Things to do in Barnstable for self travelers

Four hundred years ago, the winds of change filled the Mayflower’s sails and brought pilgrims to a new land across the Atlantic, to the Indigenous homeland on the shores of Patuxet. Two cultures met, and their complex, interwoven history has shaped the United States. The Plimoth Patuxet Museums are home to three enlightening exhibits. Climb aboard Mayflower II, a full-scale reproduction of the tall ship that brought the Pilgrims to Plymouth in 1620, and hear from guides who'll regale you with its history and importance. You can visit the Plimoth Grist Mill, a working reproduction of the Pilgrims' original 1636 mill on Town Brook. There's also the main campus of Plimoth Patuxet, which includes the 17th-century English Village exhibition, and Historic Patuxet, where you can learn about the Indigenous peoples who lived in the area for 12,000 years and were vital to the Pilgrims' survival.