Thanksgiving is a controversial holiday. To some it is a fun family gathering; others see it as a day to protest injustices done to the American Indians. But another way to mark Thanksgiving is to visit the Plimoth Plantation. An entertaining and educational experience famous for its living history exhibits, Plimoth Plantation recreates the people and lifestyle of 17th-century Plymouth. It's a chance for your family to see Massachusetts history from both the Pilgrim and Wampanoag perspectives.
Explore the Past:
The 1627 Pilgrim Village recreates the settlement English colonists established in New Plymouth. Each day corresponds to a day in the year 1627, making the experience a little different every time you visit. The "colonists" are role players who portray the Pilgrims, talking in 17th-century dialects as they go about their daily business, while answering questions and telling you about their lives. Always in character, they will feign ignorance of anything modern you mention it in conversation.
The 1627 Pilgrim Village recreates the settlement English colonists established in New Plymouth. Each day corresponds to a day in the year 1627, making the experience a little different every time you visit. The "colonists" are role players who portray the Pilgrims, talking in 17th-century dialects as they go about their daily business, while answering questions and telling you about their lives. Always in character, they will feign ignorance of anything modern you mention it in conversation.
Further along the trail, on the banks of the Eel River Pond, is the Wampanoag Homesite, where Wampanoag people in period dress speak from a modern perspective. Explore the puttakaukan (round house) and the neesquttow (house of two fires) and watch demonstrations of daily 17th-century activities such as traditional planting methods, building, canoe making, and cooking over a fire. These people are not role playing, so conversations will be different than those you'll have with the Pilgrims.
To learn more about the Plantation's animals—always a hit with the kids—visit the Nye Barn, a modern exhibit on the museum's rare breeds program and the rare and minor breed animals found there. And over at the Crafts Center, you can watch artisans use 17th-century techniques to make baskets, furniture, and earthenware pottery. Many of the items are used at Plimoth Plantation, but some can be purchased at the museum shop.
Mayflower II is a full-scale reproduction of the ship that brought the "Pilgrims" to New England and is located on the Plymouth waterfront a short car ride away from the Plimoth Plantation. A dockside exhibit chronicles the area's Native people and explains why the colonists left England and Holland. Then you climb aboard to explore Mayflower II and talk to modern guides. Upon exiting the ship you'll learn about the history of the reproduction vessel, which sailed there from England in 1957.
Special Exhibits, Programs, and Feasts:
An indoor exhibit, Thanksgiving: Memory, Myth & Meaning, takes visitors back in time to learn about the history and traditions behind the modern holiday, ending with a look at the 1621 harvest celebration from the Wampanoag and English perspectives.
An indoor exhibit, Thanksgiving: Memory, Myth & Meaning, takes visitors back in time to learn about the history and traditions behind the modern holiday, ending with a look at the 1621 harvest celebration from the Wampanoag and English perspectives.
The Plantation has special family programs in the spring and summer designed to help you learn even more about the history and tradition of the Wampanoag and colonists. In the fall, they offer 17th-century dining, and on Thanksgiving Day they host a Victorian Thanksgiving Dinner or New England Thanksgiving Buffet (reservations required).
Location, Directions, and Hours:
The museum has two separate locations:- The Plimoth Plantation location is 3 miles south of downtown Plymouth at 137 Warren Avenue
- Mayflower II is on the Plymouth waterfront
- Directions: Plimoth Plantation is located off Route 3 South (exit 4) in Plymouth less than one hour from downtown Boston and 20 minutes from Cape Cod (Route 3 North, exit 5, then reverse direction to exit 4).
- Henry Hornblower II Visitor Center 9 am to 5:30 pm.
- Exhibit: Thanksgiving: Memory, Myth & Meaning 9 am to 5 pm.
- 1627 Pilgrim Village, Wampanoag Homesite, and Nye Barn 9:30 am to 5 pm.
- Crafts Center 9:15 am to 5 pm.
- Museum Shops 10 am to 5:30 pm, March 24 through November 25. There are special holiday shopping hours in December.
For more information call (508) 746-1622 or visit www.plimoth.org
