This replica was built in England in 1955 (as old as I am) and set sail for its new home in Plymouth in 1957. It was painstakingly researched, and to the best of everyone's knowledge, kept as close as they could come to the orginal ship. Of course, they made some small changes, such as stairs (the real one had ladders), to make it easier for a modern-day visitor to explore.

The ship is managed by the folks at Plimouth Plantation, and once you step aboard, you will meet costumed docents who stay in period at all times. They will play the parts of pilgrim passengers or working sailors. They will answer questions and draw you into a conversation. However, they keep everything to 1620. If you want to know about the replica, how it was built, or what happened to the real Mayflower, you will have to ask those questions to a guide who is in 21st-century garb!

The kids loved it, but I was equally drawn in. My favorite fact that I carried away was that the Mayflower was reported to have a wonderful smell. It was a cargo ship, and its main cargo was wine, so it smelled similar to a winery. It smelled like wine and oak; if you have every been to winery, you know what a pleasant smell that is!

However, the niceties stopped with the smell. The ship was dark, cramped, and small. It carried over 100 people for 66 days at sea. They had storms, leaks, births, and deaths on board. Then, when they got to the New World, they had to still live on the ship until homes were built! It did not sound like a very comfortable life!

Today the ship is open daily from 9am until 5pm. The cost is $8 for adults and $6 for each child. However, the combination pass with Plimouth Plantation is a better way to go, at $24 per adult and $14 per child. The Mayflower is worth its weight in gold for educational value for both child and adult.