The Mayflower II, a replica of the original Mayflower on which the pilgrims sailed to America, passed through Wareham waters on its way back to Plymouth this weekend.

The ship is returning to Plymouth for the first time in three years after extensive restoration and refurbishment at Mystic Seaport in Connecticut. The work was scheduled ahead of the 400th anniversary celebration of the pilgrims’ landing at Plymouth, which will be celebrated this year and next through (now-socially-distanced) programs led by Plimouth Plantation.

The ship was first built in the 1950s, and needed extensive restoration of rotting timbers. The renovations began in late 2016.

Shipwrights worked to make the replica as historically accurate as possible, both in its original building and during restoration, by using materials and techniques that were standard in the seventeenth century.

The Mayflower II will be open to visitors after it docks in Plymouth, starting on August 11 for members of Plimouth Plantation and on August 12 for the general public. Tickets are available online as part of the museum’s effort to maintain social distancing and prevent crowding.