Plimoth Plantation & Mayflower II

The four award-winning exhibits include:

Wampanoag Homesite: Step into a traditional wetu (house), surrounded by soft furs, flickering firelight, and woven bulrush mats. Please note that unlike elsewhere in the Plantation, the people you will meet here are not actors, they are Native People of the Wampanoag culture, and are happy to answer your questions about anything related to their story or culture, including family life, cooking (you’ll enjoy the scent of sobaheg (stew) simmering over an aromatic wood fire), traditional plant remedies, and boatbuilding techniques.

17th-Century English Village: This is a historically accurate re-creation of the small farming community built by the colonists adjacent to the Wampanoag Homesite. You will wander through small timber-framed houses, fragrant raised-bed gardens, livestock, and the townspeople of Plymouth Colony. The people you will meet here are costumed role players who have taken on the names, viewpoints, and histories of actual people who lived in the colony in 1627. Ask about their religious beliefs, cooking and medicinal habits, and relations to the natives nearby. The English Village offers unobstructed views of Plymouth Harbor, lending a very real feeling to the whole experience.

Craft Center: Meet the artisans of Plimoth Plantation—the people who help the colony retain its authentic feel using centuries-old woodworking, sewing, and artisanal techniques. These artisans create everything from hide clothing and bags to hand-coiled cooking pots, corsets, wooden furniture, porcupine quill adornments, and sinew weapons. Speak to the artisans about their historic English trades, and watch as they create true-to-life replicas of items that would have been vital for the survival of the inhabitants of the Plantation. Their wares are available for purchase throughout the Crafts Center Shop, and by special order.

Mayflower II: Docked at the nearby State Pier in Plymouth Harbor, all of the details of the original Mayflower have been carefully recreated to give you a sense of life aboard a 17th-century vessel. Learn about the 1620 voyage and its perils, as well as the navigation tools of the time. Explore the ship’s living quarters, and the Master’s cabin (a far cry from the accommodations of the common sailors!) and get to know the staff (dressed in modern clothing) who will tell you about the original Mayflower.

As Plimoth Plantation reminds visitors, “you can’t change history, but it can change you”. Experience a legitimate settlement as it stood hundreds of years ago, and let the early history of America as we know it come alive before your eyes. This should be a “must” on any Boston or New England itinerary—you won’t regret it!