Where-To-Go Wednesday - Pilgrim Hall Museum

We were given complimentary tickets to Pilgrim Hall for review purposes. Any and all opinions expressed here are our own. 

What: Pilgrim Hall Museum

Where: 75 Court St. 

             Plymouth, MA

Who: All ages

Me - Pilgrim Hall was fascinating. They had items and artifacts related to the pilgrims and indigenous tribes. There was a small model of the Mayflower. There was also a model of a Native American home. There was a map that lit up to show the different locations of the battles of King Philip's War. I vaguely remember learning about that in school. There were a lot of paintings. There were objects that actually belonged to the pilgrims and some they brought over on the Mayflower. There was even a piece of Plymouth Rock that you could actually touch Although the rest of Plymouth Rock is nearby, you cannot even get that close to it let alone touch. Seeing objects that used to belong to the Pilgrims and things like that make them seem more real than just learning about them in school and is also more interesting.

Mom - Pilgrim Hall Museum is the oldest continuously operating museum in the United States. It was founded way back in 1820. It is devoted not only to the pilgrims but to the indigenous people of the area as well, mainly the Wampanoag, and it extensively covers the relationship between the two groups

The museum's collection includes William Bradford's bible, a cradle brought over on the Mayflower, a piece of Plymouth Rock (which you can actually touch), and so much more. It is the most extensive collection of pilgrim-related items anywhere.

At the museum, you can learn about King Richard's War, a war that ultimately led to the end of the Plymouth Colony, and you can see an interactive map that lights up to show the progression of the war.  You can view a poster listing all the passengers who traveled on the Mayflower and another one showing all those who still survived after a year. It is shocking how few remained alive even after only one year. You can learn about the true story of Myles Standish, the inspiration for Rostand's Cyrano de Bergerac, although most of that story bears no resemblance to the true story. 

There are numerous paintings including the only pilgrim portrait painted in life as well as a depiction of the first Thanksgiving and more. You can see also see samples of what pilgrim garments really looked like. If you want to immerse yourself in pilgrim history, the Pilgrim Hall Museum is definitely the place to do it.

And that's our view. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit pilgrimhall.org.

Tune in tomorrow for Theater Thursday.