Plimoth Plantation

Everyone knows the story of how the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock in 1620, held a Thanksgiving, and created a nation. And yes, this is a faithful re-creation of the Plymouth colony, where children can watch costumed handymen ply their trades and go about their daily duties. What makes this place head-and-shoulders above, however, is the way it has changed with the times to seamlessly incorporate new scholarship about the Pilgrims — and especially about their counterparts, the Wampanoags (duly represented at a neighboring re-creation of a Native American village). The result is an accurate depiction of early American life that doesn’t shy away from taking on sacred cows. (Exhibit A: The story of Thanksgiving is much more 19th-century myth than reality.)