Plymouth Museum Serves Thanksgiving Meals Based on 1860s Harvard Club Tradition

Plimoth Patuxet Museums in Plymouth, Massachusetts, is offering an immersive 17th-century village experience during its Thanksgiving dinner event.

The museum is offering three distinct Thanksgiving experiences: a New England Harvest Feast on Saturday, Nov. 22, and Wednesday, Nov. 26, and "The Story of Thanksgiving Dinner" on Thanksgiving, Thursday, Nov. 27.

"The Story of Thanksgiving Dinner" draws inspiration from an 1860s Harvard Club menu created after President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed Thanksgiving a national holiday in 1863. In addition to the meal, guests can enjoy speeches and presentations from educators and performers.

According to a Tasting Table report, while Thanksgiving feasts were held in New England throughout the 17th and 18th centuries, the menu for the Plimoth Patuxet Museums' Thanksgiving dinner is inspired by a meal served by the Harvard Club sometime after 1865, rather than a recreation of a Thanksgiving menu from the 1620s. 

The museum's menu includes lobster bisque, roasted turkey, stuffing, and side dishes such as mashed potatoes, squash, green beans, and cranberry relish. Additional items include rolls, cornbread, and desserts like Indian pudding and pies.

Smithsonian Magazine spoke with the museum's curator, Kathleen Wall, who noted that the original Thanksgiving meal may have included wild turkey, but it more likely would have had goose or duck along with venison, cornbread or porridge, eel, and shellfish like lobster and mussels. 

For information on ticket availability for the museum's Thanksgiving offerings, please visit the Plimoth Patuxet Museums website.