Four stars if you're under the age of seven and have a serious turtle fascination. Hissing…read morecockroaches aside, all of the living exhibits are those shelled wonders and rabbit race underdogs. Still, the environments created around said turtles are whimsical, educational and awe-inspiring for the little 'uns. An extra star for free admission to YMCA members, and for the enjoyable outdoor space, which includes a chicken hutch, active gardens, stone circles for pagan worship (I kid, or do I?) and about a billion chipmunks. Seriously, it's like Alvin attained Beiber status and all the teen chips are swarming for an autograph. Excellent programming and festivals throughout the year - even a Corn Fest! - and, as mentioned, completely free for YMCA members. Solid way to knock out an hour or two if your spawn is being a terror. Or obsesses over turtles. Or both.

A weekend go to in our household - is it raining? Great, come here in look at turtles! Hatchlings…read morein the fall, a mix of box turtles, snapping turtles and other shelled friends throughout the year. Is it sunny? Even better, come here and walk through their trails. They have a cute story book trail for little ones and other ways to enjoy some easy jaunts through the woods. Free admission to YMCA members, we also love their annual events like Corn Fest every summer.

Phenomenal museum and knowledgeable guides... the house is awesome built in 1627 with a significant…read moreaddition in 1711. And the separate museum building was just built and is absolutely incredible. Great pieces of history and informative interactive screens. Definitely worth the trip!

Excellent museum. Staff is entertaining as well as educational. Still owned by the family…read moreamazingly who do a great job of upkeep. Tour includes a visit to the original house which is just off the high school athletic fields. Best part of the visit for me was meeting a 10th and 11th generation of family! How could a visit be better.

As long as you have the right mindset and think of this as a trio of museums-- the main grounds on…read moreWarren Avenue (formerly "Plymouth Plantation"), the Mayflower II on the waterfront, and the Grist Mill further inland, it can be a fun, educational and step-count-padding experience. But each one unto itself can be as underwhelming as Plymouth Rock is small (and underwhelming)-- and I came in with high expectations based on fond memories from youth. -- Pilgrim Village and Wampanoag Huts: Impressive structures, but mostly empty, with very sparse allocation of costumed human actors and no scheduled presentations. It's sort of the historical/museum equivalent of going to see a comedian who doesn't have an actual set, but relies exclusively on crowd work. The actors, when you can find them, do a nice job, and some are quite knowledgable-- but the onus is on the paying visitors to ask questions, so go in ready to do your own crowd work. They all stay in character, so you can't really ask about them in the third person or refer to things later than outside their 1627 setting. Interestingly, there's at least twice as many gift shop employees as costumed actors. Parking is plentiful. A 2.5-mile ride to the two other attractions. -- Grist Mill: A more relaxed look and an actual presentation, both upstairs where the corn is ground and downstairs looking at the machinery. Another gift shop. Limited parking. Walkable to/from the Mayflower II. -- Mayflower II: A 1950s replica of the original Mayflower, sent to the US as a gift from England. Fun to look around, but limited staff and no real presentation. It's up to you to ask questions. No parking specifically dedicated to this attraction; you gotta park on the main streets. Walkable to/from the Grist Mill. This can be an enjoyable experience if you come prepared with things you want to ask and understand the mostly-self-guided aspect. If not, it can be tiring, boring, and awkward.

Plimoth Patuxent Museums is a living history museum in Plymouth that operates at a level of…read moreimmersion and historical depth that distinguishes it from most comparable sites in New England. We spent a full day on the main campus, which encompasses the reconstructed English colonial village, the Wampanoag homesite, a wooden fort overlooking the bay, and access to the Mayflower II and the Grist Mill. The combination of those components made it a full day visit rather than a quick stop. The historical interpreters are the defining element of the experience. In the English colonial village, the actors remained in character throughout, speaking as 17th century colonists and engaging with us from within that perspective without breaking the illusion. The knowledge they brought to those interactions was thorough enough that specific questions about individual historical figures, including ancestors who came over on the Mayflower, could often be addressed in detail. The Wampanoag homesite operates differently, with Native staff who speak as themselves and share the history and culture of the Wampanoag people from their own perspective rather than through historical character. That distinction is meaningful and gave the site a dual narrative. The canoe making demonstrations and the depth of knowledge the staff brought to those conversations were highlights of that section. For a living history experience that handles multiple perspectives with care and depth, Plimoth Patuxent Museums is one of the more rewarding historical sites in the region and well worth the time commitment.

Feels like so long ago we were hiking up the tower. I mentioned to my Dad that my legs weren't…read morefeeling the best and I needed to go slow. He felt bad so he waited for me half way up and then all of a sudden I got a burst of energy and sped past him. He was shocked and said I waited for you and then you left me in the dust. When we got to the top it was fun to look around the city and see the ocean. Lots of history here and we are so grateful for the memories made. Staff is very friendly and really takes pride in their museum. It's kept up well and very educational. Thank you

This is a cute museum to visit on a rainy day. You get to learn a lot about early Massachusetts…read morehistory and you can climb to the top of the monument. The cost for two adults was $46. They have entire section dedicated to the local Provincetown establishments as well.

Great little museum. They put a lot in such a little building. First floor had a bird watching…read morearea, displays on Native American historic culture, duck decoy artist studio and other exhibits. Downstairs was an aquarium. Along with a bird exhibit. After we finished in the museum we went for a hike out to the bay. Although the trail was not marked the path overall was easy to find. It was a great excursion!

So cool with kids! Perfect for rainy days and indoor fun! My kids (3,6,9) loved it. I enjoyed it…read moretoo.

The staff here was so friendly and welcoming. We stopped by here before checking into out VRBO…read more They had a place to leave our bags which was delightful. We went on a Sunday and there was a DJ there spinning Prince tunes. It was awesome. He shared that he is only there on Sundays but it was a really solid addition to the overall vibe. Although it is not a particulary big museum it was well done and informative with some great exhibits. I loved the Tom Maley exhibit and learning more about this artist as well as the Jaws exhibit. The museum itself was set in a beautiful setting high up on a hill. It was worth the visit for sure.

I'm a museum person and this one definitely didn't disappoint. I appreciated the grounds which were…read moreabsolutely stunning and opened up directly to the water. All of the staff there were amazing as well. The museum had a small but serviceable section on Jaws and I appreciated the movie clips that they had. As a history teacher I appreciated the sections on the history of the island and the shipwrecks around the area. Overall we spend about a little over an hour there. It was a nice time but for $21 for adults I did find it to be on the higher end of museums I've been to. But if you're in the area and have the time I do recommend stopping by.

Showed up before 4, waited at the door for a few before finally calling since they close at 5pm…read morewith last admission bring 4pm. Even though I arrived before 4pm they had locked the doors early and wouldn't let me in. Wasted my day driving here for them to close early and be incredibly rude about coming to unlock the door at 4:02pm. Don't recommend this place at all.

A nice Museum with some authentic artifacts from the early period. We were trying to visit the…read morePlymouth plantation but unfortunately it was not open so this became an alternative and we enjoyed our visit. Our grandson was given a scavenger hunt worksheet which he used to search for different pieces throughout the Museum. He enjoyed searching for the items and we did as well. They had some good exhibits which helped explain the history. They also had a gift shop although it was not big and did not offer many options.

The museum is really cool! It's well laid out, detailed, and well kept. This is definitely best for…read moreolder kids and adults as it's mostly reading and displays; littles would be bored. We thought the end of the tour was cool where you could see how they found and preserved the artifacts as well as current concentrations they're working on uncovering. My only complaint is I think, for the somewhat high price, the audio tour should be included.

We were supposed to be on a boat but the weather was horrible and the water way to choppy so looked…read morefor somewhere inside to go and found this and all 6 of us thought it was a great 60-90 minutes. We learned all about early times here on the east coast and lots and lots about how and what pirates did a couple hundred years ago, who were pirates and how the Whydah ship was found and all things on it. Just can't say enough positive things about this museum!

The RISD Museum in Providence is one of those places that catches you off guard with how much it…read morehas to offer, especially if you are not already familiar with it going in. I found the building spanning six floors, and the spaces were well organized throughout, giving each piece enough room to be appreciated properly without the galleries ever feeling sparse or rushed. It is the kind of museum where I could spend a couple of hours moving through it and still feel like I left things unexplored. The collection is the main reason to visit, and it covers a genuinely impressive range, from ancient artifacts and historical portraits all the way through to modern and contemporary works. The curation does a good job of making those transitions between periods feel intentional rather than disjointed, and the rotating exhibits add a reason to come back beyond what is already on permanent display. The Liz Collins exhibit drew a lot of attention during its run and was a strong example of how well the museum handles contemporary work alongside its more classical holdings. Staff were present and approachable throughout the floors, and coat lockers near the entrance were available, a small but appreciated detail on a longer visit. The building was easy to navigate even on a first trip, and the overall experience felt well managed without being overly structured. One thing worth knowing before planning a trip is that Sundays offer free admission to all visitors, which makes it an easy addition to a Providence weekend without having to think twice. Weekday visits run quieter if you prefer more space and a slower pace through the galleries. For a museum connected to an art school, it holds up as one of the stronger art museums in the region and is well worth the time.

The RISD Museum is worth a visit. I'm sharing photos of the pieces that stood out to me most. I…read morestarted in the RISD student galleries, which were full of impressive work. my favorite was a floor installation that looks like a woven rug but is actually made entirely of salt. So many pieces made you stop and think, "How did they do that?!" I visited the whole museum, but my favorites were the Costume & Textile galleries, the exhibit on kingfishers in art and poetry, the European Grand Gallery with its oil paintings and the 18th/19th‑century American rooms in Pendleton House. I also loved how the museum's architecture fits together like a puzzle across several older buildings and street entrances. That was a surprising add-on to the visit. Extra tip: street parking is nearly impossible. Check their website for the free weekend parking lots (within walking distance) they make the visit much easier.