Plimoth Plantation

Plymouth, Massachusetts

 

With Thanksgiving just around the corner, this seems like a great time to share about our visit to Plimoth Plantation in Plymouth, Massachusetts.  This living history museum is one of the best we have ever been to.  Displaying the original settlement of the English colonists who arrived in America in 1620, this place will have you reliving that first Thanksgiving like no other.  And if you’ve ever wondered what life was like for those early immigrants, this is the place to find out.  The Visitor’s Center, the Wampanoag home site, a 17th Century English village, a cinema, a craft center and the Nye Barn are among the areas to explore.    Below are our suggestions for making the most of your family’s visit.

Explore & Ask Questions
The first place you’ll come to on your visit is the Wampanoag home site.  This is an outdoor exhibit located on the banks of the Eel River.  You’ll meet Native People from the Wampanoag or other Native Nations. 

Although they will be dressed in historically accurate clothing, they are not role-playing.  In fact, they are descendants from the Wampanoag people.   They are happy to invite you inside a wetu (native house) or tell you about the projects they are working on.  When we visited, we watched as they burned the center of a tree log so they could build a canoe out of it.  The men carefully explained the process and what they were doing.  They also invited us into their dome-shaped straw house.  

We were able to watch the women weaving and cooking.  We were encouraged to ask questions and they had lots of information about what life was like for their ancestors who lived among the pilgrims.

Imagine & Pitch-in
The next place we came to was the 17th Century English Village.  This is a re-creation of a small farming and maritime community. 

What really took us by surprise and completely delighted us, were the people we met there.  These talented actors were role-playing what it would have really been like in this Plymouth colony.  They actually took on names, responsibilities, ideas and the life history of people who  lived here many years ago.  They thought we looked strange with our clothing and shoes.  They even commented on our cameras and cell phones like they had never seen such a thing before. 

This was lots of fun for our family.  Before long, they had the boys helping with chores like shoveling cow poo (really!) and transporting it to a pasture (not kidding!).  We thought it was great! 

Don’t Miss These Nearby Attractions:

  • Plimoth Grist Mill - located in downtown Plymouth, a reproduction of the water-powered corn mill.
  • Plymouth Rock - located on the waterfront, there is really nothing special about it, but you should see if if you’ve come all this way.
  • National Monument to the Forefathers – formerly known as the Pilgrim Monument, this statue atop a hill, honors the ideals of the Mayflower pilgrims.
  • Mayflower II – the replica is currently dry-docked in Mystic, CT and undergoing repairs.  I would not recommend going out of your way to visit, but if you’re going that way, stop by and take a look.  I’m sure you’ll have the same thoughts we did, How in the world did 102 people fit on this small vessel and cross the Atlantic??


Planning your Visit
Plimouth Plantation is open 7 days a week from 9am – 5pm. 

 

Combination Ticket for adults - $31.00
Combination Ticket for children (age 5-12) - $19.95

 

The combination ticket includes the 17th Century English Village, Wampanoag home site, Visitor’s Center, Craft Center, Nye Barn and Plimoth Grist Mill (located in downtown Plymouth)

 

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Children's Books to Read Before & After your Visit


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