The Mayflower II Courtesy: Plimoth Patuxet
PLYMOUTH – In a year that was to be marked by commemoration of the Mayflower’s arrival 400 years ago, Plimoth Patuxet has instead faced a number of challenges due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Kate Sheehan, Associate Director of Media Relations and Marketing at Plimoth Patuxet Museums, said the restrictions on travel and gatherings have been particularly difficult for cultural institutions across the region.
“For a museum like ours, that has been incredibly difficult, especially in a year in which we expected actually to have record visitation due to the 400th commemoration of the pilgrim’s arrival in Plymouth, which was then known as Patuxet, the Wampanoag homeland.”
Sheehan said that they originally projected as many as 400,000 visitors to the museums in 2020, though will likely finish up the season with about 50,000 visitors.
The museum opened its outdoor sites in June, then indoor sites followed shortly after in July.
Pilmoth Patuxet has taken a number of safety precautions to keep visitors safe, including physical distancing and requiring masks for guests and staff members, as consistent with Governor Charlie Baker’s orders.
Social distance signage and one-way trails are also in place, even in sites that are more historically dressed for educational purposes.
Sheehan said that despite the challenges associated with COVID-19 safety restrictions, the museum has benefited greatly from the fact that many of their sites and exhibits are outdoor spaces that still allowed for visitors.
“While we don’t have our huge school groups and bus tours that we might expect particularly around this time of year, we have seen some smaller groups. Home school groups and home school pods are coming to visit us as part of their educational activities. That’s been really fun to see,” said Sheehan.
The museum has also taken advantage of the digital space to hold virtual visits, where groups of students can talk with museum educators over Zoom about subjects including Wampanoag history, styles of dress for the period, and historical cooking methods.
Sheehan said that many plans for commemorating the 400th anniversary of the Mayflower’s arrival including those by the Plymouth 400 group have been pushed into 2021, but visitors can still look forward to commemorating the event next year.
Plimoth Patuxet has also found reason to celebrate this year in the form of the Mayflower II’s return home to Plymouth Harbor after its restoration and sail-training.
The ship was also added to the National Register of Historic Places, a list that tracks culturally and historically important places, buildings, and structures across the United States.
“It’s been wonderful to see people aboard the ship again after over four years and people are really giving us wonderful feedback on the results of the restoration and learning from our staff, not only about maritime life in the 17th century, but also the process of restoration itself, the process of sailing the ship, and really important topics like the Mayflower compact and what it means for the United States,” said Sheehan.
Sheehan said that Plimoth Patuxet is looking forward to 2021 where they can commemorate the Mayflower’s arrival as well as the anniversary of the pilgrims’ first harvest festival that would eventually come to be known as Thanksgiving.
The 2020 season for Pilmoth Patuxet closes on November 29.
They will reopen again sometime in the spring of 2021.
About Grady Culhane
