Plimoth Plantation is a living museum in Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA, that re-creates the original settlement of Plymouth Colony established in 1620 by the English Colonists, known as Pilgrims. The 17th-Century English Village consists of Pilgrim houses and outbuildings built in front of the public using traditional timberframing technology, and is staffed by interpreters playing the roles of colonists who lived in Plymouth in 1627.
Near the 17th-Century English Village settlement is a re-creation of a Wampanoag summer farm site, where modern Native People from a variety of nations interpret how Wampanoag ancestors lived and interacted with the Colonists. Staff at the Wampanoag Homesite demonstrate traditional technologies such as building wetus (wigwams) and mishoons (dug-out wooden canoes).
Mayflower II, a reproduction of the 1620 ship Mayflower, is docked near Plymouth Rock, and is also under the care of the Museum. Built in 1957 in Brixham, Devon, using traditional wooden shipbuilding techniques, the vessel is a wonderful example of preserving ancient technologies. The ship, which still sails, is staffed by both guides and costumed interpreters.
Plimoth Plantation’s newest exhibit is the Plimoth Grist Mill, a re-creation of the 1636 mill built by the Colonists, the earliest industrial structure in New England. The working mill, which grinds corn (maize) is staffed by guides who interpret the rich history of Plymouth’s Town Brook.
The re-creations are based on evidence from first-person records and accounts, as well as period images and archaeological excavations. The Museum conducts ongoing research in historical technologies, and supports excavation in the Plymouth area.
