Leiden American Pilgrim Museum Leiden, Netherlands

Overview

Occupying a historic house, the Leiden American Pilgrim Museum recreates the Pilgrims' 11 years of residence in Leiden before they left for the New World.

History

In 1609, the Pilgrims arrived from England as refugees. After a short period in Amsterdam, the Pilgrims received official permission to live in Leiden. The city's response declared that

The Pilgrims spent 11 years in Leiden, during which time they came into contact with Dutch Mennonites, French Calvinists, and other religious dissenters. In 1620, the Pilgrims set sail for the New World on the Mayflower.

The Leiden American Pilgrim Museum was founded in 1997 inside a house dating from around 1370, which may have sheltered the Pilgrims during their stay in Leiden (but this is not certain).

Description

The Leiden American Pilgrim Museum is located near the clock tower of the Hooglandsekerk in central Leiden in a small medieval house. The interior recreates aspects of the Pilgrims' daily lives and displays maps and engravings from the period. The museum also provides information on self-guided walking tours of the Pilgrims' Leiden.