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Pilgrim Hall Museum is owned and operated by the Pilgrim Society, a nonprofit educational organization dedicated to interpreting and preserving the Pilgrim experience. Membership is not by lineage, although many of our members do share that precious Mayflower ancestry. Founded in 1820 (the 200th anniversary of the Landing of the Pilgrims), the Pilgrim Society has a proud history of preserving Plymouth landmarks, including Plymouth Rock, which was under the guardianship of the Society from 1835 until 1920. The major focus of the Society's efforts, however, has always been Pilgrim Hall Museum. Built and opened in 1824, Pilgrim Hall is the oldest continually-operated museum in America. Pilgrim Hall Museum's strength lies not only in its longevity, but also in its collections. Pilgrim Hall owns the largest collection of original 17th century artifacts related to the Pilgrims and Plymouth Colony in the world. It is the only museum dedicated to telling the Pilgrim Story through exhibitions of original provenanced artifacts. Paintings in the collection include the 1650 portrait of Edward Winslow, the only likeness of any Pilgrim painted from life. Pilgrim Hall Museum's furniture collection includes great chairs owned by Plymouth Colony governors William Bradford and Thomas Prence, as well as the William Brewster chest, brought from Holland to America on the Mayflower, and the wicker cradle of Peregrine White, first born to the Pilgrims in New England. Household possessions include the Allerton-Cushman carved wooden cup, the Peter Brown tankard, the Howland Family bowl, the Fuller Family salt, the Warren Family Porringer, the Cooke-Thomson bowl and William Bradford's 1634 silver cup (owned jointly with the Smithsonian). The Loara Standish sampler, the oldest sampler made in America, and the Constance Hopkins beaver hat are among the textiles and wearing apparel in the collections. Arms and armor, including the sword and rapier of Myles Standish, illustrate the colony's means of defense. The 250-volume rare book collection is the most comprehensive in Plymouth, featuring imprints from Pilgrim William Brewster's press in Holland, the Bibles of Mayflower passengers William Bradford and John Alden, and a first edition of Mourt's Relation (the earliest published account of Plymouth Colony, 1622). The manuscript collection includes the 1621 Pierce Patent (the earliest Massachusetts state document) as well as a deed signed both by Massasoit, sachem of the Wampanoag, and by Pilgrim Myles Standish. Pilgrim Hall Museum also displays a significant collection of history paintings. The Landing of the Pilgrims by Henry Sargent, measuring 13 feet by 16 feet, was the main attraction at Pilgrim Hall's opening in 1824. The First Thanksgiving at Plymouth by Jennie Augusta Brownscombe (1912) has become a symbol of the holiday for many. These national treasures are held in trust for posterity at Pilgrim Hall Museum. The 182-year-old granite Hall, however, needs immediate and extensive modifications to guarantee that this trust is upheld. Climate improvements are imperative, universal access is crucial, the exhibitions and artifacts have outgrown the existing space, our permanent exhibition needs to be reconfigured to convey the drama of the Pilgrim story, a compelling saga of courage and perseverance, to new generations. In order to bring about this transformation, the Pilgrim Society has launched The Campaign for Pilgrim Hall Museum, which will address these four specific areas: climate, access, space and exhibitions.