1749 Court House Museum

Open daily mid-June through mid-October, 10am-4pm. Located right in the center of Plymouth, The 1749 Court House is a free museum filled with interesting items from Plymouth’s history. It is the oldest wooden Court House and the longest used municipal building in America. The 1749 Court House was originally built for the joint use of the county and the Town of Plymouth. The town used it during those periods when the circuit court was not in session.

When the new courthouse was built in 1820, the town purchased this building for the sum of $2,000 and from that time until the early 1950’s, virtually every town department has had its office there. The building was restored and opened to the public as a museum in 1970. It houses a fire engine from 1828, the town hearse, items from Parting Ways settlement, a display of gifts from Plymouth’s sister city Shichigahama, and panels featuring the recent local history book Beyond Plymouth Rock.

The 1749 Court House is only steps away from historic Burial Hill Cemetery, The Mayflower Meetinghouse (the Pilgrims’ church), Brewster Gardens and Leyden Street. It is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.