Plimoth Plantation brings fun to summer evenings this August. As the sun begins to fade, summer evenings heat up with excitement at ‘Plimoth at Night,’ the new line-up of evening programming presented by Plimoth Plantation and Mayflower II. Between live Shakespeare performances three nights a week, Plimoth Cinema seven nights a week, extended hours onboard Mayflower II and additional specialty programming like “Dog on a Log,” at the Wampanoag Homesite, Plimoth Plantation is breathing new life into Plymouth evenings.
“The town of Plymouth is fabulous summer destination. Residents and tourists alike have let it be known that they don’t want the sidewalks to roll up as the street lights come on,” Deputy Executive Director Richard Pickering said. “Plimoth Plantation has discovered a real desire for evening programming and have had fun developing a variety of offerings for couples and families alike.”
Beginning Aug. 1, Sunday evenings at Plimoth Plantation are a special time for museum guests, as we present the first ever Dog on a Log – Native Campsite Cooking and Stories Program.
This new specialty evening program begins at 6 p.m. and goes until 8 p.m. every Sunday through the end of August. Museum guests are invited to join Plimoth Plantation’s Native staff for an evening of family fun by the fireside at the Wampanoag Homesite. Guests bring hot dogs, chicken, veggies or anything (even s’mores) that can be cooked on a stick, over the fire (Plimoth Plantation provides the sticks and a whole lot of fun). Then, enjoy the wonders of campsite-style cooking in a traditional Wampanoag setting. In addition to a fun way to share a meal, museum guests will have a chance to learn more about Wampanoag traditions, while helping to work on a mishoon (a Native-style, dugout boat or canoe) that is slow burned to perfection.
After dinner, guests move to another area of the Homesite, where an additional fire is burning, to take a seat on fur-covered logs and discover the importance of stories to the Wampanoag people. Hear a Plimoth Plantation Native staff member read a traditional Native tale, with time for questions and answers at the end. This weekly event is free for museum members and those who have purchased museum admission for the day. For those just attending the “Dog on a Log” event, the cost is $5 per person for adults and $3 for children 12 and under.
Thursday evening, Aug. 19, Plimoth Plantation and Mayflower II offer a first-ever Family Overnight Onboard Mayflower II. Participants will be one of the few to actually sleep onboard the historic ship. This family-friendly maritime overnight program includes: a short jaunt around Plymouth Harbor onboard the shallop or ship’s boat; samples of ships’ food and also a modern dinner and breakfast onboard the ship. Participants will learn 17th-century maritime skills and spend some quality family time in a unique location. Museum guests will bring their own sleeping bags and pillows for sleeping onboard the ship. The program is only offered to a limited number of participants, so interested parties are encouraged to call 508-746-1622, ext. 8359, for pricing and more information. (Due to the nature of this program, it is offered weather permitting.)
On Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, Plimoth Plantation also presents Shakespeare at Night, live performances of three of Shakespeare’s best-loved plays, running in repertory three nights a week through Labor Day, with performances of “The Tempest,” a play with possible historic ties to Plimoth Colony, Thursday nights; “Romeo and Juliet” on Fridays; and “Twelfth Night,” presented Saturdays. The shows are presented in the museum’s brand new black box theater, by the Plimoth Plantation Players, an all-male troupe of six young actors, performing Shakespeare as it was intended. Performances begin at 8 p.m. in the Henry Hornblower II Visitor Center. Tickets are $12 per person and $8 for Plimoth Plantation Museum members. Call 508-746-1622, ext. 8346, for tickets and more information.
If campfire experiences, unique overnights, or the fun of live theater are not what guests have in mind, Plimoth Cinema provides evening guests with the latest in independent and foreign films, seven nights a week in the Henry Hornblower II Visitor Center, with shows at 4:30 and 7 p.m. The cinema offers a big screen experience for those smaller, lesser-known screen gems not widely available on the South Shore. For the latest in theater listings, pricing and more information, contact 508-746-1622, ext. 8346, or visit www.plimoth.org/features/cinema/
For those spending time on the waterfront this summer, Plimoth Plantation has expanded hours of operation at Mayflower II. Opening at 9 a.m., the ship remains open until 7 p.m. daily. Now those who arrive at Plimoth Plantation later in the day do not have to rush to enjoy both living history sites, and those making the waterfront their final destination have more of an opportunity to enjoy the ship, while taking in the beauty of Plymouth at night.
Plimoth Plantation is a 17th-century living history museum dedicated to the Native Wampanoag and Colonial English settlers during the 1600s. Located an hour south of Boston in Plymouth, (Exit 4, Route 3 south) and 20 minutes north of Cape Cod, the museum is a private, non-profit educational institution supported by admission fees, contributions, memberships, function sales and revenue from museum dining programs/services and museum shops. Plimoth Plantation is a Smithsonian Institution Affiliate and receives support from the Massachusetts Cultural Council, The Federal Institute of Museums and Library Services, The National Endowment for the Humanities, private foundations, corporations, and local businesses. For more information visit: www.plimoth.org.
