Last Friday I went to check out the Mashantucket Pequot Museum, which is in southeastern CT, less than an hour away. I really didn't know what to expect, as I didn't do much research and like many of my adventures, it was pretty spontaneous. But I was really impressed.
The exhibits are housed on 3 floors of a dynamic modern structure, and they are excellently done. You start in the prehistoric era and work your way through time, learning about the early geology and wildlife of the area, and how that influenced what came later.
There are exhibits exploring Pequot creation myths...
interactive displays about early hunting techniques...
and a recreated Pequot Village, which includes mannequins so realistic, it was actually a little disconcerting to stand up close to them. There's a free audio tour of the village, so you press the corresponding numbers to learn about each of the villagers and what they're doing. Really cool. In one of the tents you can enter, sit down, and listen to a Pequot fireside story.
There's also a short film called "The Witness," about the Pequot War, which was super loud, but good. And they also have a walkable outdoor exhibit and a skytower observatory, both of which I didn't have time to do. Next time...
But my favorite part was probably the theater of light and sound, which was housed in the reconstructed cabin of a Pequot woman who continued to live on the land long after many of her her people had lost hope and abandoned the area. It was a very immersive and interesting exhibit.
I arrived home in time to check in a lovely couple, and the next day more guests arrived. It was a fun and busy weekend. I got to see Dean & Jess dressed up for a Halloween party (I insisted on taking a picture)...
And it felt weird and wonderful to erase this busy month from my calendar and look forward to a brand new month. I can't believe it's already November!
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