"My visit so exceeded my high expectations. Your facility and collection is wonderful as was the care and preparation you put into providing me resources"

Museum Patron

Who We Are

Tribally owned and operated since it opened on Aug. 11, 1998, the Museum brings to life the story of the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation. It serves as a major resource on the histories and cultures of Native Americans in the northeast and on the region’s rich natural history.

The Museum is a 308,000-square-foot complex, consisting of permanent exhibits, the Mashantucket Gallery (a gallery for temporary exhibits), classrooms, a 320-seat auditorium, a restaurant, a museum shop and administrative offices. The Research Center houses collections, archives, and archaeology and conservation laboratories where ongoing work from the field is evaluated and studied.

Multi-sensory dioramas and exhibits introduce visitors to the history of the Mashantucket Pequot Tribe and the natural and cultural history of the eastern woodlands. Films and videos, interactive programs, archival materials, ethnographic and archaeological collections, commissioned art, and traditional crafts by Native artisans are featured in the exhibits. The building is designed to interact with its surrounding environment while maintaining the ecological integrity of the area.

It embraces the tree line and is nestled into the landscape; two of the five levels of the facility are below ground. The 185-foot stone-and-glass tower provides visitors with sweeping views of the swamp and region. The large, circular, glass-and-steel Gathering Space serves as an arrival and event area.

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OUR MISSION:

The Mashantucket Pequot Museum and Research Center will strengthen Pequot Culture to honor and serve our Tribal family and friends.

OUR VALUES:

  • Trust – we value trust, in the creator, in each other and the path we are on.
  • Relationship – we value all of our relationships, within our communities, the water, the land and all of our relatives.
  • Balance– we value our past which gives us the opportunity to honor our ancestors in an effort become ancestors worth descending from.
  • Decolonization – we value honor the opportunity to continue to decolonize our community, culture and institutions.

The Mashantucket Pequot Museum & Research Center Virtual Tour

The Mashantucket Pequot Museum & Research Center Virtual Tour – Experience The Mashantucket Pequot Museum and discover the story of the Pequot people.

Produced by Robin Winchell
Sponsored by The Gates Automotive Group