Dartmouth region is home to fine art and Native American history museums

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

Collections of early New England artifacts, focusing on Claremont hitosry. Admission is free. Open June - September.

Enfield Shaker Museum

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

Nestled in a valley between Mount Assurance and Mascoma Lake, the Enfield Shaker site has been cherished for over 200 years. Visitors may tour the Great Stone Dwelling, the largest Shaker dwelling house ever constructed; view Shaker furniture, tools, clothing, photographs and agricultural implements; explore the Museum's herb and flower gardens, fields and hills; hike to the Shaker Feast Ground for a spectacular vista; and shop at the Museum Store, filled with Shaker-inspired reproductions, books, local crafts and farm products, as well as products from the Museum's renowned herb garden.
Hours: Open year-round; the museum is open Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Sunday, noon to 4 pt
Admission: Adult, $8.50; senior over age 61, $7.50; college students, $6; youth age 10-17, $4

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.

Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site

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

Discover the beautiful home, studios and gardens of Augustus Saint-Gaudens, one of America’s greatest sculptors. Over 100 of his artworks can be seen in the galleries, from heroic public monuments to expressive portrait reliefs, and the gold coins which changed the look of American coinage. Enjoy summer concerts and explore the gardens and nature trails.
Augustus Saint-Gaudens (1848-1907), created over 150 works of art, from exquisitely carved cameos to heroic-size public monuments. Works such as the "Standing Lincoln" monument and the Shaw Memorial, continue to inspire people today and his design for the 1907 Twenty Dollar Gold Piece, is considered America's most beautiful coin.
Hours: Memorial Day weekend to October 31, exhibit buildings are open daily from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and the grounds are open during daylight hours; November through late May, the exhibit buildings are closed, but the park Visitor Center is open most weekdays, 8:30 a.m.-4:15 p.m.
Admission: Adults age 16 and older, $5.

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.