three women at a table in museum collections

Professional Development

Designed to Excite and Inspire

Our professional development programs for educators blend classroom instruction with hands-on, experiential activities and visits to the Museum’s living history sites. Staff historians and cultural experts draw upon the expertise and wealth of resources that make Plimoth Patuxet Museums one of the most well-known and respected living history museums in the country.

In addition to covering historical content that meets state and national curriculum standards, workshops also address the processes of studying American History and effective methods for incorporating museum resources into the classroom.

Recent workshops include​ NEH Summer Institutes for K-12 Teachers,​ Landmarks of American History Summer Institute​,​ and Teaching American History (TAH) partnerships with ​educators from across the country.​ ​

Workshops are flexible and can be adapted to any grade level or area of interest. ​

Available Programs:

  • Whether a two hour in-service or a two- or three-day program at Plimoth Patuxet, let us design an authentic, stimulating and innovative program for your group. A perfect fit for groups studying Plymouth Colony history, early Colonial history, Native American history, immigration, and cultural interactions.

    Workshops can include:

    • Presentations by Museum staff and historians
    • Primary source document workshops (Mayflower Compact, 1621 Treaty, The First Thanksgiving)
    • Hands-on, historic workshops (Wampanoag artifacts, Wampanoag pottery, Colonial cooking, Colonial games)
    • Visits to the Museum’s living history sites (Mayflower II, 17th-Century English Village, Wampanoag Homesite, and Craft Center)
    • Historic Dining (“A Taste of Two Cultures,” “A Wampanoag Social Feast” and “Eat Like a Pilgrim”)
    • Teaching Materials (teachers receive 10% discount on educational materials in our shops)
    • An overnight experience at the Museum (some of our groups have slept on Mayflower II and our Colonial and Wampanoag education sites)


  • Plimoth Patuxet is pleased to be a part of the New England Historic Site Collaborative (NEHSC), a group of nine New England historic sites, museums, and libraries collaborating on a series of weeklong teacher training programs. The programs offer a variety of hands-on, intensive and engaging experiences and explore themes of:

    • Colonial Encounters
    • The American Revolution
    • Slavery and Reform
    • 19th-Century Industry

Book a Professional Development Program

Contact programservices@plimoth.org or call (508) 746-1622 x8359