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.

This Week 26/05/14

Friday, May 15

The Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests will “celebrate the Merrimack Floodplain All Persons Trail located off Portsmouth Street in Concord” today from 1:30 to 3 p.m., according to forestsociety.org (click on “events”), where you can RSVP. The afternoon will feature a tour of the upgraded trail and refreshments by the river, the website said.

Saturday, May 16

It’s another big weekend of garden club plant sales, including the Goffstown Community Garden Club, which will hold its sale today from 8 a.m. to noon on the town common. Find a list of upcoming sales in the May 7 issue of the Hippo in the story on page 19; find the digital issue at hippopress.com. Have a plant sale? Let all your fellow green thumbs know! Send the information to adiaz@hippopress.com.

Saturday, May 16

St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church, 1160 Bridge St. in Manchester, will host a multi-family yard sale from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., according to a post on the church’s Facebook page.

Saturday, May 16

It’s the second and final weekend of the 2026 New Hampshire Renaissance Faire today and Sunday, May 17, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Brookvale Pines Farm, 80 Martin Road in Fremont. See nhrenfaire.com for tickets. For our story about the fair, see page 14 in the May 7 issue of the Hippo; find the digital issue at hippopress.com.

Saturday, May 16

Check out the New England contra dance tonight from 7 to 10 p.m. at the City-Wide Community Center, 14 Canterbury Road in Concord, according to an email about the event. Chris Ricciotti will serve as caller and the music will be performed by the Lamprey River Band, the email said. See concordnhcontra.wordpress.com. Beginners, singles and families are welcome, the email said.

Sunday, May 17

The New London Historical Society Fields, 179 Little Lake Sunapee Road in New London, will host Kite Fest today from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., according to a post on the society’s Facebook page. The day will feature an opportunity to make and fly kites as well as food and more, the post said.

Sunday, May 17

Bedford holds its annual Pre-Memorial Day Sunday Parade today at 1 p.m. down County Road between Bedford High School and McKelvie Intermediate School, according to bedfordnh.myrec.com.

Tuesday, May 19

Get some mid-week ABBA with a screening of 2008’s Mamma Mia! The Musical in a sing-along format at Red River Theatres, 11 S. Main St. in Concord, today at 7 p.m., according to redrivertheatres.org, where you can purchase tickets.

Save the Date! Friday, May 22
The Manchester Community Music School will hold its fundraising Luau on Friday, May 22, from 6 to 9 p.m. at Bear Brook State Park in Allenstown, according to mcmusicschool.org, where you can purchase tickets. The evening will include a traditional pig roast catered by Bentley’s Famous BBQ, live tropical music, a ukulele performance by the Southern New Hampshire Ukulele Group, tropical drinks and island-inspired treats and more, the website said.

From bad to worse

Top Story – Celtics Playoff Loss Got Worse: Just when you thought the embarrassment of blowing a 3-1 series lead to the 76ers couldn’t get any worse, the Knicks then annihilated Philly in a four-game sweep. The biggest ignominy to Slow Joe and company was that they tied a playoff record by making 23 3-balls and shot 63% in two blowout wins vs. the same Philly D that held Boston to 27.7% on 3’s in three of their wins.

Interesting that no one complains when the 3’s are falling, isn’t it? Which re-enforces the point made here last week, that all their 3’s aren’t really the problem. It’s shot selection, where Slow Joe lets them just chuck up any 3 at any time over searching out better open 3’s by running through their offense and never adapts to Plan B when they don’t.

Sports 101: Friday is the 85th anniversary of when Joe DiMaggio started his legendary 56-game hitting streak on May 15, 1941. The best since was a 44-game streak done by who?

News Item – Welcome Back, Kotter: Merrimack product Mickey Gasper came back up from AAA to go 2-3 in the Sox’s 4-1 loss to Tampa Bay Sunday.

News Item – NBA Lottery is a Joke: There’s a clear irony of the NBA going to the lottery to prevent teams from tanking, which happened after Houston did it to make sure they could draft Hakeem Olajuwon in 1984. Now several teams regularly tank for better draft position once out of the playoff race, the latest being a team with Anthony Davis and Trae Young somehow losing 26 of their last 27 to ensure getting the best pick they could, which happened by getting the top pick after winning Sunday’s lottery.

Local loss – Dave Bonner: The New Hampshire basketball community lost a great guy last week when he passed after a lengthy illness. The 6’8” giant played for Concord HS in the late ’60s before becoming the father of three D-I players, one of whom was a 12-year NBA pro. No New Hampshire family we know of has ever done that. Condolences to the family. RIP, big fella.

The Numbers

12 – playoff record blocks by 7’5” Victor Wembanyama in the Spurs’ Game 1 loss to the T-Wolves.

91 – years since the Cubs last won 10 straight in 1935 like last week.

Of the Week Awards…

Earth to Slow Joe Award: His guys were 49 for 147 (27.7%) on 3’s in their four losses to Philly. And bet it was worse in those fourth quarters.

Stat of the Year – Celtics: Guess those shocked they got knocked out in Round 1 weren’t paying attention, as they went 3-11 vs. the Top 5 playoff seeds during the regular season.

Bad Record Tied – James Harden: Interesting week for one of the biggest playoff chokers in history. First he tied Bob Cousy by shooting under 25% in a playoff game with at least 10 shots for the 20th time when he was 3-13 in Cleveland’s 107-97 Game 2 loss to Detroit. Then a game later kept the Cavs alive with the game winner in Game 3.

Sports 101 Answer: Pete Rose had everyone on high alert when the free-agent-to-be made a run for 56 in 1978 before it ended 12 short at 44.

Final Thought – A Little Streak History: The stat boys and New England deniers have been saying Ted Williams should have been the MVP instead because he hit .406 that same year and out-hit Joe D’s .408 (91-223), 15 homers and 55 RBI in every category during the same two-month period. However, those people have missed the point for 85 years. The only player to be as inspirational to his team’s success since was Yaz during the Impossible Dream season of 1967.

On May 15, 1941, the Yanks were languishing 6.5 games behind Cleveland in fourth place. The Sox were 13-10. And when it ended on July 15 the first-place Yanks led Cleveland by five games as they went 31-13 to take command of the AL race. They went on to win the pennant by a then AL record 20 games ahead of Ted and the Sox after clinching it on the earliest date in history, Sept. 4.

If you want to say based on the stats Ted was the Player of the Year, fine. But Joe D was the definition of most valuable. Which is what the award in saner times than today was about. Because if Williams didn’t play the Sox still won squat. And, oh by the way, after his o’fer, DiMaggio hit in his next 16 straight to make it an astonishing 72 out of 73 games.

Email Dave Long at dlong@hippopress.com.

Quality of Life 26/05/14

Let’s buy one and dress it in a hat and tie

As reported by Manchester InkLink in a May 7 online article, the City of Manchester is selling retired parking meters to the public “… as Manchester completes its transition to newer parking technology,” the article read. “The meters will be available for $15 each, cash only, while supplies last.” InkLink quoted Manchester Parking Director Faye Morrison, who said that there were approximately 300 parking meters for sale as of May 7. She said she expected them to sell quickly.

QOL score: +1

Comment: To buy one of these meters, pay in person at the Victory Garage, 25 Vine St. Sales took place May 8 and will continue on Friday, May 15, “with additional pickups possible afterward, for as long as they last,” the story reported.

The sweet breeze of a whiffing batter

In an April 28 press release the New Hampshire Fisher Cats announced their fifth no-hitter ever. “Jackson Wentworth, Nate Garkow, Irv Carter, and Kai Peterson combined to throw the fifth no-hitter in Fisher Cats history, as New Hampshire blanked the Binghamton Rumble Ponies,” the press release read about that day’s game. “The 6-0 combined nine-inning no-hitter is New Hampshire’s second in franchise history and their first since May 21, 2012.“

QOL score: +1

Comment: According to the Fisher Cats press release, “Starter Jackson Wentworth has pitched in a combined no-hitter in both college and professional. (While at Kansas State, Wentworth tossed the final two frames on a no-hitter against Cincinnati on March 8, 2023.)”

Nursing is strong in New Hampshire

A recent study by online financial services company Wallet Hub reported that New Hampshire is the second-best state for nurses. The report cited a strong job market for nurses. “The state has the most nursing-job openings per capita, and a large number of hospitals per capita. In addition, New Hampshire has some of the best nursing schools in the country. The Granite State also restricts mandatory overtime for nurses, which helps stop nurses from being taken advantage of and overworked.”

QOL score: +1

Comment: New Hampshire ranked second of the 50 states, with the 12th best “Opportunity and Competition Rank”, and first in “Work Environment. Maine ranked No. 1 overall, and Oklahoma ranked 50th. Visit wallethub.com/edu/best-states-for-nurses/4041.

QOL score: 48

Net change: +3

QOL this week: 51

What’s affecting your Quality of Life here in New Hampshire?

Let us know at news@hippopress.com.

News & Notes 26/05/14

New mural in Manchester

Manchester is slated to get a new mural on Saturday, May 16, at “the embankment along Canal and Pleasant Streets,” a project that is a collaboration between SEE Science Center, Manchester Connects and artist Big Sam Paints, according to a press release from SEE Science Center. The mural will “highlight Manchester’s industrial history and natural landscape” and “will span about 130 feet long by 8 feet high and run along both sides of the stairway, tapering at each end to follow the shape of the embankment. Installation will take place throughout the day,” the release said. “The design pulls from Manchester’s past as a textile mill city, using abstract patterns inspired by fabric production. It also includes flowing elements that reference the Merrimack River. … Residents and visitors are encouraged to stop by Canal and Pleasant Streets on May 16 to see the mural come together.”

New mural in Nashua

A mural celebrating Nashua’s history and French Canadian heritage will be unveiled on the Water Street bridge wall in Nashua on Saturday, May 23, at 3:30 p.m. during a weekend-long celebration at Nashua’s Renaissance Park and Riverwalk, according to a press release from Nashua’s Offices of the Mayor and Economic Development. The mural fills the wall that is 70 feet long and ranges from 5 to 20 feet high and is the work of artist Graham Carraway of Denver, Colorado, the release said. According to the mayor’s office Facebook page Enjoy Nashua, there will be “four days of music, food, events and fun for the whole family” at the newly renovated Le Parc de Notre Renaissance from Friday, May 22, through Monday, May 25.

New nurses

New Hampshire community colleges will graduate 347 nursing students over the next few days, the largest class since 2013, according to a press release from Community College System of New Hampshire on May 11. “Of those, 290 will graduate prepared to become Registered Nurses (RN) and 57 as Licensed Practical Nurses (LPN), ready to enter a healthcare workforce stretched thin across the state,” the release said. Pinning ceremonies, which date to 1855 “when Queen Victoria honored Florence Nightingale for her service during the Crimean War,” will take place at colleges May 14 through May 18, with 22 RN graduates from Nashua Community College, 79 RN graduates from NHTI Concord’s Community College and 61 RN graduates from Manchester Community College among them, the release said. See ccsnh.edu for information on the community college system.

Grants for the outdoors

The New Hampshire Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, Division of Parks and Recreation has opened the latest round of grant applications for Land and Water Conservation Fund grants and will accept applications through April 30, 2029, according to a press release. Applicants can submit project proposals at any time during the three-year period with projects “reviewed annually for eligibility and readiness, including site inspections,” the press release said. “Funding requests must range from $150,000 to $1,000,000 and require a minimum 1:1 match. Eligible projects include park and recreation facility development, land acquisition, or a combination of both,” the release said. “The LWCF is a federal program, administered in partnership with the National Park Service, that provides matching grants to states and local communities for the acquisition and development of public outdoor recreation areas. Since its inception, LWCF funding has supported parks, trails, and recreational facilities in communities from every corner of New Hampshire, expanding access and enhancing quality of life for residents and visitors alike,” the release said. Contact the LWCF Program at 271-3556 or lwcf@dncr.nh.gov for more information or see nhstateparks.org/about-us/community-recreation/land-water-conservation-fund-grant.

Wesley United Methodist Church, 79 Clinton St. in Concord, will hold a church plant sale on Saturday, May 16, from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m., according to an email from the church.

The In Our Roots Annual Multicultural Fashion Show will take place at Manchester West High School auditorium on Saturday, May 16, from 2 to 4 p.m. featuring “bold looks” as well as performances by Cozy Throne, Rhythm & Roots Studio and the school’s own Nepali dancers, according to west.mansd.org.

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