Whar a great place to spend part of or all if a day!!! It's an awesome place to take your kids. You can actually touch or try many things; it's a very hands-on place - no red velvet ropes!
This is an 18th Century Living History Farm. The setting is such that you rarely hear 21st Century sounds, like cars. Only the odd plane overhead. It's a very peaceful,, bucolic setting, great for recharging your "batteries" and forgetting about the pressures of 21st C. life!
It's called a "Plantation" only because because when William Penn deeded parcels of countryside land to others, he named them according to their size. He called parcels of land between 100-1000 acres a "Plantation." That's all there is to the name. It is not a Plantation of the southern type at all.
They have very knowledgeable, friendly staff are dressed authentically for, and demonstrating crafts from, the period around the Revolutionary War. They are great at explaining what they're demonstrating and, depending on the craft, you may get to try part of the process. The museum status is because everything they wear and do is backed by through research.
The farm house is terrific to see inside. It was built in stages from about 1720 to 1833. Learn about home life in the time period , what foods they cooked and ate & how they were prepared, how their bedrooms looked too. You can go inside and look around or have a tour. It is furnished with to look how a middle-,class farming family would have had it.
You can see different crafts demonstrated every time you go. You may see blacksmithing, hearth cooking authentic foods of the time, a staff member to explain the kitchen gardwn and the extensive herb garden, farm animals, spinning wool or flax, dyeing linen, weaving, woodworking with tools of the time, horse or ox drawn plowing, make your own candles, and more.
There are also special events which are on their website.
They're website is...
Read moreAs a historical museum we were not impressed with this place. They are trying to imitate something like Williamsburg, VA but on a small scale. Now days it's a popular thing to dress the guide in the historical costume and perform a little spectacle about history of the place. It works sometimes when the guides actually know what they are talking about. But in this case it was mostly performance and minimal information. In reality they charge you $10 p/p and let you wonder around on your own. The day prior we visited Newlin Grist Mill museum and Brinton 1704 Historical House in Glen Mills and enjoyed the most interesting and full of historical information tours where guides are not trying to perform something they are not really familiar with but instead talk about real history of the place. Maybe if you have small kids it would be fun for them to watch domestic animals, but in point of historical knowledge it was a waste of...
Read moreMy husband and I went to Ridley for a hike and came upon the Plantation unexpectedly. What a wonderful place! The volunteers, dressed in period clothes, taught us so much about what life was like on this 1700’s farm. Watching the cook make an authentic meal in the kitchen fireplace and another woman demonstrate how flax was stripped to make linen - brought it all to life. We honestly can’t say enough positive things about the enthusiastic and friendly volunteers. They went out of their way to walk my husband and I around parts of the property and share their knowledge. We are now telling all our friends - the Plantation...
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