Roofing from a House from PBS' "Colonial House" at Plimoth Plantation, Aug. 2004

Plimoth Plantation is the living history museum of 17th-century Plymouth Colony where visitors have a chance to learn first-hand the stories of both the native Wampanoag Nation and the English colonists (the "Pilgrims"). Visitors experience the history and culture of these two distinctly different groups by exploring the vividly recreated houses, furnishings, and details of their daily lives, and interacting with the knowledgeable staff members.

The museum's exhibits include Mayflower II, a re-creation of the ship that brought the Pilgrims to Plymouth; Hobbamock's (Wampanoag) Homesite, where Native culture is interpreted by Native staff; the 1627 Pilgrim Village, where the colonists are portrayed by skilled role-players; the Crafts Center; the Nye Barn, where visitors learn about and see historic breeds; and an indoor exhibit, "Thanksgiving: Memory, Myth and Meaning." Each exhibit presents a unique aspect of the story of 17th-century Plymouth Colony and the people who called it home.

In 2003, the museum embarked on an exciting new project for Thirteen/WNET New York and Wall To Wall Productions: COLONIAL HOUSE. A team of Plimoth Plantation artisans and program staff were part of the team assembled to create the colony in Maine that was used in the COLONIAL HOUSE series that airs in May, 2004 on PBS. They helped build and furnish the houses, plant the gardens, provision the colony, and train the participants.

In 2004, Plimoth Plantation will offer visitors a chance to share the COLONIAL HOUSE experience through a new exhibit and a series of workshops, events, and activities that will let visitors roll up their sleeves and dive into 17th-century life as seen on COLONIAL HOUSE. The exhibit will explain how the colony was built, the gardens planted, the houses furnished, and the participants trained. Activities range from rebuilding two of the houses used in COLONIAL HOUSE with opportunities for visitors to help clapboard, thatch, and daub to constructing a 17th-century style oven, learning to bake using 17th-century techniques, learning to speak in a 17th-century English dialect, sailing the shallop (a reproduction of a boat similar to that used by the Pilgrims after Mayflower returned to England), or even staying overnight in a 17th-century style house.

Text from: www.pbs.org/wnet/colonialhouse/plantation.html