Plimoth Plantation Living Farm

by Audrey Lee

During the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving, children across the United States will learn why we celebrate this holiday every year. To further their education, visit the Plimoth Plantation Living History Farm.

Spelled differently than the town of Plymouth, the museum wanted to differentiate itself from the surrounding area using the spelling from a historical account from Governor William Bradford, the colony’s leader in 1621. The museum begins at the visitor center where a film is shown to prepare visitors for the outdoor living history sites. From there, visitors can begin their journey discovering how the colony sailed to this destination with a full-scale replica of the Mayflower. Guests are welcome to climb aboard the docked ship and peer into each cabin where 102 passengers were kept for more than 10 weeks.

After the visit to the ship, your journey leads to the Wampanoag Homesite. Native people, not actors, dressed in historically accurate clothing, man the homesite. This site shows how the 17^th-century Wampanoag people would have lived. Only open during the warmer months, you will see how the people grew crops, gathered herbs and berries, and used natural materials to create mats and baskets. The Native people are happy to show you around the different homes, what is in their gardens, how they created boats and what kind of musical instruments they used. Guests are welcome to ask questions and to participate in tribal games.

Heading on down the trail, visitors arrive at the 17^th-century English village. In this part of the living museum, actors portray residents of the Plymouth Colony. Each actor has adopted a new persona and will speak to guests in that person’s voice. They will answer questions as if they truly live there and will act puzzled when asked about anything in the modern day such as phones or television. The village is lined with small houses with dirt floors and furnished with items that would be found in a home at that time. The village is also home to historic breeds of sheep, goats and cows from the 17-century. Many of these animals are no longer found on regular farms due to low-breeding populations, but are living at the Plimouth Plantation as a global effort to save the diverse breeds.

The plantation is self-guided so visitors can take as much time as they want to explore the area. Guests are also asked not to dress in any Native “Indian” costume as the staff is comprised of Native People who proudly wear traditional clothing. Ticket prices vary depending on what exhibits you want to explore.