Pilgrim Monument & Provincetown Museum

About

The Pilgrim Monument and Provincetown Museum (PMPM) was founded in 1892 as the Cape Cod Pilgrim Memorial Association—Cape Cod’s oldest non-profit organization. The Pilgrim Monument was constructed to commemorate the Mayflower Pilgrims’ first landing in the New World in November 1620 and the signing of the historic Mayflower Compact in what is now Provincetown Harbor. Construction of the Pilgrim Monument began in 1907 with President Theodore Roosevelt helping to lay the cornerstone during a ceremony. In 1910, President William Howard Taft dedicated the finished tower. Standing at 252 feet, 7.5 inches, it is the tallest all-granite structure in the United States. Modeled after the Torre Del Mangia in Siena, Italy, the Pilgrim Monument was designed by famed architect, Willard Thomas Sears whose other works include the Old South Church, the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum and the Cyclorama, all located in nearby Boston, Massachusetts. The Provincetown Museum was built in 1910 to educate the public about Provincetown’s significant place in American history. Since its completion, millions of visitors from near and far have come to view the exhibits, climb the tower’s 116 steps and 60 ramps and support PMPM’s mission of TRUTH: Tolerance | Respect | Unity | Trust | Her/his/their/Story. Featured exhibits include Our Story: The Complicated Relationship of the Indigenous Wampanoag and the Mayflower Pilgrims which is the only permanent exhibit in the world to tell the history of Cape Cod’s original inhabitants, up to and including the arrival of the Mayflower, from the perspective of the Wampanoag. Another featured exhibit visitors won’t want to miss is An Anecdotal LGBTQ+ History of the Last Century of Provincetown. Curated by the Generations Project, it details the region’s rich LGBTQ+ history. Other exhibits educate on the town’s deep maritime roots, the early days of modern American theater in Provincetown and the building of the Pilgrim Monument. There is also 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 famous ship in Provincetown Harbor, and a scale model of the first theater of the Provincetown Players. PMPM is accessible from downtown Provincetown via a state-of-the-art inclined elevator. By extending its front door to Bradford Street, PMPM has created a critical link connecting High Pole Hill with the town’s commercial and business center. The new ADA-compliant (Americans with Disabilities Act) inclined elevator stands ready to uplift visitors on the scenic ride to the top of High Pole Hill and its use is included in the cost of admission. Every year on November 11, the anniversary of the Mayflower’s arrival is commemorated with PMPM’s Annual Lighting ceremony. The Pilgrim Monument is lit up each evening through the new year, representing the five and a half weeks the Mayflower Pilgrims spent in Provincetown exploring the region before raising anchor and sailing onto Plymouth. PMPM opens for the season on April 1 and operates each Wednesday through Sunday (closed Monday and Tuesday) during the shoulder season. After Memorial Day, PMPM is open Wednesday through Monday of each week (closed Tuesday). Hours of operation are 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Members enjoy free admission to PMPM, 10% off all items in the gift shop, use of the inclined elevator and invitations to exclusive events. For more information, please visit www.pilgrim-monument.org/.