Historic homes and sites reveal layers of New Hampshire's past

Visiting historic homes and sites is a wonderful way to explore the many corners of New Hampshire and to learn about the state's past, including its Native American cultures, wars of independence, industrial and social deveopments, and more. Living history museums and villages, with live demonstrators, are especially fun for children and families.

Dartmouth-Lake Sunapee Great North Woods Lakes
Merrimack Valley Monadnock Seacoast
White Mountains
Dartmouth-Lake Sunapee top of listings

Amos Blanchard House and Barn Museum

97 Main Street Andover, MA 01810 Phone: 978-475-2236

Open: Year-round, Tuesday-Saturday, 1-4 p.m.; closed in August

Interiors restored to the 1820 to 1840s period using display wallpaper, carpets and floor cloths that are reproductions and furnishings donated by Andover residents. A highlight of the tour is a recently restored faux marble floor in the entrance hall. The original English style barn contains 19th century farm tools, 18th-century cobbler's bench, and an 1829 Hunneman hand-pulled fire pumper. Guides interpret themes of 19th century politics, religion, women's roles, economics, banking, youth, education, household management, and agriculture. Cost: Tour fee: Adults, $5; students, $3.

Canaan Historic District Meeting House

Canaan Street Canaan, NH Phone: 603-523-4809

This 1793 structure is currently being restored, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Open for tours by appointment only.

Canaan Historical Museum

Canaan Street Canaan, NH 03741 Phone: 603-523-7364

Open: July-October, Saturday, 1-4 p.m.

This museum houses historic items from the 18th and 19th centuries. Of particular interest is a collection of Shaker items.

Claremont Historical Society Museum

26 Mulberry Street Claremont, NH 03743 Phone: 603-543-1400

Open: June-September

Collections of early New England artifacts, focusing on Claremont history. Cost: Admission is free.

Enfield Shaker Museum

24 Caleb Dyer Lane / 447 Route 4A Enfield, NH 03748 Phone: 603-632-4346

This museum features the history of the Shakers, including gardens, a walking tour, demonstrations and classes. Events are scheduled throughout the year.
Fee charged.

Fells Historic Site
John Hay National Wildlife Refuge on Lake Sunapee

Route 103A / P.O. Box 276 Newbury, NH 03255 Phone: 603-763-4789

Outstanding gardens, a 100-foot perennial border, and a view of Lake Sunapee from the Rose Terrace. A brook trickles to a Japanese water lily pool in the hillside rock garden, which includes a large collection of alpine and native plants. Hidden behind masses of rhododendron, a walled secret garden awaits discovery.
Hours: Late May through October, daily with tours of the estate on weekends.

Fort at No. 4

267 Springfield Road Charlestown, NH Phone: 603-826-5700

The French and Indian Wars come to life in New Hampshire! The Fort at No. 4 is a living history museum focused on New England frontier life during the French and Indian Wars, 1740s - 1760s. The reconstructed 13 buildings of the Fort mirror what life was like for the settlers and soldiers in an isolated community on the brink of war. Guided tours and living history demonstrations are conducted daily. Experience 18th century cooking demonstrations, see Fort militia soldiers drilling to defend against French and Indians, learn to spin wool, and many other activities that were a prt of every day colonial life. The Fort is open 10:00 - 4:00 daily, May 20 to October 29, 2000 and is located on Route 11, just 1.5 miles off Exit 7 of Interstate 95. An admission fee is charged. Call 1-800-376-8284 for information.

Historic South Sutton

Meeting House Hill Road South Sutton, NH Phone: 603-927-4183

A collection of 19th century structures features a one-room school house, meeting house and general store. The store contains thousands of historic items. Donations are requested. Open July - August.

Mary Baker Eddy House

Hall's Brook Road Groton, NH Phone: 603-786-9943

The founder of the Christian Science Church, Mary Baker Eddy, lived at this site from 1855 - 1860. Tours are available, and there is an admission fee.

New London Historical Society

179 Little Sunapee Road New London, NH 03257 Phone: 603-526-6564

Open: Memorial Day -Columbus Day, Sunday, 12:30-3:30 p.m.; July-August, Tuesday, 12:30-3:30 p.m.

This museum focuses on life in 19th century New London. The society maintains a small village of 19th century buildings and a collection of horse-drawn vehicles, among many other artifacts. Events are scheduled there throughout the year. Cost: Admission is free; donations are welcome.

Newport Opera House

20 Main Street Newport, NH Phone: 603-863-2412

This theatre was built in 1886, and still serves as a concert and performing arts center.

Old Webster Meeting House

Route 127 Webster, NH Phone: 603-796-2211

Historic site open to the public on Sundays in July and August only, otherwise by appointment. A donation is requested.

Saint - Gaudens National Historic Site

139 Saint Gaudens Road Cornish, NH 03745 Phone: 603-675-2175

Open: Daily late May- late October, 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

This site was once the home of one of the country’s greatest sculptors, Augustus Saint-Gaudens. The estate has a house, studio, and gardens. Fee charged.

Sunapee Historic Society Museum

Sunapee Harbor Sunapee, NH Phone: 603-763-9872

Museum on the shores of Lake Sunapee focuses on the area's history. Of particular interest is the exhibit on Lake Sunapee's old steamboats. A donation is requested.

The Fort at No.4 Living History Museum

267 Springfield Road (Route 11) Charlestown, NH 03603 Phone: 603-826-5700

Open: June-October, Wednesday-Sunday, 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

Travel back in time to Charlestown, New Hampshire in the 1740's to visit an authentically reconstructed settlement. Tour with guides dressed as original settlers of No. 4. Demonstrations of hearth cooking, musket firings, military drills and much more are conducted daily. Cost: Adults, $8; seniors (65 and older), $6; youth (age 6-12), $5.

Webster Cottage Museum

32 North Main Street Hanover, NH 03755 Phone: 603-643-6529

Open: Memorial day-Columbus Day, Wednesday, Saturday, Sunday, 2:30-4:30 p.m.

Eighteenth-century farm house and residence of Daniel Webster as a student at Dartmouth College. The exhibits feature Webster's life and Shaker furniture as well as typical furnishings of the time. Cost: Admission is free.
Great North Woods top of listings

John Wingate Weeks Historic Site

Off Route 3 Lancaster, NH Phone: 603-788-4004

The Mount Prospect estate was built by John Wingate Weeks, conservationist, congressman, senator, and Secretary of War. Set at the very top of Mount Prospect, the house and grounds on this 420-acre estate provide a 360-degree panorama of mountain splendor, including the Presidential Range of the White Mountains, the Green Mountains of Vermont, and the upper Connecticut River Valley. The main house is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
Hours: Late June to early September, Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Thursdays, noon to 5 p.m.; mid-September to mid-October, Saturdays and Sundays, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Cost: New Hampshire residents admitted free of charge; non-resident adults, $7; children ages 6-11, $3. Information: www.nhstateparks.org
Lakes top of listings

Belknap Mill Society

The Mill Plaza Laconia, NH Phone: 603-524-8813

The oldest brick textile mill in the country, the Belknap is now home to exhibits on knitting and mill history. Live demonstrations are offered.

Daniel Webster Birthplace

Route 127 Franklin, NH Phone: 603-934-5057

This home, built in 1782, was the birthplace of Daniel Webster, one of the best-known and most important statesman of the 19th century. This house offers exhibits on Webster's life, as well as objects from the period.

Endicott Rock

Weir's Beach, off Route 3 Laconia, NH

In 1652, surveyors employed by Massachusetts Bay Colony Governor John Endicott signed their initials in this rock.

Governor John Wentworth Historic Site

Route 109 Wolfeboro, NH Phone: 603-436-1552

Governor John Wentworth, one of the state's last colonial governors, made this estate his summer home.

Lake Winnipesaukee Museum

Route 3 Laconia, NH 03246

Open: year-round, Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

The museum property is a historic landmark and represents an era which changed the way Americans spent their summer vacations --- an example of the tradition of hospitality vital to the area’s history and economy since the 1800’s. The property was purchased in 1923 by David O’Shan, who first had a poultry farm on the site. The museum building is the original residence and the yellow cottages nearby are part of the original cabin colony. One of the buildings is from the former Shangrila Resort.

Mary Baker Eddy Historic Homes

Stinson Lake Road Rumney, NH Phone: 603-786-9943

The home of Christian Science Church founder, Mary Baker Eddy, from 1860 - 1862. Open May - October.

Museum of Childhood

2784 Wakefield Road Wakefield Corner, NH 03872 Phone: 603-522-8073

Open: Late May-early September, Monday-Saturday, 11 a.m.- 4 p.m.; Sunday, 1-4 p.m.

This museum specializes in the history of child life and children's items in New England. Exhibits feature thousands of dolls, sleds, a one-room school and more. Cost: Adults, $3; children under age 9, $1.25.

New Hampshire Farm Museum

Route 125, Plummer’s Ridge Milton, NH 03851 Phone: 603-652-7840

Open: April through October.

The Farm Museum consists of the historic Jones Farm and the Plummer Homestead. The properties consist of 50 acres of field and forest, a working farm, historic houses and barns, a blacksmith shop, a shoe shop and exhibits on agriculture and rural life. The museum hosts special events, programs, and workshops.

Remick Country Doctor Museum and Farm

58 Cleveland Hill Road Tamworth, NH 03886 Phone: 603-323-7591

Open: Year-round, Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.– 4 p.m. except major holidays; summer hours are July 8–October 7, Monday – Saturday, 10 a.m.–4 p.m.

The chores and traditions of agricultural and domestic life are presented in self-guided exhibits in the museum’s Visitor Center, as well as through interactive education programs and workshops. The Visitor Center houses father and son’s medical equipment. The animals and crops we raise are used in historic cooking programs. Seasonal activities like ice harvesting and maple sugaring are celebrated during special events. The Remick family’s Tamworth connection is preserved in a nearly intact collection of family artifacts in the Captain Enoch Remick House, Dr. Remick’s boyhood home, as well as painted wall murals from the early 19th century. Exhibits change with the seasons. Cost: Admission is free.

Sandwich Historical Society Museum

4 Maple Street Center Sandwich, NH 03227 Phone: 603-284-6269

Open: For tours late June 24-early October 6, Saturday, 10 a.m.- 4 p.m.

This museum offers a barn and home built in 1850. Inside, exhibits trace the history of Sandwich from the 18th century. Of particular interest is the transportation exhibit.

Tuftonboro Historical Society Museum

Route 109 Melvin Village, NH 03850 Phone: 603-544-7225

Open: July – August, Monday-Friday, 2-4 p.m.

Exhibits in this museum focus on local history. Admission is free.

Whipple House Museum

4 Pleasant Street Ashland, NH 03217 Phone: 603-968-7716

Open: July- Labor Day, Wednesdays and Saturdays,1-4 p.m.

This site was the home of Dr. George Hoyt Whipple, who won the Nobel Prize for Medicine. Inside visitors will find information about him, his family and the area. Museum exhibits include period rooms and local history displays.Of particular interest is the Glidden Toy Museum, which features over 1000 items. Cost: Admission is free.

Wolfeboro Historical Museum Complex

337 South Main Street Wolfeboro, NH 03894 Phone: 603-569-4997

Open: July- August. Wednesday-Friday, 10am-4pm.; Saturday, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.; tours by appointment spring and fall

A collection of historic exhibits and structures includes the Clark House (built in the 18th century), an 1805 schoolhouse, and a firehouse museum featuring antique machinery. There is an admission fee.

Wright Museum

77 Center Street Wolfeboro, NH 03894 Phone: 603-569-1212

Open: May 1-October 30, Monday – Saturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; Sunday, noon-4p.m.

A museum of history, focusing on the American home front during World War II (1939-1945). Exhibits feature information, memorabilia, costumes, vehicles, and more. There are three distinct buildings: the Home Front and theater, the two-story educational building or Visitor's Center and the military building which houses memorabilia from all branches of service from WWII including a large collection of military vehicles from this era. Cost: Adults, $6; seniors and veterans, $5; students, $3
Merrimack Valley top of listings

Abbot-Spalding House Museum

1 Nashville Street Nashua, NH 03060 Phone: 603-883-0015

Open: April-November, some Saturdays and by appointment

Built in 1804, this museum offers exhibits of early 19th century household items and furniture. Admission is free; donations are welcome.

Chester Village Cemetery

Routes 102 and 121 Chester, NH Phone: 603-887-3951

This cemetery is full of interesting and unusual monuments, most of which date from the 18th century. It is one of only two New Hampshire cemetaries that are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Florence Hyde Speare Memorial Building

5 Abbot Street Nashua, NH Phone: 603-883-5336

This building houses 8 galleries of historic items and artwork, as well as a library full of historic documents and a meeting room.

Hannah Duston Memorial Historic Site

Exit 17 off I-93 Boscawen, NH

This monument commemorates the historic actions of Hannah Duston, a young woman who courageously fought off an attack by Indians in 1697. Eventually she was captured.

Manchester Historic Association & Millyard Museum

129 Amherst Street Manchester, NH Phone: 603-622-7531

Exhibits and programs which feature the history of Manchester's society and industry. A research library is open to the public. Open year-round.

Mary Baker Eddy Historic House

62 North State Street Concord, NH Phone: 617-277-8943

The founder of the Christian Science Church, Mary Baker Eddy lived at this site from 1889 - 1892.

Museum of New Hampshire History

6 Eagle Square Concord, NH 03301 Phone: 603-228-6688

Open: Tuesday- Saturday, 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sunday, noon to 5 p.m.; July-October 15 and all of December, additional hours on Monday, 9:30 a.m.- 5 p.m.

Interactive and detailed museum exhibits tell visitors about the history of the Granite State, its indigenous peoples, and colonial settlers. The museum has a store. Cost: Adults, $5.50; seniors, $4.50; children age 6-18, $3.

New Hampshire Antiquarian Society

300 Main Street Hopkinton, NH Phone: 603-746-3825

Exhibits focus on the history of Hopkinton and New Hampshire. Admission is free.

New Hampshire State House and Visitor's Center

107 North Main Street Concord, NH Phone: 603-271-2154

Tour the complex and learn about the activities, function and history of New Hampshire's government. Self-guided and guided tours by reservation are available.

Robert Frost Farm Historic Site

Route 28 Derry, NH Phone: 603-432-3091

This National Historic Landmark was the home of poet Robert Frost from 1901 to 1909. Open mid-June to Labor Day.
Monadnock top of listings

Amos J. Blake House Museum

On the Common Fitzwilliam, NH 03447 Phone: 603-585-7742

Open: Tours conducted Memorial Day-Labor Day, Saturday, 1-4 p.m.

Headquarters of the Fitzwilliam Historical Society features exhibits pertaining to area history and development. Admission is free.

Franklin Pierce Homestead Historic Site

Routes 31 and 9 Hillsborough, NH Phone: 603-478-3165

Built in 1804, this mansion was the childhood home of Franklin Pierce, the 14th President of the United States. Open Memorial Day - Columbus Day. There is an admission fee.

Frye's Measure Mill

12 Frye Mill Road Wilton, NH Phone: 603-654-6581

The last water-powered measure mill remaining in the United States. Open April - December. The site also has a gift shop.

Historical Society of Cheshire County

246 Main Street Keene, NH Phone: 603-352-1895

The site features a genealogy research library and exhibits of local history including glass, pottery and household items.

Holocaust Resource Center

229 Main Street, Mason Library, Keene State College Keene, NH Phone: 603-358-2490

Dedicated to the study of the Holocaust, a tragedy unparalleled in human history. The center contains articles, books and multi-media resources on the subject. Admission is free.

Horatio Colony House Museum and Nature Preserve

199 Main Street Keene, NH 03431 Phone: 603-352-0460

Open: Museum tours offered May 1-October 15, Wednesday through Sunday, 11 a.m.- 4 pm.; winter hours by appointment

Built in 1806, Horatio Colony decorated his home with outstanding collections of furniture, artwork, books and silver. Admission is free. Nature Preserve, located on Daniel’s Hill Road, is three and one half miles of well-marked trails with numbered stops that point out dramatic geological features, historical ruins, and plant communities are located across the preserve. Admission is free.

Melville Academy Museum

Thorndike Pond Road Jaffrey Center, NH 03452 Phone: 603-532-5857

Open: July-August, Saturday-Sunday, 2-4 p.m. and by special request

Melville Academy has an excellent collection of Hannah Davis Bandboxes, scrapbooks documenting VIS activities, 19th century kitchen and agricultural tools, samplers made by local residents in the early 19th century, the old mailboxes of the Jaffrey Center Post Office (which closed in 1991), and other artifacts relating to life in 19th century Jaffrey Center. The upstairs has been maintained as a schoolroom, with information on Melville Academy. Cost: Admission is free.

Peterborough Historical Society & Museum

19 Grove Street Peterborough, NH 03458 Phone: 603-924-3235

Open: Tuesday – Saturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

This museum focuses on local history. Of particular interest are the early American kitchen display, the country store and the 19th century mill worker's home. Cost: Adults, $3, children under 12, free.

Wyman Tavern Museum

339 Main Street Keene, NH 03431 Phone: 603-352-1895

Open: June 1-Labor Day, Thursday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. and by appointment.

Built in 1762, this museum is now furnished as a tavern and residence from that period. Historically, the first meeting of the Dartmouth College Trustees took place on the site in the 18th century. There is an admission fee.
Seacoast top of listings

Albacore Park

600 Market Street, Portsmouth, NH 03801 Phone: 603-436-3680

Open: Memorial Day to Columbus Day, daily, 9:30 a.m.- 5 p.m.; Columbus Day to Memorial Day, Thursday through Monday, 9:30 a.m.- 4:30 p.m. Call ahead for seasonal changes.

The focal point of this park is an exhibit of life on a modern submarine. Visitors will tour the sub and view all its compartments. Cost: Adults, $5; children age 7-17, $3; Military, $4; family, $10.

American Independence Museum

1 Governor's Lane Exeter, NH 03833 Phone: 603-772-2262

Open: May 16 - October 27, Wednesday – Saturday, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Housed in the Ladd-Gilman House, built in the first decades of the 18th century. During the American Revolution, this building stored the state's treasury. Among the museum’s permanent collection of documents chronicling the nation’s founding are an original Dunlap Broadside of the Declaration of Independence and early drafts of the U.S. Constitution. Permanent collections include American furnishings, ceramics, silver, textiles and military ephemera. Exhibits detail the history of Portsmouth and the structure itself. Cost: Adults, $5; students, $3.

Barrett House at Forest Hall

79 Main Street New Ipswich, NH 03071 Phone: 617-994-6675

Open seasonally. Visit HistoricNewEngland.org for hours and admission.

Barrett House was built by Charles Barrett Sr. for his son, Charles Jr., and daughter-in-law, Martha Minot. Martha’s father encouraged the grand scale of the house by promising to furnish it in as lavish a manner as Barrett Sr. could build it. The house features family furnishings, French scenic wallpaper, early 20th-century bathrooms, and a ballroom with period musical instruments. A terraced allée leads up the hillside to a summer house.

Dover Walking Tours

299 Central Avenue Dover, NH Phone: 603-742-2218

The Dover Chamber of Commerce offers three self-guided walking tours of historic sites: The Pine Hill Cemetary, the Old Mill and the Riverfront, and a tour of Dover's historic homes.

Durham Historic Association Museum

Main Street Durham, NH 03824 Phone: 603- 868-2700

Open: June-August, Wednesday, 1-3 p.m. or by appointment

Exhibits on the local history of Durham feature items and documents dating back to 1632. Old photos and maps, farm implements, dolls, historic clothing, the 1875 town hearse and more.

Fort Constitution Historic Site

Route 1B, U.S. Coastguard Station New Castle, NH Phone: 603-435-1552

Originally constructed in the 1600's, this site was known as Fort William and Mary. A British stronghold that sat on Portsmouth Harbor, it was captured by colonists in 1774, 2 years before the American Revolution. Only ruins of the fort now remain, and visitors can glean information from the panels located at the site. This site is a National Historic Landmark.

Fort Stark Historic Site

Off Wild Rose Lane New Castle, NH Phone: 603-436-1552

This fort was first put into use in 1746, and remained active through World War II. Visitors can tour the information center and the fort, which give a sense of how forts have changed over the centuries.

Governor John Langdon Mansion

143 Pleasant Street Portsmouth, NH Phone: 603-436-3205

Open: June 1-October 15, Friday-Sunday. Tours on the hour, 11 a.m.-4 p.m.

From the vast central hall to the reception rooms, everything in this mansion was designed to reflect Langdon’s status as the town’s leading citizen. Langdon became a sea captain, merchant, shipbuilder, Revolutionary leader, signer of the United States Constitution, and three-term governor of New Hampshire. There is a large garden with perennial beds, rose and grape arbor, and pavilion.
Admission: $6; seniors, $5; students and children, $3.

Jackson House

76 Northwest Street Portsmouth, NH Phone: 603-436-3205

Open seasonally. Visit HistoricNewEngland.org for hours and admission.

Jackson House is the oldest surviving house in New Hampshire and Maine. It was built by Richard Jackson, a woodworker, farmer, and mariner, when timber from the region’s abundant forests formed the basis of the economy. To highlight its interesting construction methods, the house is shown unfurnished.

John Paul Jones House and Museum

43 Middle Street Portsmouth, NH Phone: 603-436-8420

This National Historic Landmark was built in 1758, and was home for a time during the Revolutionary War to national hero John Paul Jones. Visitors will enjoy the collections of 18th and 19th century clothing, guns, furnishings and china. Open June - October. There is an admission fee.

Moffatt - Ladd House

154 Market Street Portsmouth, NH Phone: 603-436-8221

This was the home of U.S. General Whipple, and it sports an authentic underground passage. The building was constructed in 1763. Open June - October.

Odiorne Point State Park

Route 1A Rye, NH Phone: 603-436-7406

The site of the first European settlement in New Hampshire, founded in 1623. During World War II, it was home to Fort Dearborn, a U.S. Army Base. Today, the park offers a look back at the history and a view of the area's nature through panels set throughout the park. In addition, visitors will enjoy canoeing, walking trails, a bike path and picnic areas. In the winter, cross-country ski trails are available. The park is also home to the Seacoast Science Center, which holds events throughout the year.

Old Meeting House

Fremont Road Sandown, NH Phone: 603-887-3453

Built in 1774, this meeting house is still in original condition. Inside visitors will find the pews (including seperate seating for slaves), paupers benches, and a pulpit. Open by appointment only. Donations are suggested.

Portsmouth Harbor Trail

Portsmouth, NH 03801 Phone: 603-436-3988

The trail passes more than 70 points of scenic and historic significance in Portsmouth, include ten buildings on the National Register of Historic Buildings, ten National Historic Landmarks, and three homes maintained by the Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities.
Hours: Tours offered July 4 through Columbus Day, 10:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Monday; and 1:30 p.m. on Sunday.

Portsmouth Old Graves: the History of Portsmouth NH

P.O. Box 606 Portsmouth, NH 03802-0606 Phone: 603-436-5096

Experience the rich history of Portsmouth NH as told through its 17th, 18th, and 19th century gravestones. Portsmouth was settled in 1623 and has contributed to major events of history ever since. The gravestones of Portsmouth and New England in general are unique places to learn this history firsthand as well as view beautiful early art through their carvings. In addition to numerous historic figures and interesting people of note, in Portsmouth rests some of the first settlers of our country, sea captains and shipping merchants, colonial revolutionaries, civil war veterans, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, African-American slaves, colonial politicians and governors, and other people whose lives contributed to history.

Rundlet - May House

364 Middle Street Portsmouth, NH Phone: 603-436-3205

Open seasonally. Visit HistoricNewEngland.org for hours and admission.

Merchant James Rundlet furnished his mansion with fine Portsmouth-made furniture and imported wallpapers, and installed the latest technology for cooking and heating. The beautiful gardens behind the house, with roses, peonies, pet cemetery, and orchard, still follow Rundlet’s original layout.

Sandown Historical Society Museum

Route 121A Sandown, NH Phone: 603-887-6100

Originally a storage house built in 1873, at the time it handled the largest volume of freight in the country. The exhibits feature local history, industry history, and 19th century artifacts. Open May - October, weekends only.

Strawbery Banke Museum

14 Hancock Street Portsmouth, NH 03801 Phone: 603-433-1100

Open May 1 through October 31, 10AM- 5PM Daily
Guided Tours and Holiday Events available November-December

For more than 300 years people lived and worked in the neighborhood known as Puddle Dock, today Strawbery Banke Museum. On this ten-acre site one hour north of Boston the houses, shops, taverns and gardens continue to tell the stories of the generations who called this neighborhood home for almost four centuries of New England history. Through restored furnished houses, exhibits, period gardens, historic landscapes and costumed role players Strawbery Banke is the living history of the people who settled in Portsmouth, New Hampshire from the late 17th century to the mid-20th century. The Museum Shop supports Strawbery Banke’s educational activities by offering reproductions, books and other items related to the Museum’s narrative of the neighborhood’s evolution from 1690 to the 1950s.

Tuck Memorial Museum

40 Park Avenue Hampton, NH 03842 Phone: 603-929-0781

Open: Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday, 1-4 p.m. or by appointment

This museum presents a variety of exhibits involving 19th century history, including furniture, artwork, the area trolley system, farm implements, fire-fighting equipment, and a schoolhouse from the 1840's. The complex contains four buildings, The Tuck Museum, Farm Museum, Seacoast Fire Museum, and the 19th-Century District Schoolhouse. A children's playground and picnic facilities are located next to the museum. Admission is free.

Warner House

150 Daniel Street Portsmouth, NH Phone: 603-436-5909

This brick Georgian mansion was built in 1716 for Archibald McPhaedris, a sea captain. Inside, visitors will find 18th century household items and furnishings, including wall murals that are among the oldest in the United States. Open June - October. There is an admission fee.

Wentworth - Coolidge Mansion

375 Little Harbor Road Portsmouth, NH Phone: 603-436-1552

A large house, believed to be as old as 1695, was also the home of New Hampshire Royal Governor Benning Wentworth in the mid 18th century. A council chamber inside was the first meeting place for the earliest New Hampshire state government.

Wentworth - Gardner House

50 Mechanic Street Portsmouth, NH Phone: 603-436-4406

A Georgian colonial, built in 1760. Open May - October.

Woodman Institute Museum

182 Central Avenue Dover, NH 03820 Phone: 603-742-1038

Open: April-November, Wednesday-Sunday, 12:30-4:30 p.m.

This four-building complex includes the Woodman House (1818), former home to lawyer Daniel Christie; Hale House (1813), home of U.S.Senator John Parker Hale; Keefe House (1827) and the William Damm Garrison home (1675). Collections of natural science to include the largest mineral exhibit north of Boston, items of local history from the 1600s to present, and a fine collection of paintings and early furniture. Cost: There is an admission charge. Hours: April-November, Wednesday-Sunday, 12:30-4:30 p.m.
White Mountains top of listings

Bedell Bridge Historic Site

Routes 10 and 25 Haverhill, NH Phone: 603-547-3373

On this plain was the second longest, 2 span covered bridge in the United States. Built in 1866, the bridge was destroyed by wind in 1979. Visitors to the area will enjoy the history, plus fishing and canoeing.

Conway Historical Society

100 Main Street Conway, NH Phone: 603-447-5551

Information covers the Conway history between 1818 and 1845. Programs and events are scheduled throughout the summer, when the society is open regularly to the public. A donation is requested.

Crawford Notch State Park

Route 302 Harts Location, NH Phone: 603-374-2272

This park is a fount of natural beauty: A mountain pass, the Presidential Mountain Range, and waterfalls. The falls are the Flume Cascades, the Silver Cascades, and the Arethusa Falls. There is a visitor's center, hiking trails, a scenic drive, fishing spots, and picnic areas. The park is also the site the Willey House, an 18th century way-station for travelers through the mountains. A campground is available to the public. Pets are permitted in campground area and other designated places only.

Eastman Lord House

100 Main Street Conway, NH 03818 Phone: 603-447-5551

Open: open from Memorial Day through Labor Day, Wednesday, 2-4 p.m.; Thursday, 6-8 p.m.

This is the residence of Conway mill owner, William Kimball Eastman. Built in 1818, the house's 17 rooms are open to the public and are furnished in periods from 1818 through 1945. Eastman Lord House Museum has recently been named to the National Register of Historic Places. Cost: $3 per person; $6 per family

Gorham Historical Society and Rail Museum

25 Railroad Street Gorham, NH Phone: 603-466-5570

This museum is set in a rail station built in 1907. Exhibits feature railroad-related documents and artifacts, including a box car, steam locomotive and model railroad. Open May - November. Donations are requested.

Jefferson Historical Museum

900 Presidential Highway (Route 2) Jefferson, NH 03584 Phone: 603-586-7021

Open: June-Columbus Day, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, 11 a.m.-2 p.m.

Located in a church built in 1869, this museum features a look at the history of the town of Jefferson and the surrounding area. Of particular interest is the focus on the Waumbek Hotel, an important structure in Jefferson's history. Admission is free.

Littleton Historic Sites Walking Tour

Main Street Littleton, NH Phone: 603-444-6561

Sponsored by the local Chamber of Commerce, this walking tour features a dozen historic buildings and pieces of architecture. A free brochure provides a map, directions and details. Available year-round.

Sugar Hill Historical Museum

Route 117 Sugar Hill, NH 03586 Phone: 603-823-5336

Open: June 10-Columbus Weekend, Thursday-Saturday, 1-4 p.m.

A set of exhibits on the past two centuries of life in Northern New Hampshire. Includes collections of furniture, tools, clothing, a stage coach and recreated tavern kitchen. Admission is free.