Plimoth Plantation
New England is rich in many things; prevalent among them are history, art and many diverse cultures. There are museums throughout the region that chronicle the past in many contexts. The best New England museums are, in fact, packed with all manner of fascinating artifacts, books, articles, furniture and the keepsakes of Native Americans, presidents, statesmen, the works and wisdom of our Founding Fathers, farmers, manufacturers, art, science and the sea faring, to name but a few. For the purposes of this article about the Best New England Museums, I’ve chosen a “living history” institution from Massachusetts for its exemplary exhibits and realism. Plimoth Plantation in Plymouth, Massachusetts, serves as a microcosm of what life was like when the Pilgrims arrived here in 1627. The sense of history here at the Plantation resonates from every part of it. There’s great and reverent balance here. It’s not just about the English Colonists (the Pilgrims), the first Massachusetts settlement or the first Thanksgiving. The curators have taken great care to place emphasis on the important role the Wampanoag Native People played in the opening act of American history. In addition, the curators explain the evolution of Thanksgiving from its true origins, the food on that first Thanksgiving table and explores its evolution from how it began to the turkey-and-football event we know it to be today. The Plantation comprises six major attractions: The 1627 Pilgrim Village; Hobbamock’s Homesite; The Mayflower II; Nye Barn; Thanksgiving: Memory, Myth & Meaning; and the Crafts Center. The 1627 Pilgrim Village has been recreated in minute detail and the staff members, in period dress, go about their daily activities as if the Plantation was still the epicenter of the New World.