★★★★★
Water Street
Plymouth, MA
http://www.visit-plymouth.com/plymouthrock.htm

plymouth-rock-_-1sign.jpgYesterday was my birthday so my mom took my friends, my aunt, my niece and me to lunch at  Cabby Shack - First Floor in Plymouth. After lunch we walked to The Plymouth Rock Portico to do a wheelchair accessibility review. I’ve been to see Plymouth Rock many times in the past but haven’t seen it since March of this year because it’s been under major construction and repair. Visitors were blocked from seeing the rock until June 30 when a small section to view the rock was to be opened so this is why I went there yesterday.

the-rock.jpgPlymouth Rock Portico is located in Pilgrim Memorial State Park. It is an important historic monument because it is the rock where the Pilgrims on the Mayflower landed in Plymouth in the year 1620. It’s located just 650 feet from where the Pilgrims built their first settlement. ( The Plimoth Plantation). It is visited by nearly one million people every year.  It is open to the public all year round, except during the construction period and it is FREE for all to see.

The Plymouth Rock is located in an open building called the Portico. The Portico is also an historic monument. It was built in 1921 replacing an earlier gothic style monument.  In 1970 the Plymouth Rock Portico was listed in the National Register of Historical Places. The Portico is fully wheelchair accessible. You can enter it from all sides. The Plymouth Rock is not accessible to anyone. It is located below at sea level and you view it by looking down at it. The reason it is so protected is because in the past many chipped off pieces of the rock to sell or keep as souvenirs. For more information and history about the Plymouth Rock Portico click on the website above.

plymouth-rock-temp-window-to-view-during-construction.jpgWhen we got to the Plymouth Rock Portico we saw that construction fences were still blocking access to the public. There was a small corridor in the front that had a window where people could look in to see the famous Plymouth Rock. This area had a step leading up to the window so I was not able to see the Plymouth Rock.

keny-with-sign.jpgA nice construction worker saw me and came over to say he was sorry I couldn’t view the rock from that area but reassured me that the Plymouth Rock Portico is fully wheelchair accessible. I could see through the fence that it was fully wheelchair accessible. Before the construction is was always wheelchair accessible too. He was very nice and offered to take a picture of the rock for me using my camera. This is the picture you see in my review. He also told us that the construction should be completed in early August.

sign-with-ken-kate-and-me.jpgThere was a large sign in front of the fence which explained some of the history of the Plymouth Rock and Portico. It also explained the reason for needed construction and repair. It explained that the mortar between the granite blocks around the top of the Portico had deteriorated. This allowed water to get into the structure which caved some of the interior and caused steel beams to rust and expand. As a result the surrounding mortar began to crumble and fall. The ongoing construction and repair of damage is to prevent future problems with the Portico.

I give the Plymouth Rock Portico FIVE STARS for wheelchair accessibility. Even though it is not now wheelchair accessible it soon will be so I am basing this rating as if construction was completed. The construction was desperately needed so I didn’t want to deduct any stars.