As the nation marks 250 years of American independence, Seacoast members of the NH Heritage Museum Trail are meeting the moment with new exhibits, reinvented institutions, and signature events.

History is not always what visitors expect—and this season, Seacoast members of the NH Heritage Museum Trail are leaning into the stories that surprise, unsettle, and stick with you long after the tour ends.

The Mt. Kearsarge Indian Museum has opened for the 2026 season with expanded accessibility improvements and a full slate of programs highlighting Native American history, art, and culture.

As the 2026 season approaches, the New Hampshire Heritage Museum Trail (The Trail) is preparing for its most ambitious year. With the addition of several prominent historic sites and the continuation of its statewide storytelling initiative, The Trail is positioning itself as “the gateway” to the Granite State’s rich cultural legacy.

In the final months of World War II, young American soldiers crossed the Rhine River in small wooden boats, trusting their lives to vessels built with urgency, precision, and quiet bravery.

The New Hampshire Preservation Alliance’s Career Exploration in the Old Building Trades program is traveling across the state, including Canterbury Shaker Village on the New Hampshire Heritage Museum Trail.

The Enfield Shaker Museum, a 40-year-old institution preserving the legacy of one of New Hampshire’s most significant religious communities, has joined the NH Heritage Museum Trail.

The John Hay Estate at the Fells, which is the historic summer home of John Milton Hay located on Lake Sunapee, has joined the New Hampshire Heritage Museum Trail, a collaborative network established in 2014 that connects more than 20 heritage institutions across the state

The USS Albacore was designed and built for speed, and proved it! Built at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, this experimental craft set the submerged speed record as early as 1956, and held that record with improved speeds in the following years.

The Rocks, a historic property in Bethlehem owned and managed by the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests, has joined the NH Heritage Museum Trail.