New Hampshire museums and galleries offer adventures in nature & art
Featured Listings
288 Shaker Road
Canterbury, NH 03224
Phone: 603-783-9511
Fun and Educational in a Beautiful Setting
The Canterbury Shaker village, which once was home to over 300 Shakers, is an outdoor history museum that has provided educational fun to families since 1992. The National Historic Landmark features 25 original Shaker buildings on 694 acres of gardens, fields, ponds and forests. Come experience two hundred years of Shaker life through guided tours with engaging interpreters, craft demonstrations, restored organic vegetables and botanical gardens and special events. Highlights include a Shaker school and hospital, as well as a number of nature trails. Situated on a beautiful site, the Village is ideal for learning, reflection and renewal of spirit. Rich in authenticity, Canterbury Shaker Village is a non-profit, educational institution that features an award-winning restaurant and houses New Hampshire’s premier store for Shaker reproductions and New Hampshire handcrafted products.
150 Ash Street
Manchester, NH 03104
Phone: 603-669-6144
Fax: 603-669-7194
Great art is just the beginning!
Explore art in your own way at the recently expanded Currier Museum of Art in Manchester, NH - home to an internationally respected collection of European and American paintings, decorative arts, photographs and sculpture. New galleries showcase the collection of over 11,000 objects, including works by Picasso, Matisse, Monet, O'Keeffe, and Warhol. Visitors of all ages will enjoy the engaging exhibitions, dynamic programs ranging from music to lectures to hands-on art-making, expanded gift shop and airy new café filled with light and equipped with WiFi. Allow several hours to tour all of the galleries.
Admission: $10 adult; $9 senior; $8 student. Children 17 and under free. Free each Sat 10-12.
Hours: Sun, Mon, Wed, Thu*, Fri 11-5; Sat 10-5 (free 10-12); *1st Thurs of each month 11-8; Closed Tuesdays.
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.
Informational Listings Courtesy of VisitNewEngland.com
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 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
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.
Hood Museum of Art
Wheelock Street, Dartmouth College
Dartmouth, NH 03755
Phone: 603-646-2808
Open: Year-round, Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Wednesday, 10 a.m.-9 p.m.; Sunday, noon-5 p.m.; closed Mondays
The Hood preserves 65,000 works of art representing ancient civilizations, Asia, America, Europe, Africa, Papua New Guinea, and many other regions. Selections that are always on view encompass ancient, Asian, and European prints, paintings, and sculpture, American Colonial silver and paintings and sculpture to 1948, and major works of modern and contemporary art. Admission is free.
Mount Kearsarge Indian Museum
18 Highlawn Road
Warner, NH 03278
Phone: 603-456-2600
Open: Early May-Thanksgiving, Monday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sunday, noon-5 p.m.; November-April, open Saturday and Sunday only.
The state's only Native American museum features exhibits covering Native American culture and history. The museum also has a shop, and programs are scheduled there throughout the season. Guided tours are offered.
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.
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 Northwoods Interpretive Center
Route 3
Colebrook, NH
Phone: 413-548-8002 ext 113
This refuge was established to conserve the abundance and diversity of native plants and animals and their habitats in the 7.2 million acre Connecticut River watershed in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont. One of the refuge’s three cooperative education centers is the Great Northwoods Interpretive Center is on U.S. Route 3 just north of Colebrook, New Hampshire. It is run by the NH Department of Transportation. At the front desk, visitors may get tourism information about the local area. The multi-purpose room contains interpretive displays informing visitors about the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; National Wildlife Refuge System; Conte Refuge, and the Nulhegan Basin Division, Pondicherry Division, and Umbagog National Wildlife Refuge. Hours: Memorial Day to Columbus Day, Monday-Thursday, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Friday-Sunday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. After September 1, Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. It is free to the public. Information: http://www.fws.gov/r5soc/
Little Nature Museum
656 Gould Hill Road
Contoocook, NH 03229
Phone: 603-746-6121
Open: Late June to late October, weekends and holidays
A small nature center featuring exhibits, trails, a library, and special programs. The Little Nature Museum is located in a historic 200-year-old barn at Gould Hill Orchards. The collections include, rocks, minerals, fossils, sea life, insects, Indian artifacts, mounted birds and mammals, and plants. There are also interpretive exhibits, hands-on activities, and nature trails. Open weekends for free. Guided tours offered by appointment weekdays and weekends for $1 per person. Open during late spring, summer, and early fall. Information: www.littlenaturemuseum.org/
Northern Forest Heritage Park
961 Main Street
Berlin, NH 03570
Phone: 603-752-7202
Park includes a three-acre site with waterfront; an outdoor amphitheater; a full-size logging camp museum; interactive exhibits; the Brown Co. House Museum; and the Artisans Gift Shop. The park hosts forest, river and art exhibits, lectures, seminars, concerts, ethnic festivals, Summer Heritage Mill Tours, lumberjack competitions, and special blacksmith demonstrations and events. Information: http://www.northernforestheritage.org/main.htm
Carpenter Museum of Antique Outboard Motors
PO Box 459
Gilmanton, NH 03237
Phone: 603-524-7611
Open: By appointment only
Unique exhibits feature the outboard motor from its inception to the present day. Donations are accepted.
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.
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 Boat Museum
395 Center St.
Wolfeboro Falls, NH 03896
Phone: 603-569-4554
Open: Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; Sunday, noon – 4 p.m.
The museum features many of the finest examples of vintage mahogany and antique boats, including; Garwood, Chris-Craft, Century, Dodge, Penn Yan, Lyman and Hacker, on a rotating basis. There are runabouts, race-boats, canoes, guide boats, and sail boats. Whether you are an outboard, steam, paddle or sail enthusiast, the displays, enhanced with archival photos, trophies and models, bring to life a truly grand era of boating. Cost: Adults, $5; seniors, $4; students. $3.
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
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.
Chapel Art Center at St. Anselm College
100 St. Anselm Drive
Manchester, NH 03102
Phone: 603-641-7470
Open: Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. and Thursdays until 9 p.m.
Exhibitions of contemporary and historical art, as well as works by students and faculty. Cost: Admission is free.
Children's Metamorphosis Museum
217 Rockingham Road
Londonderry, NH 03038
Phone: 603-425-2560
Open: Tuesday-Thursday and Saturday, 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m.; Friday, 9:30 a.m.-8 p.m.; Sundays, 1 p.m.-5 p.m.
An interactive museum with exhibits aimed at children 1 - 8. Cost: $5 per person over age 1.
3 Institute Drive
Concord, NH 03301
Phone: 603-271-7827
Fax: 603-271-7832
Opened in 1990 as a living memorial for Sharon Christa McAuliffe, America’s first private citizen in space, the planetarium combines her dream of traveling through space with her dedication to teaching. In one hour, visitors can take an unforgettable expedition through space while seated inside the domed theatre. Exhibits, scheduled events and sky watches.
Kaleidoscope Children’s Museum
250 Commercial Street, Waumbec Mill, Suite 1004
Manchester, NH
Phone: 603-606-3381
Summer Hours: Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays: 9 a.m.-4 p.m.; Fridays and Saturdays, 9 a.m.-6 p.m.; Sundays, noon-5 p.m.; closed Tuesdays
This museum, opened in July 2009, is designed for children age 1 to 5, though older children are welcome as well. Many of the special events are great for all ages. Kaleidoscope is designed specifically to encourage creative play and thinking.
Lawrence L. Lee Scouting Museum
Camp Carpenter (Exit 5 off of I-95)
Manchester, NH 03109
Phone: 603-669-8919
Open: September-June, Saturday, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.; July-August, Monday-Saturday, 10 a.m.- 4 p.m.
A museum dedicated to the history of the Boy Scouts. Exhibits feature displays of Scouting memorabilia, artifacts, and a collection focusing on Scouting's founder, Lord Baden-Powell. Picnic tables, lakeside scenery, and nearby nature trails. Admission is free.
Museum Complex - Bear Brook State Park
Route 28
Allenstown, NH -3275
Phone: 603-485-2034
Open: Various hours throughout the summer
Features the Interpretive programs are held regulary throughout the summer season. Also located in the museum complex are the New Hampshire Antique Snowmobile Museum, Museum of Family Camping, Old Allenstown Meeting House, and the Richard Diehl Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) Museum. Most of the museums are housed in historic CCC buildings. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Bear Brook Camp is one of the most complete camps remaining intact and in use in the country.
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.
See Science Center
200 Bedford Street
Manchester, NH 03101
Phone: 603-669-0400
Open: Monday – Friday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; Saturday-Sunday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
This hands-on science center has nearly 100 exhibits where children and adults can do actual science experiments. The museum’s Millyard Project is a scale model of the Amoskeag Millyard of Manchester circa 1900, built entirely of Lego blocks – 2 million in all. Other activities include the Science of Ice Hockey; Reptile Mountain, and Moonwalk. Check for seasonal changes in hours and programs. Cost: $5 per person over age 1.
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.
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.
Thorne-Sagendorph Art Gallery
Wyman Way, Keene State College
Keene, NH 03431
Phone: 603-358-2720
Open: June-August, Wednesday-Sunday, noon-4 p.m.; September-May, Saturday-Wednesday, noon to 4 p.m. and Thursday and Friday, noon-7 p.m.
Changing exhibits of artwork, modern and historic. Admission is 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.
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.
Children's Museum of New Hampshire
6 Washington Street
Dover, NH 03801
Phone: 603-742-2002
Open: Year-round, Tuesday – Saturday, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.; Sundays, 1 p.m. - 5 p.m.; most Monday holidays and school vacation days
The Children’s Museum of New Hampshire offers two levels of hands-on, custom-created exhibits for children ages 1-12. Children can explore a wide range of subjects, from dinosaurs, music and aeronautics to world cultures, art and natural history. Open year-round, the museum hosts a variety of live performances, workshops, classes and special events for families.
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.
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.
University of New Hampshire Gallery of Art
30 College Road
Durham, NH 03824
Phone: 603-862-3712
Open: September – May, Monday-Wednesday, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.; Thursday, 10 a.m. - 8 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, 1 - 5 p.m.; closed Fridays and university holidays
Temporary art exhibits feature different historical periods and styles. Admission is free.
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.
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.
Mount Washington Museum
At the Summit of Mount Washington
North Conway, NH
Phone: 603-356-2137
Open: May to mid-October, daily, 9 a.m.-6 p.m., weather permitting
The visitor will find displays about the weather on the mountain - which ranks with the worst in the world - and the reasons for the severity of Mount Washington's meteorological conditions. A special feature of the Museum is the new Weather Discovery Room, which helps visitors explore the weather phenomena of Mount Washington and how they are observed and recorded. There are exhibits on the geological history of the Presidential Range, with rock strata which date back 400,000,000 million years, and, more visible, the effects of continental ice sheets which scoured the landscape several times over the last million years. Cost: Adults, $2.00; children age 6 to 12, $1.
Mount Washington Valley Children’s Museum
2936 White Mountain Highway
North Conway, NH
Phone: 603-356-2992
Young visitors to the Mount Washington Valley Children’s Museum may put on a puppet show or get dressed up in costumes in the Drama Center; climb the indoor Tree House or learn from the History Tree; build their own creations in the Lego room or doll house room; play in the Infant Toddler room; explore outer space in the new Glow in the Dark and Outer Space Exhibit. For infant through age 10. Information: www.mwvchildrensmuseum.org
Museum of American Weather
South Common
Haverhill, NH 03765
Phone: 603-989-3167
Open seasonally
A museum dedicated to American weather. Of particular interest are exhibits devoted to four severe New England weather events: The blizzard of 1888, the 1938 hurricane, the Vermont flood in 1927 and a tornado that hit Worcester, Massachusetts. Open seasonally. Admission is free.
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.
The Frost Place
Ridge Road
Franconia, NH 03580
Phone: 603-823-5510
Open: Memorial Day-July 2, Saturdays and Sundays, 1–5 p.m.; July 3-October 8, Daily except Tuesdays, 1–5 p.m.
Plentiful museums, offering fine art, nature and natural history, children's exhibits, ethnic history, and more can be found in all parts of New Hampshire. 
