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.

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.

A fantastic little getaway. I only did the trails but they were a nice time. The boardwalk has…read moresome nice views, and even the pathways are nice little escape.

This is a great learning place for kids and adults. We happen to come here often with the…read moregrandkids. You can experience all the nature in the surrounding area. We had the pleasure over the summer to watch as the osprey babies were born . The whole experience was so cool. There are trails , butterfly gardens . The different species of fish and shellfish in the bay. That are in different tanks the kids can learn from. They also have a summer camp and host birthday parties.

Had an awesome time! The sets were incredibly well done and very creepy. The actors did a fantastic…read morejob - creepy characters and plenty of startled, scream-worthy moments. The wait was long, but I expect this for a good haunted house and for being so close to Halloween. It was nice that we didn't have to wait in a line but could walk around/ grab snacks etc. Also enjoyed that this is a non-profit and proceeds go directly to the town

This is probably one of the best haunted houses I've been too. Right when you get there you go to…read morethe ticket booth and pay for your ticket then pursue to the line.(ticket is $15, no refund) In line there are actors who have fake chainsaws and fake knifes who talk to you and make jokes about what's ahead and if you ask they will let you take a picture with them. Then the hayrides to the haunted house start at 7:00 or 6:30 ish so I would recommend getting there at like 6:00 or 5:50. Once it starts getting ready to start the line to go to the haunted houses they will tell you the rules; no touching the actors etc. Then you go on the hayride which only takes like two or three minutes. Then once your off you'll walk to the entrance of the haunted house where two people are standing and they remind you of the rules and if you have a group of eight or more to separate to groups of three or two. Then they ask for your ticket then you go right into the haunted house where your separated from the other people for about a three minutes difference. The haunted house was not to cheap about there scares every second there was a person here or there. But I don't really recommend the haunted house for children under 11 or 12. But there is hot cocoa if you wanna give the little ones a treat. Best experience ever can't wait for next year!

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.

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.

Small but lots for toddlers to explore and play with. It's like being at someone's enormous…read moreplayroom. Also $10 is a solid price, and the staff is so nice!

Love it here. Very spacious and clean. The owner is really sweet too and the events are super fun!…read moreDefinitely a go-to with my kids

Small museum that houses paintings, sculpture, crafts etc. It's nice to visit when you want to do…read morean activity on a rainy day. They also have fun activities and programs throughout the year.

A great little museum. Went on a cold winter day and along with their permanent exhibition of some…read morewonderful artwork and pieces from around the world there was also a juried exhibition of local artists in a variety of art forms. The talent was pretty remarkable. There was more to see but we didn't allow for enough time.

I give this museum five stars, but I must first caution you based on my own experience. There are…read morethings you should know before going. Things I wish I had known myself. Truly, my first visit was great. It's deceptively large, and I knew I'd need to go back a second day to see the rest. It was really cool to learn the history of the industry and how it led to the cultural and creative makeup of the city of New Bedford today. I even started talking to some of my friends about it, and they started calling me the "whaling girl" . It gave whimsy. It was cute. Cute at first. Then I couldn't stop thinking about it, even when I tried, even when I wanted to. Something about the ways the museum weaved culture and time with history and science... it kept me up at night thinking. What can be measured that is unseen? What has value and who gets to decide that? The more I thought, the more I started seeing our world in an entirely new way. It was a revelation. My friends and family grew worried, as it became all that I could talk about. Over family holiday dinners. At kid's birthday parties. Even my most recent performance review, I brought it up. As you might've guessed, the review didn't go so well. I went on a journey to make sense of what was happening to me. I landed at the Seaport Museum in Mystic, CT. There, I met fellow whaling enthusiasts and a member of the prestigious Melville Society. I was relieved to see other people equally obsessed with whaling. They assured me that my feelings were normal, and encouraged me to volunteer there, as an outlet. I returned to New Bedford and did just that, and it is where I remain today! So if you go to visit, is there the risk of developing an addiction? Undoubtedly. But I think it is nevertheless worth it. Just be sure you go at your own pace and volunteer if you find yourself loosing interest in other hobbies that used to interest you. Trust, you'll have a whale of a time. Also, gift store is dope. Be sure to merch up See you at the museum!

Such a wonderful and eclectic museum. Certainly the whaling industry is discussed and defined, but…read morethe museum has so much more. The history of this area, its place in history and industry. I was particularly struck by the history of the photographic of the Black communities contribution to the area and the community. Come for the whaling industry stay for the rich history of this area

To press onward to…read morehigher attainments Back in 1872 the wealthy Elizabeth Taber decided to "put some snap" into her home town of Marion and donated portions of her fortune to help educated and improve the community. One of the things she specified was a natural history museum. So back in 1872 land was purchased and a building erected to house a library on the first floor and a natural history museum upstairs. This is still the arraignment today and a small but cool library and small but very active museum share the building. This museum isn't like a lot of larger museums that just empathizes looking, this is a museum for doing and learning. The one room museum is pretty messy and displays and exhibits come and go depending on what programs are going on. Sure there is cool stuff to look at but unlike most museums the real purpose on the museum is hands on; not just looking but actually doing. The museum has a huge number of evening adult programs, field trips, after school events and a very active summer program. Lectures and demonstrations in zoology, botany, geology, astronomy and just about every other natural science are represented at one time or another. The is natural history in it's broadest and most entertaining and edifying definition. The museum's purpose is to educate and encourage the public interest in natural history and the world around us, especially the local coastal environment around the town of Marion. Liz Tabor said she want people to press onward to higher attainments. The museum has been helping people do this extremely well for over a century.