Mashantucket Pequot Museum & Research Center

Incredible space for learning! What a beautiful museum! I learned so much about the history of native Americans in the north east. The village model has a self-guided tour. There were excellent exhibits! We only had a few hours and ran out of time; we'll definitely need to return for a deeper dive in the many rooms we missed. Lots of parking when we visited on a Saturday afternoon.

Absolutely worth the trip. And to be perfectly honest, my husband and I went out of our way to come here because we went to the National Museum of the American Indian last year and felt like we wasted our time and learned absolutely nothing. I understand not wanting Native Americans and tribal cultures to only be viewed as an anthropological curiosity and/or being completely 'othered', but THIS is how you preserve and educate. The way the exhibits are set up along the timeline is memorable and unique, and really helps you understand the Mashantucket Pequot Nation. I also like how European traders and settlers are/were obviously part of the story, but are in no way the main focus here. The observation tower is a great place to end, so don't miss it!

A fascinating museum with lots of information about the Pequot tribe. There are a few large dioramas and recreations of large animals. The massive village mockup is truly amazing. Kids were so happy running around and exploring the details. A couple of downsides, there aren't any specifically kid friendly interactive exhibits, which means parents need to be engaged with them at all times. Also the interactive video presentations are great, but the videos lack style and energy to match the visuals in front of you. They take an interesting subject and make it boring (and I love this stuff). We spent about 3.5 hours coming through all the details, the outdoor exhibits and the tower. You could probably do it reasonable well in 2 hours. Any less and you'll be missing a lot

Easily one of the most interesting, engaging museums I've been to in a long time. The star of the show is the lifelike sculptures and dioramas, making you feel like you are truly walking through a moment in Pequot history. There is also a fascinating short film that can be watched near the end about the Pequot War, so I recommend aiming to make one of the showings! (The movie seems to play at 11:00AM, 1:00PM, and 3:00PM. I made the last showing.) Overall, you can easily spend hours exploring what this museum has to offer, and I recommend that you do!

We visited the Mashantucket Pequot Museum & Research Center this past weekend and were absolutely blown away. The museum is not only beautifully designed, but also incredibly educational. Every exhibit was thoughtfully curated, bringing history to life in a way that was engaging for both adults and children. Our kids especially loved the immersive displays—walking through the life-sized village scenes and learning about the Pequot people’s history and culture left a lasting impression on them. It’s rare to find a museum where young children are so captivated and genuinely interested in learning. The staff was warm, welcoming, and eager to answer any questions. You could truly feel their pride in the stories being told. We left feeling more informed, inspired, and grateful for the experience. This is a must-visit for anyone in the area. Whether you’re a local or just passing through, make time for this remarkable museum—you won’t regret it!

Had the pleasure of attending the amazing Powwow to honor Veterans. The Museum is incredible, the vendors offered a wide array of beautiful products, but the dancing & drumming was the highlight and just so incredibly beautiful!

We stopped here on our way home from Massachusetts. What a hidden gem near the Foxwoods Casino. It may be better suited for kids 5 and up. They will enjoy the exhibits.

This is the best museum I've even been to and it's right in my back yard. We spent three hours walking around and didn't see everything. Quality exhibits and great stories. Well worth it! Get a membership if you are local.