Pilgrim Hall Museum stewards an archival collection of over 35,000 items spanning the 17th to the 21st centuries, reflecting the experiences of New England’s diverse peoples from the colonial era through successive generations over four hundred years. Consisting of manuscripts, documents, rare bound volumes, scrapbooks, photographs, maps, plans, and miscellaneous ephemera relating to Plymouth Colony, Plymouth County, and the Town of Plymouth, the archives include the oldest extant New England state document, manuscripts signed by early European and Indigenous leaders, and a wide range of materials on evolving local histories.

The archival collection is an important resource for the Museum’s ongoing exhibitions and programs and for a host of researchers and scholars of New England history.  Research appointments must be made in advance; contact archives@pilgrimhall.org.