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

New Hampshire > State > Indoor Activities > Historic Homes and Sites

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 developments, and more. Living history museums like Canterbury Shaker Village, with live demonstrators, are especially fun for children and families. End your day of exploration by staying at a historic hotel or inn.

Castle in The Clouds

Route 171 - 455 Old Mountain Road Moultonborough, NH, 03254 Phone: 603-476-5900

Arts and Crafts Home in a Glorious Setting

Even if you’re not an expert in architecture, you will be charmed by this delightful mansion of the Arts and Crafts style tucked into a shelf in the Ossipee Mountains, overlooking New Hampshire’s most stunning lakes. Castle in the Clouds was built in 1914 by a wealthy show manufacturer, who retired at age 51, married, and built the house, originally called Lucknow, with his new wife. The style incorporates forms of nature in its curvaceous lines and handcrafted details. Views from the house, and along the mountainous road leading to it, are enchanting. Children are welcome. The Carriage Barn contains an Art Gallery and a restaurant, serving fresh meals from local food producers. The property has access to many hiking trails. Open weekends through May and daily from June to October.

Mount Washington Cog Railway

Off Route 302 Bretton Woods, NH, 03589 Phone: 603-278-5404 Toll-Free: 800-922-8825

Board historic Cog Railway and explore a mountain summit

For nearly a century and a half, those traveling to New Hampshire's White Mountains have been stepping aboard the Cog Railway and journeying to the top of Mount Washington, the highest summit in the Northeast. It's both exciting and educational, a great experience for the whole family. Our train climbs 6,288 feet up the steepest railroad tracks in North America, passing through several climate zones on the way. Get out and explore the unique environment of a mountain summit. Visit the Weather Observatory, where meteorologists study wild winter weather. Ride a train pulled by an old-fashioned steam engine, or an new eco-friendly biodiesel locomotive. Before the trip enjoy breakfast or lunch at our Base Station restaurant. Trains run late April through November.

America's Stonehenge

105 Haverhill Road Salem, NH, 03079 Phone: 603-893-8300

Discover one of America’s oldest historic sites

Here in the pine forests on New Hampshire’s seacoast may be one of the oldest historic sites in the country. The maze of rocks, stone chambers, megaliths, and other strange artifacts represents the largest such collection anywhere. Constructed possibly by visitors predating Columbus by several thousand years, it has the experts stymied. Was it Native Americans? Colonial farmers? Old World voyagers from across the seas? What is know is that it was built by people with knowledge of astronomy and stone construction. The megaliths are similar to those built throughout Great Britain by Druid priests with many more found throughout NE Explore the property and museum, watch an orientation film, and browse the gift shop. In winter months the one-hundred-plus acres are great for snowshoeing.

Canterbury Shaker Village

288 Shaker Road Canterbury, NH, 03224 Phone: 603-783-9511

Discover the two century history of a unique culture and people

Canterbury Shaker Village is a National Historic Landmark and museum nestled among the rolling hills of wooded central New Hampshire. Less than an hour and a half from Boston, twenty minutes from Concord, NH, and just south of the New Hampshire Lakes Region, the Village provides a place for learning, reflection, and renewal of the human spirit through tours, programs, exhibits, research, and publications. With nearly 700 acres of forests, nature trails, gardens and ponds, as well as 25 original and 4 reconstructed Shaker buildings, Canterbury Shaker Village is a must see for any visitor to New England.

Wentworth-Coolidge Mansion State Historic Site

375 Little Harbor Road Portsmouth, NH Phone: 603-436-6607

This large house was the residence of New Hampshire's first royal governor, Benning Wentworth, who served in office from 1741 to 1767. The 40-room mansion is a superb example of homes from Colonial times. It is typical of the aristocratic life in Portsmouth in the 1700s.
Season: daily from late June to Labor Day; Saturdays and Sundays from late May to mid-June and from Labor Day to mid-October
Hours: 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
Information: http://bit.ly/kEXRPQ

Gardens of Fells Estate in New Hampshire

Fells Historic Estate and Gardens

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

The Fells Historic Estate & Gardens is one of New England's finest examples of an early 20th-century summer estate. Come and discover 84 conserved acres of beauty and tranquility; learn the legacy of its founder, diplomat John Milton Hay, during historic guided tours of the 22-room Colonial Revival home; explore forest succession and nature's diversity while walking woodland trails; and enjoy the renowned gardens.
Hours: The gardens and trails are open daily, year-round. The Shop and Main House are open 10 a.m.-4 p.m. in the following seasons: Starting May 25, weekends and Monday holidays; June 19 to Labor Day, Wednesdays through Sundays; week of July 4th, daily; September 7 through Columbus Day, weekends and Monday holidays.
Admission: Adults, $10; seniors and students, $8; children ages 6-17, $4.
Information: www.thefells.org

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, American sculptor. Over 100 of his artworks can be seen in the galleries, from heroic public monuments to gold coins. The property includes gardens and nature trails. Augustus Saint-Gaudens (1848-1907), created over 150 works of art, from exquisitely carved cameos to monuments. Works such as the Standing Lincoln monument and the Shaw Memorial continue to inspire people.
Hours: Memorial Day weekend to October 31, ground are open daylight hours and exhibit buildings open daily 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; 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.

The Fort at No.4 Living History Museum

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

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.
Hours: June-October, Wednesday-Sunday, 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Admission: Seniors age 55 and older, $7; adults, $10; youths age 13-17, $7; Children age 6-12, $5.
Information: www.fortat4.org.

Wyman Tavern Museum

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

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.
Hours: May-Labor Day, Thursday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. and by appointment.
Admission: $3 per person.
Information: www.hsccnh.org/wymantavern/

Strawbery Banke Museum

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

Strawbery Banke Museum, adjacent to the city’s riverside Prescott Park, is a 10-acre outdoor history museum that preserves 32 domestic and commercial buildings that were lived in and used on this land during 300 years of the town’s history. People of all ages may explore eight gardens, buildings, traditional crafts, and preservation programs. Stories of the neighborhood are told by costumed role-players. Lots of educational and seasonal special events, year-round. A visit of 2 hours is recommended. Open year-round, but only on weekends, for guided tours, November to April. Information: http://www.strawberybanke.org/

New Hampshire Farm Museum

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

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.
Hours:Mid-June to mid-October, Wednesday-Sunday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; May 20-June 16, open weekends,10 a.m.-5 p.m.; October 13-November 10, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Information: www.farmmuseum.org.

Millyard Museum

200 Bedford Street Manchester, NH, 03101 Phone: 603-622-7531

The Millyard Museum is housed in the historic Amoskeag Millyard. The permanent exhibit "Woven in Time: 11,000 Years at Amoskeag Falls," describes Manchester and the people who have lived and worked here, starign with the Native people. It continues with displays on the area's early farmers and lumbermen, and the beginnings of industry in the area.
Hours: Year-round, Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m
Admission: Adults, $8; seniors over age 61 and college students, $6; children age 12-18, $4.
Information: www.manchesterhistoric.org/millyard-museum

Belknap Mill Society

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

Built in 1823 as a textile mill, the Belknap Mill offers a permanent exhibit on industrial history, changing exhibits on art and history, workshops, lectures, festivals and other events, year-round. The oldest brick textile mill in the country, the Belknap is now home to exhibits on knitting and mill history. Live demonstrations are offered. Visitors may tour the art gallery and permanent exhibit on their own or schedule a guided tour.
Hours: Open year-round.
Information: www.belknapmill.org/

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.
Season: Mid-June through mid-October.
Hours: Wednesday-Monday; noon-4 p.m.
Admission: Adults, $5; seniors and students, $4; children age 7-12, $2.50.
Information: www.warnerhouse.org

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.

Melville Academy Museum

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

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.
Hours: July-August, Saturday-Sunday, 2-4 p.m. and by special request
Admission: Free.
Information: www.jcvis.org/museum/museum.php

Canaan Historical Museum

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

This museum houses historic items from the 18th and 19th centuries. Of particular interest is a collection of Shaker items.
Hours: July-October, Saturday, 1-4 p.m.
Information: http://bit.ly/10lkIsm

Horatio Colony House Museum and Nature Preserve

199 Main Street Keene, NH, 03431 Phone: 603-283-2115

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.
Hours: Museum tours offered May 1-October 15, Wednesday through Sunday, 11 a.m.-4 pm.; winter hours by appointment.
Admission: Free.
Information: www.horatiocolonymuseum.org/

Jackson House

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

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.
Hours: June 1 – October 15, first and third Saturdays, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Tours on the hour. Closed July 4.
Admission: Adults, $6; seniors, $5; students, $3.
Information: http://bit.ly/ZxMeRE

Woodman Institute Museum

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

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.
Admission: Adults, $8; students and seniors age 65 and older, $6; children age 6-15, $3.
Information: woodmaninstitutemuseum.org.

Mary Baker Eddy Historic Houses

Stinson Lake Road, Rumney; and Hall's Brook Road, North Groton Rumney and North Groton, NH Phone: 603-786-9943

Houses of Christian Science Church founder, Mary Baker Eddy, from 1855-1862.
Hours: May 1-October 31; Thursday-Saturday; 11 a.m.-4 p.m. or by appointment.
Admission: Suggested donation of $5; children under age 12 admitted for free.
Information: www.longyear.org

Eastman Lord House

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

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.
Season: Memorial Day through Labor Day
Hours: Wednesday, 2-4 p.m.; Thursday, 6-8 p.m.
Cost: $3 per person; $6 per family.
Information: http://bit.ly/11dRVXF

Albacore Park

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

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.
Hours: 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.
Cost: Adults, $5; children age 7-17, $3; Military, $4; family, $10.
Information: www.ussalbacore.org/

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.

The Frost Place

158 Ridge Road Franconia, NH, 03580 Phone: 603-823-5510

The former home and farmer of famed poet Robert Frost, this museum offers exhibits about his life and works. Poetry readings are scheduled throughout the season, and there is a nature trail available.
Hours: Memorial Day-July 2, Saturdays and Sundays, 1–5 p.m.; July 3-October 8, daily except Tuesdays, 1–5 p.m.
Admission: Adults, $4, seniors, $3, students age 6–18, $2.
Information: www.frostplace.org.

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 while he supervised the building of the Navy’s ship America. Visitors will enjoy the collections of 18th and 19th century clothing, guns, furnishings and china.
Hours: Memorial Day - October 31, daily, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
Admission: $6; children under age 12, free
Information: www.portsmouthhistory.org/john_paul_jones_house/

Enfield Shaker Museum

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

Between Mascoma Lake and Mount Assurance, the Shaker community has existed for 200 years, reaching its peak of activity in the mid-1800s. Shakers practiced equality, celibacy, pacifism and joint land ownership. Today, visitors may tour the Great Stone Dwelling, the largest Shaker dwelling house ever constructed; examine exhibits of furniture, tools, clothing, and photographs; explore the herb and flower gardens; and enjoy concerts, guided tours and craft demonstrations. Some visitors hike to the Shaker Feast Ground for views of the Shaker Village and Mascoma Lake. The Museum Store sells Shaker-inspired reproductions, books, and farm products, along with produce from the herb garden.
Hours: Open year-round; the museum is open Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sunday, noon to 5 p.m.
Admission: Adult, $8.50; senior over age 61, $7.50; college students, $6; youth age 10-17, $4.
Information: www.shakermuseum.org

Peterborough Historical Society & Museum

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

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.
Hours: Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
Admission: Adults, $3, children under 12, free.
Information: www.peterboroughhistory.org.

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 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, the Green Mountains of Vermont, and the upper Connecticut River Valley.
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: http://www.nhstateparks.com/wingate.html

Mary Baker Eddy Historic House

62 North State Street Concord, NH Phone: 603-225-3444

The founder of the Christian Science Church, Mary Baker Eddy lived at this site from 1889 to 1892.
Hours: May 1-October 31, Saturday, Monday, and Tuesday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Sunday, 1-4 p.m. and by appointment; November 1-April 30, open by appointment.
Admission: Suggested donation of $5. Children age 12 and younger admitted for free.
Information: www.longyear.org

Wolfeboro Historical Museum Complex

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

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.
Hours: July-August, Wednesday-Friday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.; tours by appointment spring and fall.
Information: www.wolfeborohistoricalsociety.org.

Moffatt-Ladd House and Gardens

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

This Georgian mansion was the home of General Whipple. The building was constructed in 1763, and it has an authentic underground passage. A classic garden, designed in the 19th century, has a 300-foot axis path flanked by formal gardens that lead from the house up several terraces to an iron gate at the rear edge of the property, and many lovely flower beds.
Season: Early June to late October.
Hours: Monday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sunday, 1-5 p.m.
Admission: Adults, $6; children, $2.50; garden only, $2.
Information: www.moffattladd.org/

Point of Graves Burial Ground

Peirce Island Road and Mechanic Street Portsmouth, NH Phone:

Point of Graves Burial Ground is a historic cemetery dating to 1671. It is the burial place of many prominent figures in Portsmouth's history. The oldest readable gravestone is dated to 1684. This old graveyard is the source and setting of many strange tales.
Information: http://seacoastnh.com/dead/graves.html

American Independence Museum

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

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. Hours: Mid-May to October, Wednesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
Admission: Adults, $5; students, $3.
Information: www.independencemuseum.org

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.
Season: May 5-June 27 and September 8-October 11, Wednesdays-Sunday only; June 28 - September 6, daily.
Hours: 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Information: robertfrostfarm.org

New London Historical Society

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

The museum includes a village of 19th century buildings, 25 horse-drawn vehicles, and many artifacts of life in rural New England. Activities include socials, school visits, a holiday open house in December, and other special events and exhibits.
Hours: Memorial Day -Columbus Day, Sunday, 12:30-3:30 p.m.; July-August, Tuesday, 12:30-3:30 p.m.
Admission: Free; donations are welcome.
Information: www.newlondonhistoricalsociety.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.

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.
Hours: June 21 through September 1, Saturdays and Sundays, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
Admission: Adults, $7; children ages 6-11, $3.
Information: www.nhstateparks.com/danielwebster.html

Webster Cottage Museum

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

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.
Hours: Memorial Day-Columbus Day, Wednesday, Saturday, Sunday, 2:30-4:30 p.m.
Cost: Admission is free.

Rundlet - May House

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

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.
Hours: June 1-October 15, first and third Saturdays, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Tours on the hour. Closed July 4
Admission: Adults, $6; seniors, $5; students, $3
Information: http://bit.ly/1109fyW

Frye's Measure Mill

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

The last authentic, water-powered measure mill remaining in the United States, listed on the national Register of Historic Places. Some of the Mill's first products - including round and oval pantry boxes, measures, and piggins - are still being produced on much of the original machinery. Company produces and sells Shaker boxes. A 7-room shop sells high-quality crafts, folk art, hand-blown glass, pottery, pewter, hand-forged ironware, antiques and collectibles. Mill tours are held June through October, Saturdays at 2 p.m.
Open: April-December.
Information: www.fryesmeasuremill.com

Amos Blanchard House and Barn Museum

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

Interiors restored to the 1820 to 1840s period. A highlight of the tour is a 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 hand-pulled fire pumper. Guides discuss 19th-century politics, religion, women's roles, economics, banking, youth, education, household management, and agriculture.
Hours: Year-round, Tuesday-Saturday, 1-4 p.m.; closed in August
Cost: No admission charge; donations are accepted.
Information: http://bit.ly/10VysfX

Fort Constitution Historic Site

Off NH Route 1B at US Coast Guard Station (25 Wentworth Road) 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.
Hours: Open year-round for recreation.
Information: http://bit.ly/13h4Itq

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.
Season: Season opens Memorial Day weekend; June, Saturdays and Sundays; July and August, Fridays-Tuesdays through Labor Day; September to October 27, Saturdays and Sundays; closed November through Memorial Day.
Hours: 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
Admission: Adults, $4.
Information: hillsboroughhistory.org

Jefferson Historical Museum

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

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.
Season: June-Columbus Day.
Hours: Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, 11 a.m.-2 p.m.
Admission: Free.

Sandwich Historical Society Museum

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

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.
Hours: Tours are held late June 24-early October 6, Saturday, 10 a.m.- 4 p.m.
Information: www.sandwichhistorical.org

Governor John Langdon Mansion

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

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.
Hours: June 1-October 15, Friday-Sunday. Tours on the hour, 11 a.m.-4 p.m.
Admission: Adults, $6; seniors, $5; students and children, $3.

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