Discover exhibits that tell the story of time during your two hour visit to the Mashantucket Pequot Museum. From the archaeological artifacts to the interactive displays, the Mashantucket Pequot Museum will take you on a journey from the last Ice Age to modern times.
Exhibits
Explore exciting dioramas, text panels, interactive computer programs and video footage. The Mashantucket Pequot Museum uses innovative techniques to create engaging exhibits that share and preserve the cultures and traditions of the Pequot people.
The Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation
Delight in the colorful photographs and black and white portraits of the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal members at work and play. A beautiful mural, artifacts, maps and oral testimonies of around 50 tribal members can also be found in the first gallery serving as the museum’s welcome center.
The Glacial Crevasse
Your journey in time begins in the stimulated glacial crevasse. Travel to the depths of a chilly glacier. Water can be seen dripping down the sides of the glacier and recordings of creaking ice and wind that can be heard in the background contribute to the realness of this experience.
A World of Ice
Continue on your journey to the World of Ice. Here interactive stations, a large model of earth, photos, models and texts explore the role the Wisconsin Glacier played on North American landforms.
The Arrival of the People
Admire contemporary representations of the creation story through the eyes of nine Native artists, or watch supporting videos in the gallery’s mini-theater as Native storytellers relate Kiowa, Cayuga and Mohave creation stories.
Life in a Cold Climate
See how people survived during life in the cold climate over 11,000 years ago as you witness an exciting caribou hunt. This circular exhibit also features life-size replicas of a mastodon and giant beaver, interactive programs and 9,000- year-old artifacts found at Hidden Creek.
The Changing Environment
Explore the impact the changing social and natural environment had on Native life through dioramas that depict the four seasons during different time periods, an oral history that looks at contemporary seasonal activity and a video about prehistoric tools, what they were used for and how they were made.
The Pequot Village
The Mashantucket Pequot Museum brings the 16th century Pequot village to life through a high-tech 22,000 square foot “immersion environment”. Hear hundreds of sounds, smell authentic scents and experience Native American life over the course of 50 years.
The Arrival of the Europeans
Learn about the arrival of the first Dutch and English settlers. This gallery takes a look at the political, economic and religious reasons behind why Europeans came to North America.
Prelude to War
Examine the conflicts between the Pequots, Dutch, English and other tribes scattered across the region in the Prelude to War. Through video presentations and other materials, this gallery looks at the individual problems that arose between the Pequots and their adversaries during the year leading up to the Pequot War.
The Pequot War
Watch the Witness, a 30-minute film shown in two wide-screen theaters. This production portrays the 1637 Connecticut and Massachusetts colonies’ attack on the Mystic fort that killed 600 Pequots. Directed by Keith Merrill and George Burdeau, the Witness conveys a powerful message to all of its viewers.
Life on the Reservation
From an interactive computer recreation of 17th century Pequot fort to a mobile home display that represents life on a 1970’s reservation, discover what life was like for the Mashantucket Pequot Tribe after the war.
Interactive Exhibits
The Mashantucket Pequot Museum boasts six unique interactive exhibits situated throughout the museum’s permanent displays. Learn through detailed graphics, realistic 3D photos and full-screen digital videos.
A World of Ice
Navigate between the landforms of North America, southern New England and the Mashantucket Pequot Reservation. Graphics, video clips and animations explore how glaciers transformed these landforms over 18,000 years ago.
The Caribou Hunt
The Caribou Hunt, witnessed in A World of Ice, comes to life on screen. The screen version of the caribou hunt will enhance your understanding of the Natives hunting strategy and butchering techniques used over 11,000 years ago.
Woodland Resources
Examine the animals and woodland vegetation of the autumn. The Woodland Resources is one of the four season’s dioramas and allows visitors to discover what resources were used by Pequot tribes throughout the autumn months.
Algonquian Languages
Listen to the tribes tell stories in their native tongue. Stories and vocabulary can be heard in a variety of languages including Micmac, Passamaquoddy, Ojibwe and Abenaki.
Explore the Fort at Mashantucket
This one-of-a-kind 3D recreation allows visitors to experience what the Pequot fort would have been like 300 years ago. Navigate through the fort, watch a documentary video and identify unique artifacts throughout the fort.
Changing Reservation
Explore video footage and watch the Pequot life evolve. This interactive exhibit allows you to trace the ever-changing lifestyle of the Pequot people.
Shopping in the Mashantucket Pequot Trading Post
Discover Native accessories, moccasins, books, CDs, postcards, t-shirts and many other authentic Pequot items in the Mashantucket Pequot Trading Post. Whether you are looking for a gift for a loved one, or a keepsake to remember your time at the museum, there are many unique items for you to discover.
-Mashantucket Pequot Museum has been designed to offer full accessibility to visitors with disabilities. Make sure you let your reservations agent know ahead of time if you or someone in your party is handicapped, so that they can make sure to accommodate your group in the most convenient and comfortable setting.