber Music For the Outer Cape concert on May 19 at 3 p.m. For complete event information visit www.pilgrim-monument.org

WHO:                   Pilgrim Monument and Provincetown Museum

WHEN:                 April 1, 2019

                                9am – 5pm

WHERE:               Pilgrim Monument and Provincetown Museum, East Gallery

                                1 High Pole Hill Road

                                Provincetown, MA

About the Pilgrim Monument and Provincetown Museum

Dedicated in 1910, the Monument commemorates the first landing of the Mayflower Pilgrims in Provincetown in 1620.  Here they signed the historic Mayflower Compact, the first agreement to establish a government by the people in the ‘new world;’ which became the cornerstone of American democracy. They explored the Cape for five weeks before sailing on to Plymouth. At 252 feet, the Monument is an engineering marvel and the tallest granite tower in the United States. Visitors can climb the Monument’s 116 steps and 60 ramps at a leisurely pace and enjoy a breathtaking view of the entire Cape and visit our webcam for a live “View from the Top.”The Provincetown Museum at the base of the Monument presents engaging exhibitions of important chapters in our national heritage and the Town’s history and oversees Provincetown 400, the committee developing the commemorations for 2020, the 400thanniversary of the Mayflower voyage and landing in Provincetown.  Pilgrim Monument and Provincetown Museum is a non-profit educational, tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization. For more information please visit pilgrim-monument.org.

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