Mashantucket Pequot Museum and Research Center facts for kids
| Established | August 11, 1998 |
|---|---|
| Location | Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation, Connecticut, United States |
The Mashantucket Pequot Museum and Research Center is a special museum in Mashantucket, Connecticut. It teaches visitors about the history and culture of Native Americans. The museum is owned and run by the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation.
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Discover the Mashantucket Pequot Museum
The Mashantucket Pequot Museum and Research Center opened on August 11, 1998. It is located near the tribe's Foxwoods Resort Casino. This large building is about 308,000 square feet. It was built for $193.4 million, mostly paid for by money from the casino. The center has a museum and also a place for experts to study. They research the history and cultures of Native peoples from the United States and Canada.
Exploring Museum Exhibits
The museum has many interesting things to see. Its permanent collection includes items from Native American peoples. These items are from eastern North America, dating from the 1500s to the 1900s. You can also see new art and traditional crafts made by modern Native Americans.
Journey Through Time: Dioramas
The museum features interactive exhibits and life-size dioramas. These dioramas show how the Mashantucket Pequot people lived. They tell the story of their ancestors from the last glacial period until today. A very cool part is a 22,000-square-foot walk-through village. It shows a coastal Pequot village from around the year 1550. This was just before Europeans first arrived.
The village has 51 life-size figures of Pequot people. They are shown doing everyday activities. You can see them building wigwams, sharpening arrows, and weaving mats. A 600-foot long picture of an oak-hickory forest surrounds the village.
Observation Tower Views
There is also a tall 185-foot observation tower. From the top, visitors can see the Mashantucket Pequot reservation. You can also see the casino and other areas of southeastern Connecticut.
The museum welcomes about 250,000 visitors every year. A reviewer from Connecticut Magazine said the museum was "rival[ing] anything in the nation." They also thought the Pequot village and other dioramas were amazing.
Museum Building Design
The museum and research center are housed in a building made of glass and steel. It was designed by architects Polshek and Partners from New York City. The building's design helps it blend in with the nature around it. A round building called the Gathering Space is the main entrance. Parts of the design are based on the old Pequot fort in Mystic, Connecticut. This fort was very important in the tribe's history.
The building complex has won several awards for its design and construction. These awards include:
- American Architecture Award, Chicago Athenaeum, 1998
- Best of 1998 Award, New York Construction News
- Merit Award, American Institute of Architects (AIA) New York state, 1999
- Merit Award, AIA New England Regional Design Awards Program, 1999
- Innovative Design and Excellence in Architecture with Steel Award, AIA and American Institute of Steel Construction, 1999
- Honor Award, AIA Connecticut, 2000
- AIA National Award for Architecture, 2000
- New York Association of Consulting Engineers Platinum Award for Excellence in Structural Design, 2000
- Merit Winner, Engineering Awards of Excellence, 2000
In 2006, the museum building's green roof received an award. This roof covers 65,000 square feet and is designed to be good for the environment.
