Plimoth Patuxet Museums Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
PLIMOTH PATUXET'S MISSION IS TO PROVIDE COMPELLING, EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCES BUILT ON THOROUGH RESEARCH ABOUT WAMPANOAG PEOPLE AND THE COLONIAL ENGLISH COMMUNITY IN THE 1600S. A SMITHSONIAN AFFILIATE, THE MUSEUM SEEKS TO RE-CREATE THE PEOPLE, ARTIFACTS AND LANDSCAPE OF 17TH-CENTURY PLYMOUTH THROUGH ITS MAJOR LIVING HISTORY EXHIBITS, MAYFLOWER II, THE WAMPANOAG HOMESITE, 17TH-CENTURY ENGLISH VILLAGE, CRAFT CENTER AND PLIMOTH GRIST MILL.
- Income
- $15.1 million
- Spending
- $10.5 million
- Spent on programs
- 80%
- Reserves
- -1.8 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 48%
- Employees
- 179
- Volunteers
- 162
- Highest pay
- $144,850, executive director (eff. may 2025)
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Fair: 65 out of 100. Higher than 36% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $10m to $100m).
Reserves
0 of 35Spendable reserves are negative: it owes or has committed more than it holds.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 15% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 30% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 58% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1580% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 9 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 34% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $10m to $100m).
Independent board
25 of 2519 of 19 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
8 of 8Has a written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
7 of 7Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
10 of 10Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Pay set independently
5 of 5Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.
Independent check of accounts
15 of 15Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Impact evidence
Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.
Programs described in its return (1)
- $8.4 million spent. PLIMOTH PATUXET IS ONE OF AMERICA'S MOST HISTORICALLY AND CULTURALLY SIGNIFICANT MUSEUMS. EXHIBITS INCLUDE THE WAMPANOAG HOMESITE, 17TH-CENTURY ENGLISH VILLAGE, CRAFT CENTER, NYE BARN, PLIMOTH GRIST MILL, AND MAYFLOWER II. ADDITIONAL FACILITIES ON THE 130-ACRE CAMPUS CONTRIBUTE TO THE OVERALL GUEST EXPERIENCE AS WELL AS THEIR ENJOYMENT AND COMFORT. PLIMOTH PATUXET OWNS AND MAINTAINS THE MAYFLOWER II, A 69-YEAR OLD, FULL SCALE REPRODUCTION OF THE VESSEL THAT BROUGHT THE PILGRIMS TO PLYMOUTH. THE MUSEUM HAS A RICH COLLECTION OF ORIGINAL ARTIFACTS THAT SHOW DAILY LIFE BETWEEN 1500 AND 1700. THE ARTIFACTS COME FROM PLACES SUCH AS NEW ENGLAND, GREAT BRITAIN, AND THE NETHERLANDS, AND REPRESENT THE MATERIAL CULTURE THAT THE PILGRIMS AND WAMPANOAG WOULD HAVE KNOWN. MUSEUM RESEARCHERS AND ARTISANS USE THE ARTIFACTS TO HELP RE-CREATE THE LIVING HISTORY EXHIBITS GUESTS SEE AT PLIMOTH PATUXET. THE MUSEUM'S EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS HELP STUDENTS EXPLORE AND UNDERSTAND AMERICA'S FOUNDING STORY. A VISIT TO PLIMOTH PATUXET PROVIDES ACCESS TO HISTORIC PLACES AND EVENTS THAT ARE VIVIDLY BROUGHT TO LIFE IN AN EVOCATIVE ENVIRONMENT. IN ADDITION, PLIMOTH PATUXET LIVING HISTORY EDUCATORS BRING THE STORY OF PLYMOUTH'S EARLIEST NATIVE AND COLONIAL RESIDENTS TO TENS OF THOUSANDS OF STUDENTS IN CLASSROOMS ACROSS THE UNITED STATES. STUDENTS WHO CANNOT VISIT OR BRING A PLIMOTH PATUXET EDUCATOR TO THEIR CLASSROOM CAN ENTER THE STORY THROUGH CURATED EXHIBITS AND TEACHER RESOURCES ON WWW.PLIMOTH.ORG.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Legitimacy checks
Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.
Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.
Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.
Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated November 6, 2026.
Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.
On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.
Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending December 2025.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since November 1948.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.
Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.
Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated November 4, 2026.
Ratings and checks are our reading of public records, using the published method. They are not a statement about anyone's honesty. If you work for this organization, you can send corrections or results, confirm you want gifts through Veridonate, or ask to be removed from giving.