Granite State Curiousities

From semiquincentennial to superheroes, a guide to regional museums

One of the great advantages of living in New Hampshire is a sense of history. Everywhere, there are reminders of the state’s heritage, from colonial days to the first in the nation primary and beyond. Is it any wonder America’s leading documentary filmmaker hails from the Granite State?

As the Declaration of Independence’s 250th anniversary nears, it’s a great time to visit a museum. There are many choices, such as local historical societies, places dedicated to New Hampshire’s rich industrial past like the Millyard Museum and Belknap Mill, and a quirky telephone museum in Warner.

For something off history’s path, Manchester’s Currier Museum of Art’s “Summer of Photography” has works from “Danny Lyon: The Bikeriders,” shown beside a pair of Harley-Davidson motorcycles, and “Together, Apart, and Away: Snapshots from the Peter J. Cohen Collection.”

Together, Currier Director of Marketing and Communications Ali Goldstein noted recently, they tell distinct stories about shared human experiences. “Sweeping and personal, nostalgic and timely,” she said, they “herald the beginning of a season of road trips, family adventures, and the making of new memories.”

With that in mind, here’s a guide to exploring regional museums, with information from the location’s websites and social media pages (call to double check times and other details before setting forth).

America’s Stonehenge

105 Haverhill Road, North Salem (893-8300, stonehengeusa.com)

Hours: Daily 9 a.m.-5 p.m. (last admission 4 p.m.), open year-round (closed Thanksgiving and Christmas)

Admission: $19

Description: Complex of man-made stone chambers, walls, and standing stones, it’s potentially the oldest constructed site in the United States. Like Stonehenge in England, it appears to have served as an accurate astronomical calendar.

Don’t miss: The Oracle Chamber — a subterranean stone passage with acoustic properties that are still not fully understood — and witnessing the summer solstice sunrise alignment at dawn from the main site.

American Independence Museum

1 Governors Lane, Exeter (772-2622, independencemuseum.org)

Hours: Thursday-Saturday 10 a.m.-4 p.m., open May-November

Admission: $8 (NH Museum Trail Member)

Description: During the American Revolution, this building served as the state treasury, where the Gilman family stored New Hampshire’s wartime finances. Today the museum’s permanent collection of founding documents includes an original Dunlap Broadside printing of the Declaration of Independence, early drafts of the U.S. Constitution with editorial annotations, and a wealth of Revolutionary-era correspondence and artifacts.

Don’t miss: A rare surviving copy of the first printed announcement of America’s independence, the Dunlap Broadside printing of the Declaration of Independence.

Andres Institute of Art

106 Route 13, Brookline (732-0216, andresinstitute.org)

Hours: daylight hours, open year-round

Admission: Free

Description: Founded in 1996, the Institute creates a thought-provoking dialogue between art and nature in its 140-acre outdoor sculpture park, with more than 100 large-scale works on wooded trails. Allow two or three hours for exploring, and bring sturdy shoes. The Institute also hosts regular concerts.

Don’t miss: The main sculpture trail at golden hour offers a magical atmosphere, as low, warm light hits the stone and metal works, highlighting their features.

Aviation Museum of New Hampshire

27 Navigator Road, Londonderry (669-4820, aviationmuseumofnh.org)

Hours: Wednesday-Saturday 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; Sunday 1-4 p.m., open year-round

Admission: $15 for ages 13-64, others $7.50 (NH Museum Trail member)

Description: Housed in a restored 1937 Art Deco terminal and control tower at the edge of the Manchester-Boston Regional Airport, the museum preserves and celebrates New Hampshire’s rich aviation heritage, from early barnstormers to World War II aces to modern aerospace pioneers.

Don’t miss: A display honoring the first American in space, New Hampshire’s own Alan Shepard. Saturdays from 1 to 4 p.m., try the hands-on Elite Flight Simulator, a realistic, all-ages flight experience.

Belknap Mill Museum

25 Beacon St. East, Laconia (524-8813, belknapmill.org)

Hours: Thursday-Saturday 10 a.m.-4 p.m., open year-round

Admission: $10 for adults (NH Museum Trail member)

Description: Built in 1823, the country’s oldest unaltered brick textile mill is a designated National Historic Landmark. Originally a weaving mill, it switched to knitting during the Civil War and operated as a hosiery mill until 1969. Along with exhibits, the Mill regularly holds outdoor concerts from early June to Labor Day.

Don’t miss: The Knitting Room, with historic hosiery knitting machines that show how the building functioned as a 19th-century textile factory, and the Powerhouse exhibit, showcasing 200 years of hydro-power history.

Canterbury Shaker Village

288 Shaker Road, Canterbury (783-9511, shakers.org)

Hours: Daily 10 a.m.-4 p.m. (May-October); weekends only November; grounds open year-round

Admission: $25 (NH Museum Trail member)

Description: One of the finest and most intact surviving Shaker community sites in the world. At its peak around 1850, approximately 300 Shakers lived and worked here in 100 buildings. The last Canterbury sister, Ethel Hudson, died in 1992, after which the site transitioned fully into a museum.

Don’t miss: The Dwelling House displays the spare, functional beauty of Shaker furniture and architecture and how it embodies a design philosophy that was nearly 150 years ahead of its time.

Castle in the Clouds (Lucknow Estate)

586 Ossipee Park Road, Moultonborough (476-5900, castleintheclouds.org)

Hours: Entrance closes 3 p.m.; last trolley to mansion 3:45 p.m., Open late May-early October

Admission: $23 (NH Museum Trail member)

Description: The 1913-1914 Craftsman mansion sits above Lake Winnipesaukee, a National Historic Landmark with 5,500 acres of trails. Officially the Lucknow Estate, it was built by millionaire shoe manufacturer Thomas Gustave Plant and his wife Olive.

Don’t miss: The behind-the-scenes basement tour, which reveals the mansion’s innovative (for the early 20th century) mechanical systems. Same-day tour tickets are available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Children’s Museum of New Hampshire

little boy wearing coat and newsboy cap, standing in colorful, child's farming exhibit, holding stuffed pig and small feeding bottle,
Little Farmers exhibit at the Children’s Museum of New Hampshire. Photo courtesy of the Children’s Museum of New Hampshire in February 2025.

6 Washington St., Dover (742-2002, childrens-museum.org)

Hours: Tuesday 9 a.m.-noon; Wednesday-Saturday 9 a.m.-noon and 1-4 p.m.; Sunday 9 a.m.-noon; closed Monday, open year-round

Admission: $14.50 ($12.50 for seniors)

Description: Two floors of joyful, interactive exhibits for children from newborn through middle school. The museum’s approach is rooted in a conviction that children learn best through play, exploration and hands-on discovery. Timed sessions keep things manageable.

Don’t miss: The STEAM Innovation Lab, where children design, build and test their own inventions. It’s a transformative experience that gives youngsters an early opportunity to think like an engineer.

Clark House Museum Complex

233 S. Main St., Wolfeboro (569-4997, wolfeborohistoricalsociety.org)

Hours: Wednesday-Friday 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; Saturday 10 a.m.-2 p.m., open July 1 – Labor Day

Admission: $4

Description: Captures the layered colonial and 19th-century heritage of the town billed as America’s Oldest Summer Resort, with the 1778 Clark House, an 1805 schoolhouse, a replica firehouse and an 1820s barn. Another worthwhile attraction is the Wolfeboro Historical Society’s strong genealogy and research library.

Don’t miss: The restored 1875 Amoskeag Steam Fire Engine in the Firehouse Museum, one of the finest surviving examples of 19th-century firefighting technology.

Currier Museum of Art

150 Ash St., Manchester (669-6144, www.currier.org)

Hours: Wednesday-Sunday 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; closed Monday-Tuesday, open year-round

Admission: $15

Description: One of New England’s finest art museums and a jewel of Manchester’s cultural life, with a permanent collection of more than 11,000 objects spanning European and American art from the 12th century to the present. Beyond that, the Currier owns and maintains two Frank Lloyd Wright-designed houses.

Don’t miss: The intimate tour of Wright’s Zimmerman House and its beautifully preserved Usonian interior. Reserve well in advance, as this deeply personal encounter with the architectural genius sells out quickly.

Exeter Historical Society

47 Front St., Exeter (778-2335, exeterhistory.org)

Hours: Tuesday and Thursday 2-4:30 p.m.; Saturday 9:30 a.m.-noon, open year-round

Admission: Free (donation suggested)

Description: Founded in 1964, the Society has an impressive collection of artifacts, photographs, maps, documents and research materials spanning nearly four centuries of Exeter history, from its founding in 1638 and its pivotal role in the Revolution (it was briefly the state capital) to the growth of Phillips Exeter Academy.

Don’t miss: Check out the many Native American artifacts along with pieces from President Lincoln’s visit to the town as part of his Cooper Union speech tour in 1860.

John Hay Estate at The Fells

456 Route 103A, Newbury (763-4789, thefells.org)

Hours: Wednesdays-Sundays June 17-Sept. 12, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., opens May 23

Admission: $15 (NH Museum Trail member)

Description: The lakeside retreat of American statesman John Milton Hay and his wife Clara was built in 1891 and refined in the early 20th century under the direction of prominent New York architect and landscape designer Prentice Sanger. Docent-led guided tours are conducted at 1 p.m., when the Main House is open.

Don’t miss: “Gardening in Granite,” an exhibit that draws on the reflections of John Hay’s son Clarence Hay regarding the ingenuity and perseverance required to garden in the rocky terrain of The Fells.

John Paul Jones House

43 Middle St., Portsmouth (436-8433, portsmouthhistory.org)

Hours: Thursday-Monday 10 a.m.-4 p.m., open Memorial Day-October

Admission: $6 (NH Museum Trail member)

Description: Run by the Portsmouth Historical Society, which also runs the Discover Portsmouth Center at 10 Middle St., this is a 1758 Georgian boarding house where John Paul Jones stayed.

Don’t miss: The museum’s collection of 18th- and 19th-century Portsmouth silverware, paintings, and household objects that illuminate the refined domestic life of a prosperous colonial seaport.

L. L. Lee Scouting Museum

395 Blondin Road, Manchester (867-2501, scoutingmuseum.nhscouting.org)

Hours: Wednesday 10 a.m.-4 p.m., select Saturdays 10 a.m.-3 p.m., open year-round

Admission: Free (donation suggested) (NH Museum Trail member)

Description: Contains colorful and historic exhibits on the history of scouting, including original paintings of Boy’s Life covers, a flag taken to the moon by astronaut and Scout Alan Shepard, plus a display of sketches, letters, and Boer War memorabilia belonging to Scouting’s founder, Robert Baden-Powell.

Don’t miss: The large collection of “sealed samples” — one-of-a-kind prototypes of new uniforms, patches, awards and gear, some going back to the beginnings of Scouting In America, with items like a uniform dating back to 1920 signed by the first National Scout Executive, James E. West.

Laconia Historical & Museum Society

695 N. Main St. (Laconia Public Library), Laconia (527-1278, laconiahistory.com)

Hours: Monday-Saturday 9 a.m.-4 p.m., open year-round

Admission: Free

Description: Set inside the Laconia Public Library, it has regular programs on Lakes Region history. Exhibits highlight its heritage in boatbuilding and knitting mills, along with a focus on Scott & Williams Machinery, a company that was once the world’s leading supplier of circular knitting machinery.

Don’t miss: “Then & Now: The Weirs,” a collection of historical photographs tracing the property’s evolution from an Indigenous gathering place to a 19th-century resort and the NH Veterans Association encampment.

Lake Winnipesaukee Museum

503 Endicott St. North (Route 3), Laconia (366-5950, lwhs.us)

Hours: Wednesday-Saturday 10 a.m.-4 p.m., open mid-June-Columbus Day

Admission: Free (NH Museum Trail member)

Description: The volunteer-run museum’s property is a historic landmark, purchased in 1923 by lifelong resident and long-time state legislator David O’Shan. First run as a poultry farm, it was developed by O’Shan into a cabin colony in the 1930s. The Museum building is his original residence, and the yellow cottages nearby are part of the original cabin colony.

Don’t miss: “The Steamboat Era” includes photographs and artifacts from a variety of old vessels, a working model of the old Mount, and a collection of photographs showing the launching of the new Mount in 1940.

McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center

2 Institute Dr., Concord (271-7827, starhop.com)

Hours: Wednesday-Sunday 10:30 a.m.-4 p.m. (fall/winter/spring); daily summer; open all NH school vacation weeks, open year-round

Admission: $13

Description: New England’s leading air and space museum honors two New Hampshire heroes of the Space Age: Christa McAuliffe, the Concord High School social studies teacher was was selected from more than 11,000 applicants to be NASA’s first Teacher in Space and perished in the Challenger disaster of 1986; and Alan Shepard, who became the first American in space in 1961 and walked on the moon in 1971.

Don’t miss: A planetarium show in the Center’s 10K full-dome theater. It’s one of only three such systems in North America, offering an immersion in space that no home theater or cinema house can replicate.

Meredith Historical Society

45 Main St. and 61 Winona Road, Meredith (279-1190, meredithhistoricalsocietynh.org)

Hours: Main Street, Saturday 12:30-3 p.m.; Farm Museum, contact for hours, open Saturdays

Admission: Free

Description: The compact and charming Main Street Museum is open on Saturdays only and offers visitors a view into the rich history of the region, initially settled in 1748. The Farm Museum, focused on the annual life cycle of a New Hampshire farm, is only open for special events (check website for those).

Don’t miss: The Society’s Farm Museum, displaying the tools and implements used by 19th-century farmers, laid out in sections highlighting the activities during each of the four seasons.

Millyard Museum

200 Bedford St., Suite 103, Manchester (622-7531, manchesterhistoric.org)

Hours: Tuesday-Saturday 10 a.m.-4 p.m., open year-round

Admission: $12 (NH Museum Trail member)

Description: Operated by the Manchester Historic Association, the museum sits in a space that was once home to the world’s largest textile manufacturing complex. Its collection contains more than 600,000 documents and artifacts, from neon shoe store signs and Victorian household objects to massive textile looms.

Don’t miss: “Reflections of the Revolution: The Derryfield Perspective,” celebrating the U.S. semiquincentennial with portraits, artifacts and stories from Manchester residents involved in the fight for independence.

Mt. Kearsarge Indian Museum

beaded best on display, decorated on each side with an image of a man wearing a headress and holding a staff, riding a horse, USA flags above them.
A beaded vest from the new “Quills & Beads: Adornment that Adapts” exhibit at the Mt. Kearsarge Indian Museum. Courtesy photo.

18 Highwatch Road, Warner (456-2600, indianmuseum.org)

Hours: Summer, Monday-Saturday 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Sunday noon-5 p.m.; winter: Friday-Saturday 10 a.m.-4 p.m. (tours 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.); open year-round

Admission: $15 (NH Museum Trail member)

Description: New Hampshire’s only Native American museum preserves and interprets cultures from across the North American continent, from the prehistoric past through the modern age. Its main gallery contains thousands of Native-made objects, including clothing, baskets, beadwork, ceramics, carvings and tools, all contextualized within the living traditions of the tribal nations who created them.

Don’t miss: The Medicine Woods Trail is an educational walk through plants used by Native Americans for medicine, food and shelter. It reflects a philosophy that understanding Native culture begins with recognizing its deep relationship with the land.

Nashua Historical Society

5 Abbott St., Nashua (883-0015, nashuahistoricalsociety.org)

Hours: Tuesday-Thursday 9 a.m.-4 p.m. (office); house museum tours by appointment, open year-round

Admission: $10

Description: The museum’s galleries present both permanent and rotating exhibitions covering Nashua’s industrial history, its role in the Civil War, the immigrant communities that transformed the city in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and the lives of notable Nashua residents.

Don’t miss: Declaring Independence: Then & Now, a live performance happening on June 4, utilizing primary source material to reveal how local colonists engaged with the independence movement in 1776, followed by an annotated reading of the Declaration of Independence.

New Hampshire Boat Museum

130 Whittier Highway (Route 25), Moultonborough (569-4554, nhbm.org)

Hours: Wednesday-Saturday 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; Sunday noon-4 p.m., open seasonally

Admission: $5 (NH Museum Trail member)

Description: Founded in 1992 by boating enthusiasts, the sprawling facility has more than 2,500 objects, including vintage motorboats, canoes, race boats, engines, ephemera. The museum is now in the midst of transforming 6,500 square feet of its main floor into a hub for education, exhibits and more.

Don’t miss: A rare 1929 Chris-Craft Closed-Cabin Limousine Sedan, one of only five in existence. Designed to ferry commuters or party guests, it was last used by a doctor and his family at their Lake Sunapee retreat.

New Hampshire Historical Society

30 Park St., Concord (228-6688, nhhistory.org)

Hours: Tuesday-Saturday 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m., open year-round

Admission: $10 (NH Museum Trail member)

Description: Founded 1823, it’s the oldest and most comprehensive repository of Granite State history, with permanent galleries including a 19th-century Concord Coach, a collection of White Mountain art by masters like Benjamin Champney and Frank Shapleigh, Abenaki artifacts, and a rich array of historical objects.

Don’t miss: The Concord Coach, one of the most famous wheeled vehicles in American history. The stagecoach, manufactured in Concord, carried mail, passengers, and gold across the American West.

New Hampshire Telephone Museum

1 Depot St., Warner (456-2234, nhtelephonemuseum.org)

Hours: Tuesday and Saturday 10 a.m.-4 p.m. (May-October); limited November-December and March-April; closed January-February

Admission: $9

Description: This wonderfully specialized museum traces the evolution of telecommunications from early telephones to the wireless devices of today, with particular attention to the unique history of telephone service in New Hampshire.

Don’t miss: A collection of hand-cranked magneto telephones and early switchboards, along with the story of how the 1938 hurricane hastened the end of the state’s era of local, independent phone companies.

Robert Frost Farm

122 Rockingham Road, Derry (432-3091, robertfrostfarm.org)

Hours: Thursday-Monday 10 a.m.-4 p.m. (last tour 3 p.m.); grounds dawn-dusk year-round, open May 22-Oct. 12

Admission: $5

Description: A National Historic Landmark and State Historic Site preserving the two-story white clapboard farmhouse where the poet and his family lived from 1900 to 1911. They were formative years; the majority of the poems in Frost’s first two books, as well as many poems from his third, were written during that time.

Don’t miss: The kitchen where Frost wrote his early masterpieces by lamplight, as well as the staircase that inspired one of his most wrenching dramatic poems, “Home Burial.”

Sandwich Historical Society

4 Maple St., Center Sandwich (284-6269, sandwichhistorical.org)

Hours: Most Sundays 1-4 p.m., open April-September

Admission: Free

Description: With two facilities, the circa 1850 Eliza Marston House and the Quimby Barn Transportation Museum, the Society’s mission is to “collect and preserve the material culture and historical record … in service to the public through educational experiences and outreach to the community.”

Don’t miss: From June 27 through Sept. 5, celebrate 100 years of the Sandwich Home Industries, a look at the legacy of Mary and J. Randolph Coolidge, how the support of local artisans contributed to the effort, and a display of collected artifacts from a century of retail.

Seacoast Science Center

570 Ocean Blvd. (Odiorne Point State Park), Rye (436-8043, seacoastsciencecenter.org)

Hours: April 16-Oct. 14 open Tuesday-Sunday 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; Oct. 15-April 15 open Wednesday-Sunday 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Open year-round.

Admission: $10

Description: Located inside Odiorne Point State Park (separate entry fee), this is the state’s premiere marine science education institution. Its aquariums, indoor touch tanks and interactive exhibits bring the ecology of the Gulf of Maine to life for visitors of all ages.

Don’t miss: The suspended 32-foot humpback whale skeleton that hangs in the main gallery and provides an impressive reminder of the scale of marine life in the nearby waters.

SEE Science Center

200 Bedford St., Manchester (669-0400, see-sciencecenter.org)

Hours: Tuesday-Friday 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; Saturday-Sunday 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; closed Monday, open year-round

Admission: $15

Description: Manchester’s hands-on science discovery center is located in the same mill building as the Millyard Museum. Founded in 1986, SEE engages visitors of all ages in the joys of actively exploring science, technology, engineering, art and math, with a wealth of interactive exhibits spread across multiple floors.

Don’t miss: The Lego Millyard Project, a stunning three-million-brick model capturing Manchester’s industrial past at minifigure scale. This feat of civic artistry is the largest such installation in the world.

Strawbery Banke Museum

14 Hancock St., Portsmouth (433-1100, strawberybanke.org)

Hours: May-June and September-October, weekdays 10 a.m.-4 p.m., weekends 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; July-August daily 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Open May-October (plus winter Candlelight Strolls)

Admission: $25 (NH Museum Trail member)

Description: A wonderfully inspiring outdoor museum and New Hampshire’s first Smithsonian Affiliate, with more than 30 historic buildings, it preserves more than 350 years of history in the Puddle Dock neighborhood of Portsmouth’s South End, where English settlers first established the colony in the 1630s.

Don’t miss: The new Cousins Apartment exhibit, which tells the story of a Black family living in 1930s and 1940s Portsmouth. It’s a moving addition to the museum’s interpretive program.

USS Albacore Museum (Albacore Park)

submarine sitting on pavement in enclosed area in outdoor exhibit
USS Albacore. Courtesy photo.

569 Submarine Way, Portsmouth (436-3680, ussalbacore.org)

Hours: Daily 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m., open February-mid-December

Admission: $14 (NH Museum Trail member)

Description: Built at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard and launched in 1953, the USS Albacore was a pioneering research submarine. Its revolutionary teardrop hull design became the template for future subs. The 205-foot vessel now sits in a dry basin surrounded by a memorial garden, maritime museum gallery and gift shop.

Don’t miss: The periscope walk-through in the sub’s control room, along with compelling audio narration by veterans who once served aboard the fastest submarine in the world.

Woodman Institute Museum

182 Central Ave., Dover (742-1038, woodmanmuseum.org)

Hours: April-November, Wednesday-Sunday 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; December-March, Saturday-Sunday 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Open year-round.

Admission: $16 (NH Museum Trail member)

Description: Called “a Victorian cabinet of curiosities” by one writer, this complex encompasses history, natural history, militaria, decorative arts — and sewer-dwelling action heroes. It includes one of the state’s oldest intact garrison houses, a Victorian funeral exhibit with a horse-drawn hearse and a medicinal garden.

Don’t miss: The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Collection, added in 2024 in recognition of the made-in-Dover franchise. It includes bronze statues of the comic’s characters, donated by co-creator Kevin Eastman.

Wright Museum of World War II

77 Center St., Wolfeboro (569-1212, wrightmuseum.org)

Hours: Monday-Saturday 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; Sunday noon-4 p.m., open May 1-Oct. 31

Admission: $16

Description: Founded in 1994, this 20,000-square-foot institution is dedicated to educating, entertaining and inspiring visitors with the story of WWII-era Americans. Its signature Time Tunnel strolls visitors through American home life during the war years. For America’s 250th, it’s highlighting the contributions of the nearby Portsmouth Naval Shipyard.

Don’t miss: The Military Vehicle Collection, particularly an operational WWII tank that looks to have blasted through an exterior wall. On special Family Day events there’s the chance to ride in one of the vehicles.

21 museums for the price of two : A look at the NH Heritage Museum Trail Passport

A vital tool for diving into the state’s heritage, the NH Heritage Museum Trail Passport provides a year’s worth of access to 21 different museums for just $30. Led by Manchester Historical Association Executive Director Jeff Barraclough, the Museum Trail was created as a collaborative marketing effort.

“It’s an incentive for people to seek out museums that they otherwise might not have visited … we’ve found it’s a great way to help promote one another,” Barraclough said by phone recently. “If someone is going to be visiting two museums in the course of a year, it’s basically worth it.”

From the Aviation Museum in Londonderry, at the fringes of Manchester’s regional airport, to the Millyard Museum (also led by Barraclough) and its rich manufacturing history, along with unique New Hampshire Boat Museum in the Lakes Region and the oddball Woodman Museum in Dover, there’s lots to explore.

“There’s a bunch of different things that folks might not immediately think of, but this is an opportunity for them to consider it,” Barraclough continued, adding that the 250th anniversary of American Independence is another driving force.

“I think there’s a heightened interest in our country’s history,” he said. “At the Millyard Museum, we opened a temporary exhibit on Manchester’s role in the Revolution, talking about John Stark and other key people … and there are watch parties throughout the state relating to Ken Burns’ American Revolution series.”

Starting with a December 2024 event to mark the 1774 raid on Fort William & Mary, NHMT member museums have participated in an ongoing initiative highlighting key people in New Hampshire history, called “25 Stories for 250 Years.” Barraclough noted that it covers a widely diverse field.

“There are stories about the USS Albacore, the fastest submarine in the world; John and Lucy Hale, with John being an important anti-slavery politician in the lead-up to the Civil War and having a really impactful role on public sentiment on slavery at the time; and the Mount Washington cruise ship on Lake Winnipesaukee.”

See the full list at nhmuseumtrail.org/25-stories-for-250-years.

Whiskey man

Chris Stapleton tribute act Traveller hits Riley’s Place

Traveller is not Alec Antobenedetto’s first tribute act. There’s the Allman Brothers-based Peacheaters, now in its 25th year, and Confounded Bridge, which covers Led Zeppelin’s catalog. However, Antobenedetto is particularly suited to songs like “White Horse” and “Parachute,” so his Chris Stapleton-centric band happened almost by acclamation.

For years he’s been a drummer and occasional singer. A few years ago he began to notice crowd members turning to each other whenever he sang a Stapleton song, nudging, pointing fingers, looking at him incredulously.

“People started coming up saying, ‘You sound just like him,’” he recalled in a recent Zoom meeting. “‘It’s scary how much like him you sound.’”

One year ago in April he threw caution to the wind and booked Traveller’s first show — before the band had ever gathered together to play.

“It’s just what I do; I’ll schedule a gig before we have our first rehearsal,” he said. Their debut came last September at Boggestock, a western Massachusetts festival he organizes every year.

“It took off like wildfire,” he continued. Now leading from the front of the stage instead of the back, Antobenedetto brings a few distinctive touches to the band’s performance. He talks with the audience more than the regularly reserved Stapleton, and he doesn’t play guitar. The latter is something he’s cheerfully unapologetic about.

“It hurts my fingers. I don’t like it. The guitar and me do not have a good relationship,” he said with a laugh, adding that it doesn’t interfere with the mission. “People are coming for that Chris Stapleton experience. They’re coming for the songs that they love and want to hear when Chris is not playing the area. I try to fulfill that need.”

That said, Traveller doesn’t simply mine Stapleton’s hits, though “Tennessee Whiskey” is usually a set closer. He’ll ask the crowd for liquid fortification before kicking into the song. “Because if they buy me a shot of Jack Daniel’s, I’ll sing it much better,” he said. Where it’s sold, he’ll drink some of Stapleton’s own whiskey (with the same name as his band).

The set list goes deep, including songs from Stapleton’s early bluegrass band The SteelDrivers, his covers of Vince Gill’s “Whenever You Come Around” and “Shameless” by Garth Brooks, along with the rowdy Rodney Crowell rocker “Ain’t Livin’ Long Like This” as it was interpreted by Waylon Jennings.

Because Antobenedetto knows that every fan has a favorite.

“If I ask the audience, I’ll get a hundred different answers,” he said. His personal choice is a deep cut, “When the Stars Come Out.” He’s also partial to “Crosswind” and “What Are You Listening To?” along with Stapleton’s cover of John Fogerty’s “Joy of My Life.”

Traveller includes Peacheaters bandmates Rick Goode on guitar and bassist Dave Hines, along with Jay Tullio on acoustic guitar and mandolin, Leon Melanson playing keys, pedal steel and guitar, Mike Duca on percussion and Mike Iannantuoni on drums. When he’s unavailable, Peacheaters drummer AJ Vallee fills in.

Standing alongside Antobenedetto at every show on backing vocals and light percussion is his girlfriend, Tina D’Aurizio. “How lucky are you to be able to do music with the person you’re in love with, you know what I mean? I’m very blessed with the guys that I work with.”

An upcoming show at Riley’s Place in Milford is a return. The Peacheaters were there recently, getting two encores.

“They wouldn’t let us get away with just one,” he said, praising the venue’s warm wooden-walled sound. “For anybody that is a true music fan, this is a place that they have to go. You could actually record an album in that room; it would be amazing.”

Antobenedetto remains a bit bemused by the reception he gets as a doppelgänger, but as a fan he welcomes the chance to celebrate Stapleton in Traveller.

“People ask me to sign stuff for them, sometimes they think I’m him,” he said. “But it’s really all about the music. The music is the captain of the ship, in every way possible.”

Traveller – The Chris Stapleton Experience
When: Friday, May 8, at 7 p.m.
Where: Riley’s Place, 29 Mont Vernon St., Milford
Tickets: $15 at eventbrite.com

Featured photo: Traveller. Photo by Penny Aicardi.

The Music Roundup 26/05/07

Civil roar: With a 2025 concept album inspired by George Washington’s Rules of Civility, Paul Gilbert continues his WROC world tour with a stop in Derry. The shredding legend’s latest is high-energy rock blending humor, history, and precision guitar work from the man who co-founded both Mr. Big and Racer X. Blues and jazz guitar giant Greg Koch opens the energetic double bill. Thursday, May 7, at 8 p.m., Tupelo Music Hall, 10 A St., Derry, $45 and up, tupelohall.com.

Roots unit: After he left Hot Day at the Zoo, Michael Dion formed Daemon Chili and electrified many of his old band’s bluegrass songs, comparable to Bob Dylan’s transformation at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival. Inspired by the Dead, the Allman Brothers and others, they fuse elements of rock, blues, reggae into an Americana sound. The most recent LP is 2017’s Mercy of the Sea. Friday, May 8, at 9 p.m., Penuche’s Ale House, 16 Bicentennial Square, Concord, $5 at the door, 21+.

Totally fab: In a crowded field of Beatles tribute acts, Britain’s Finest stands out for youthful exuberance — according to their website they’re the youngest touring Fab Faux. The detail and scope of their act is also notable. They perform in period costumes, use vintage Rickenbacker, Ludwig and Gretsch instruments, and perform songs once done live alongside studio-only tracks. Saturday, May 9, at 2 and 7:30 p.m., Rex Theatre, 23 Amherst St., Manchester, $44, palacetheatre.org.

Family way: Nobody knows John Prine’s songs like his brother Billy Prine. During concerts celebrating a life in song, he tells stories behind his beloved catalog, like the first time John played a reel-to-reel recording of “Paradise” for their father at the family kitchen table. The show includes classics like “Speed of the Sound of Loneliness” and “In Spite of Ourselves” (with singer Scarlett Egan). Sunday, May 10, at 4 p.m., BNH Stage, 16 S. Main St., Concord, $54, ccanh.com.

Victory lap: Marking the 30th anniversary of their breakout album Bringing Down the Horse, The Wallflowers perform in the Lakes Region. On the strength of hits like “One Headlight,” “Sixth Avenue Heartache” and “The Difference,” the 1996 release earned multiple Grammy nominations and helped move Jakob Dylan out of his famous father’s shadow to establish him as a musical force. Tuesday, May 12, at 8 p.m., Colonial Theatre, 609 Main St., Laconia, $57 and up, etix.com.

Olde World Fun

NH Renaissance Faire returns

Long before Danny Scialdone became general manager of the New Hampshire Renaissance Faire, he was better known as court jester Aspergillius Gleekman, mirthfully roaming the annual event. That’s not changed, and when Scialdone is called to answer a problem at the Faire these days, he still arrives with bells on.

It’s a visage not everyone is prepared for, he recalled in a recent phone interview as preparations for this year’s Faire in Fremont were underway.

“Some of the looks that I get from the people when I come walking up,” he said. “I’m like, ‘Hi, I’m Danny, how can I help you?’ and they’re like, ‘Oh, OK, you’re the manager? OK.’”

That blend of whimsy, warmth and genuine community spirit is exactly what the New Hampshire Renaissance Faire is all about. It’s why thousands of visitors make the trip each spring to step back in time, eat an enormous turkey leg, and lose themselves in a world of knights, aerial artists, fairies and more.

The Faire has come a long way since its founding in 2005, when it launched with a modest lineup of about nine vendors. This year roughly 170 merchants and performers will fill the fairgrounds. Many are traveling from across New England and the East Coast, with some coming all the way from Michigan, Ohio and beyond.

The growth reflects a hunger for the immersive, cosplay time travel experience provided there. “In the early 2000s, the only New England state that didn’t have a Renaissance Faire was New Hampshire,” Scialdone said, and founder Shannon McCracken-Barber from Farmington wanted to change that.

Scialdone came on board in 2012, a year after McCracken-Barber departed.

“It got to be a little bigger than I think she had ever expected it to get, and trying to run it all by herself was getting more and more daunting,” he said. To ensure the Faire continued, she urged the formation of a nonprofit. Three Maples Renaissance Corporation was born.

For curious first-timers unsure of what to expect, Scialdone’s advice is simple: just show up.

“It’s an amazing experience, and it’s hard to actually describe,” he said. “My recommendation is to come out and experience it. Even if it’s the only time that you ever do, I know you’re going to love it.”

The Faire is designed to be a fun family day out, reasonably priced for parents and kids to enjoy without stress. Archery instruction is one of many extras included with admission, offering the chance to learn from a professional bowyer and fire a volley of arrows at a real target. “It’s a very popular activity,” Scialdone noted.

For those who crave more spectacle, the Brotherhood of the Arrow and Sword sets up a fully authentic 15th-century knights’ encampment, complete with armor displays and live, unchoreographed sword fighting. Aerial artists are among Scaildone’s favorite participants, bringing a modern dash of circus flair.

Storytellers, period performers and roving characters fill every corner of the grounds. Scialdone also confirms drumsticks are still very much available, though he warns that as the day winds down so does the supply. “People can be absolutely devastated when our vendor runs out.”

Some of his best memories from past Faires have little to do with planned programming. Last year a soaking rain flooded part of the grounds. The staff referred to the resulting mess as Lake Complain, but two small boys dressed as dragons were overjoyed and spent the afternoon gleefully splashing through mud and puddles.

A crowd of onlookers laughed and filmed their spontaneous romp, turning a potential disaster into a fun memory.

“That’s the biggest take back for me,” Scialdone said. “Just getting to stand there and watch people have such a blast.” He’s also proud of the Faire’s success as a fundraiser.

Since the current team took over, the Faire has donated more than $700,000 to causes including the New Hampshire Food Bank, Meals on Wheels of Rockingham County, Exeter Hospital’s Beyond the Rainbow cancer recovery program, and several others. “Our entire goal and purpose of doing what we do,” he said, “is to help out people in need in New Hampshire.”

2026 New Hampshire Renaissance Faire
When: Saturdays (May 9 & 16) and Sundays (May 10 & 17), 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Where: Brookvale Pines Farm, 80 Martin Road, Fremont
Tickets: See nhrenfaire.com

Featured photo: Renaissance Faire. Courtesy photo.

Downtown sounds

Concord First Friday 2026 unveils six months of music

The rich music scene in Concord will be on display through early November, with the help of a local musician who’s also a local business owner. Eric Reingold was inspired to volunteer for the monthly First Friday series after catching one of its events last year.

Sensing an opportunity to add his expertise to the mix, he reached out to Intown Concord, the organization behind First Friday, Market Days and other downtown events. Reingold has worked with Intown for many years, both as the owner of Endicott Furniture on Main Street, and as a performer in acts like JamAntics, Up and People Skills. Stressing the many hats he wears, Reingold offered his services.

“I’m basically a full-time musician, I know all the bands around here, I run sound, and I can put on a huge festival with equipment I’ve accumulated over the years,” he told them. “By way of shortening the story, they were like, ‘Well, if you think you can do it, why don’t you?’”

That was last summer, and he’s been booking bands since, assembling a lineup that serves as a love letter to the Capital City’s music community.

“I have seen every single one of these bands,” Reingold said. “My opinion is that the music in Concord is incredible. There’s so much good talent here that I’ve been both lucky to be part of and also just experience.”

On May 1, the inaugural First Friday of 2026 will offer live music on two stages. In Bicentennial Square, RGB Trio will kick things off at 4 p.m., followed by Chasing Ghosts from 6:15 to 8 p.m. Over at City Plaza, near the capitol building, Wandering Souls take the stage at 4 p.m.

RGB Trio consists of drummer Ryan King, Gary Smith on bass and a unique eight-string guitar, and singer/guitarist Bob Dwyer. They’re booked at this year’s Strange Creek Campout and are a favorite at Penuche’s and other local night spots. They mix originals and eclectic covers ranging from Phish to Hendrix.

Chasing Ghosts is a young, high-energy ’90s cover band out of Henniker whose drummer once stepped in last-minute for one of Reingold’s own gigs without knowing any of the songs.

“He was a real trooper; it was kind of a legendary move,” he recalled. “They’re young and fresh. They haven’t kicked around too much yet.”

With a setlist touching on the ’90s pop side with songs like Sixpence None the Richer’s “Kiss Me,” Wandering Souls is 10-member band that also hosts a weekly jam session at Christ the King Church. “They’ve been supporting Intown Concord for a long time,” Reingold said. “So it was important to continue using them.”

Upcoming in June are Kyle Erickson, Ashborne and Trade, one of two bands including guitarist Scott Solsky that are part of the series. The latter is organ-forward trio J3ST, on a jam-forward Sept. 4 quadruple bill with Supernothing, Bosey Joe and Superbug.

In deference to Intown’s citywide multi-stage street festival running June 27 through June 29, there’s no July event. “I think that’s kind of their big break,” Reingold said. “It’s kind of a mini-vacation after Market Days because they’re so straight out during that weekend.”

August’s First Friday welcomes the return of Senie Hunt, a local favorite who relocated to Tennessee a few years back but comes back every summer for local dates. Celtic rockers Rebel Collective join Hunt on the Bicentennial Stage, while a band of local doctors called No Copay play from 4 to 8 in City Plaza.

In October, Reingold does double duty, performing both in his band Up and with his old JamAntics mate in Lucas Gallo & the Guise.

“Intown told me I could play as much as I wanted, but I didn’t want to abuse my position, especially because I know so many bands that are better than I am around here,” he said. “But it was important to get my ‘Guise’ up there.”

Heather Smith & the Constants and Robin Gaming round out October’s First Friday, with Lee & Dr. G and Andrew North & the Rangers along with Martha Hubbard in November. Reingold’s overall goal is to reinforce downtown Concord as a go-to hotspot: “Cool and inviting to the locals, but also people that want to visit.”

Concord First Friday Music
When: Friday, May 1
Where: Bicentennial Square – RGB Trio, 4 p.m., Chasing Ghosts, 6:15 p.m. / City Plaza – Wandering Souls, 4 p.m.
Full schedule: firstfridayconcord.com

Featured photo: Chasing Ghosts. Courtesy photo.

The Music Roundup 26/04/30

Laugh learning: Many comics began in education. Share It with the Class – A Teachers Comedy Show showcases four of them. Mark Riley is an ex-teacher and hockey referee who spent a week in the NHL before realizing he enjoyed the stage more. Dan Crohn and Mr. B (Jim Bowes) both still teach by day and tell jokes at night, as does middle school science teacher Bill Douglas. Friday, May 1, 7:30 p.m., Rex Theatre, 23 Amherst St., Manchester, $34, palacetheatre.org.

Rock show: More than 25 years after the release of their eponymous first album, post-grunge stalwarts Tantric are still on the road. Led by front man and lone original member Hugo Ferreira, who founded the act with what was left of Days of the New, they hit the Billboard Mainstream Rock Top Five with “Breakdown” in 2001. Chunky Love, Thumz Down and Dead Time open a local show. Friday, May 1, 7 p.m., Bungalow Bar & Grill, 333 Valley St., Manchester, $26, dice.fm.

Kiss goodbye: Discovered in the mid-’70s by KISS bassist Gene Simmons, Angel is in the midst of a farewell tour that stops in Derry. Blending hard rock, prog and a glamourous white satin image, the Washington, D.C., band rose with songs like “Tower” and their cover of “Ain’t Gonna Eat Out My Heart Anymore.” Founding members Frank DiMino and Punky Meadows lead the current lineup. Saturday, May 2, 8 p.m., Tupelo Music Hall, 10 A St., Derry, $45, tupelohall.com.

Sun country: Based in Tempe, Arizona, emo pop punk band Sundressed are in town with fellow Take This To Heart Records labelmates Thanks! I Hate It and nu-punk band 40 Lashes opening the all-ages show. Lead singer, guitarist and lyricist Trevor Hedges started the group as therapy for his addiction and a path to sobriety, as detailed in the band’s first EP, 2015’s Dig Up A Miracle. Sunday, May 3, 8 p.m., BAD BRGR, 1015 Elm St., Manchester, $10 at the door, badbrgr.com.

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