The Mohegan story can be told through the history of its remarkable people.
The Tantaquidgeon Museum is the oldest Native American owned and operated museum in the United States. The original stone structure made of native granite was built in 1931 at the height of the Great Depression by John Tantaquidgeon. Along with his children Harold and Gladys, John founded this museum on the premise that it is harder to hate someone that you know a lot about, so they created a place that introduces visitors to the Mohegan people. This museum strives to meet its mission to share the Mohegan culture with the community and visitors that wish to experience and learn about the history of the Mohegan people from the Mohegan perspective.
The unique three-room stone structure sits upon a hill surrounded by a stockade fence where you will find a dugout canoe, garden mounds, and two bark covered wigwams on land that is locally known as ‘Mohegan Hill’. Inside are artifact that date to the seventeenth century. These authentic treasures give a visual narration to Native people in New England. For generations, local visitors have learned about Mohegan and other New England tribes though visual displays of native made goods, walking through a traditional village, and listening to Mohegan members tell stories about their history.
The Tantaquidgeon Museum, operated by the Mohegan Tribe, is open Tuesdays through Fridays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and offers free admission and tours conducted by Mohegan tribal members. Groups of six or more are by appointment. For more information or to schedule a visit call 860-235-8057 or email [email protected]. The museum’s parking address is 1 Church Lane, Uncasville, and the museum is located just across the street.
