Depot Park - North and South Rivers Watershed Association

9 North Park Avenue, Plymouth, MA, USA

Plymouth Parks & Forestry: 508-830-4162, ext. 12116

https://plymouthma.myrec.com/info/facilities/details.aspx?FacilityID=14516

Owned By: Town of Plymouth

Directions

Small park near Plymouth Harbor with benches and short walking path. Site of 1845 Old Colony Railroad depot.

Features

This land is within the region of the Patuxet Wampanoag. To learn more about our local tribes, we encourage you to interact with their members. The Mashpee Wampanoag and the Herring Pond Wampanoag both share information on their websites.

The park was a gift to the town of Plymouth from the Old Colony Railroad in 1924, providing a pleasant walk from the railroad depot to Court Street and other attractions.

Beginning in 1845, a branch the Old Colony Railroad extended 36.8 miles from Boston to Plymouth, passing through Quincy, Braintree, Weymouth, Abington, Whitman, Hanson, Halifax, and Kingston. Much of this route is now the MBTA Commuter Rail. A portion of the final section, from Cordage Park in North Plymouth to Nelson Park — just north of Plymouth’s harbor and downtown, was converted to rail trail in the 2010s, funded partially by the Community Preservation Act.

For the first 30 years of the Old Colony Railroad, the locomotives were named, including (on this branch) Mayflower, Governor Bradford, Governor Carver and Myles Standish. The New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad took over control of the Old Colony Railroad in 1893, with a 99-year lease. Year-round passenger service continued more or less until 1959, when the Southeast Expressway was completed. Seasonal service continued for a few more years. The MBTA commenced its commuter rail service on this line in the 1990s.

Trail Description

A 0.05-mile concrete walkway extends down the center of the park. For a lo get walk nearby, continue to the Plymouth Waterfront. Mabbett Park and Pilgrim Memorial State Park both offer paved trails and gorgeous water views.