On the NH Heritage Museum Trail in September, visitors can experience hundreds of years of history, highlighted by a virtual Around the World Flight Adventure at the Aviation Museum of New Hampshire in Londonderry. “Using a flight simulator and streaming video, we’ll take people around the planet and back again,” said Executive Director Jeff Rapsis.
Designed as an online resource for students and teachers engaged in remote learning, Around the World Flight Adventure is open to anyone with a desire “to see the world’s great cities.” “You’ll learn about science, geography, history and culture along the way,” he added. “At a time when travel options are limited for most of us, it’s the ultimate field trip.”
Vietnam: The Real War — A Photographic History from the Associated Press
In Wolfeboro, visitors will have their final look at Vietnam: The Real War — A Photographic History from the Associated Press at the Wright Museum of World War II. Sponsored by Service Credit Union, the exhibit features 50 photos taken during the 1960’s and 70’s and runs through September 27. “These are images you won’t forget nor the stories that accompany them,” said Executive Director Mike Culver.
The region’s leading resource for educators and learners of all ages on World War II, The Wright features more than 14,000 items in its collection that are representative of both the home front and battle field. To learn more, visit wrightmuseum.org.
Ladd-Gilman House
In Exeter, Curator Jen Carr will take visitors through a virtual tour of the American Independence Museum’s Ladd-Gilman House (c. 1721), home to former New Hampshire Gov. John Taylor Gilman, beginning in 1794. “It’s a chance to learn more about New Hampshire and the American Revolution,” said Carr, who noted the tours began in August and run through September.
Each 45-minute guided tour ends with a Q & A with Carr. “All tours take place on the Zoom platform, so be ensure you have the app or software downloaded prior to the tour start time,” she added.
Formed in 2014 as a way to share resources and better promote their respective collections, programs and events, The NH Heritage Museum Trail is divided into the Seacoast, Merrimack Valley and Lakes Regions. 18 member institutions are located in Canterbury, Concord, Dover, Exeter, Laconia, Manchester, Moultonborough, Plymouth, Portsmouth, Tamworth and Wolfeboro.
Although not yet able to welcome visitors in-person, some museums on the NH Heritage Museum Trail have recently released online exhibitions.
At the Museum of the White Mountains in Plymouth, Trail Clubs: Connecting People with the Mountains explores the 140-year history of trail clubs and their role in the development of the White Mountains. “Our region’s mountain trails have served as a destination for visitors and residents seeking to challenge themselves or for scenic beauty, spiritual refreshment and fellowship,” said Director Cynthia Cutting. “This online exhibit explores this fascinating history.”
Originally shown in 2015-16.Trail Clubs: Connecting People with the Mountains represents an effort by the museum to revisit and reexamine past exhibits.
At the American Independence Museum in Exeter, Curator Jennifer Carr takes people back nearly 250 years through several online exhibits, one of which focuses on how Americans memorialize what is important to them. “In Commemoration and Memorialization, we take visitors through some items in our collection to reveal the ways in which people throughout history commemorated the past,” she said.
One highlight from the exhibit includes a shingle from the Old Courthouse in Plymouth, New Hampshire where Daniel Webster made his first argument. “We take people around New England and through time in our exhibit,” added Carr.
To view Trail Clubs: Connecting People with the Mountains, visit plymouth.edu/mwm. To view Commemoration and Memorialization, visit independencemuseum.org.
Formed in 2014 as a way to share resources and better promote their respective collections, programs and events, The NH Heritage Museum Trail is divided into the Seacoast, Merrimack Valley and Lakes Regions. 18 member institutions are located in Canterbury, Concord, Dover, Exeter, Laconia, Manchester, Moultonborough, Plymouth, Portsmouth, Tamworth and Wolfeboro.
Now through November 28, Millyard Museum in Manchester will host Manchester’s Urban Ponds: Past, Present, and Future. The exhibit, said Director of Operations Jeff Barraclough, investigates “the surprisingly unique history of many ponds in Manchester.”
“There are images and memorabilia from Pine Island Park, ice harvesting tools recovered from Maxwell Pond and photos of the Hermit of Mosquito Pond,” he said. “We also have recently discovered film footage of ice skating at Dorrs Pond.”
The exhibit also highlights the work of the Manchester Urban Ponds Restoration Program, which has organized 116 clean-up events since 2000. “1,066 volunteers have spent approximately 3,618 hours collecting 2,394 bags of trash,” said Jen Drociak, acting coordinator of the Manchester Urban Ponds Restoration Program.
Over the past 20 years, she said the program has also worked on numerous on-the-ground restoration projects. “These include Maxwell Pond dam removal, Black Brook restoration and water quality improvements and stormwater mitigation efforts at Dorrs Pond, Crystal Lake and Nutts Pond,” she added.
According to Barraclough, the exhibit underscores not only the mission of the museum, which is to tell the story of Manchester, but the intent behind many member institutions on The Trail. “Many museums on The Trail help to tell the stories of where they are located,” explained Barraclough, who is also president of The Trail. “For us, we explore Manchester, but Trail museums help tell the story of so many cities and regions.”
Formed in 2014 as a way to share resources and better promote their respective collections, programs and events, The Trail is divided into the Seacoast, Merrimack Valley and Lakes Regions. Member institutions are located in Canterbury, Concord, Dover, Exeter, Laconia, Manchester, Moultonborough, Plymouth, Portsmouth, Tamworth and Wolfeboro.
From now through July 16, the American Independence Museum is hosting its annual American Independence Festival, presented by Newburyport Bank, with several virtual twists. “Due to COVID-19, we needed to re-imagine the Festival, which historically attracts thousands of visitors to downtown Exeter,” said Emma Stratton, executive director of the American Independence Museum, a founding Trail member.
Noting this year’s re-imagined Festival features more than ten different events and/or programs, Stratton said one virtual highlight includes a virtual Presentation on July 11. “We will have our traditional opening salute and the premiere of a video on the history of the Festival,” she said. “We will also have a reading of the Declaration of Independence by Greg Gilman, a direct descendant of the man who read it to the town of Exeter in 1776.”
Another virtual highlight includes a community-wide reading of the Declaration of Independence that will air on July 16, the day the Declaration of Independence arrived in Exeter. Other events include three lectures, town-wide scavenger hunt and more. “We are excited at the chance to welcome visitors from far and wide this year through a virtual platform,” added Stratton.
According to Jeff Barraclough, president of The Trail and director of operations at the Millyard Museum in Manchester, the American Independence Museum’s foray into the digital realm demonstrates capacity by many member institutions. “As a result of the pandemic, museums across the region have had to find new ways to reach their audiences, whether through virtual tours, social media, or developing online educational resources,” he said. “Although I know people will miss being at various events in person this year, many of our museums can reach people across the country now.”
Formed in 2014 as a way to share resources and better promote their respective collections, programs and events, The Trail is divided into the Seacoast, Merrimack Valley and Lakes Regions. Member institutions are located in Canterbury, Concord, Dover, Exeter, Laconia, Manchester, Moultonborough, Plymouth, Portsmouth, Tamworth and Wolfeboro.
For more information about the American Independence Festival, visit independencemuseum.org.
For many museums on the NH Heritage Museum Trail in the Seacoast Region, July marks the beginning of an eagerly anticipated 2020 season.
Portsmouth Historical Society
On July 10, Portsmouth Historical Society (PHS) will reopen its Welcome Center and Gift Shop and feature two new walking tours (groups of 6 or less).
Offered every Sat at 3:30 through July, “The Portsmouth Path of President Washington” will be led by walking tour guide Jeff Thomson. One of the stops along the way is the Tobias Lear House. “Tobias Lear was President Washington’s personal secretary,” said PHS’s Robin Lurie-Meyerkopf. “Since many folks may not know that George Washington spent time on the Seacoast in 1789, we thought this would be an interesting addition to our walking tour line up.”
Offered every Sunday at 3:30 through July, “Gay” Old Times: Stories of Portsmouth’s LGBTQ Community will explore the hidden history of LGBT clubs, organizations, and people that impacted the NH Seacoast.
In Portsmouth, Strawbery Banke Museum reopens July 1 with “Emerging Renewed — An Interpretive Tour of the Historic Waterfront Neighborhood of Strawbery Banke.”
Featuring daily tours beginning on the hour and half-hour through October 31, the re-imagined experience will take visitors through four outdoor sites that explore the resiliency of the historic waterfront neighborhood over time. In the program, small group tours (10 individuals or fewer) will meet costumed role-players, discover architectural and landscape details and learn about the history of the site from the 1600s through efforts in 1958 that created the museum.
In Dover, the Woodman Museum also opens on July 1 with five available reserved tours daily from 10am to 3pm, Wednesday to Sunday for groups of 10 or fewer.
One highlight in 2020, according to Executive Director Dave Tompkins, is a season long exhibition that celebrates the 100th anniversary of the Woman’s Suffrage Movement. “It explores the role of NH Suffragette Marilla Ricker, local Dover and other women from around the state who contributed to the 19th Amendment, which allowed women the right to vote,” he said.
The Woodman, founded in 1916, is a traditional early 20th-century style natural science, history, and art museum with exhibits for all ages. To learn more, or check for hours (The Woodman is closed July 4 and 5), visit woodmanmuseum.org.
About The Trail
Formed in 2014 as a way to share resources and better promote their respective collections, programs and events, The Trail is divided into the Seacoast, Merrimack Valley and Lakes Regions. 18 member institutions are located in Canterbury, Concord, Dover, Exeter, Laconia, Manchester, Moultonborough, Plymouth, Portsmouth, Tamworth and Wolfeboro.
For members of the NH Heritage Museum Trail, the 2020 season will represent a welcome departure from day to day protocols forced upon staff due to COVID-19. “We are all looking forward to reopening soon,” said Jeff Barraclough, president of The Trail and director of operations at the Millyard Museum, one of its founding members. “It’s been a spring none of us will ever forget.”
With members in the Seacoast, Merrimack Valley and Lakes Region, The Trail features everything from historic villages, working farm and research submarine to museums that focus on World War II, aviation, American Revolution, boating and Industrial Revolution.
“COVID-19 has certainly delayed openings for us, but the season is still on,” added Barraclough, who said each member institution has enacted “rigorous protocols” to ensure visitor safety.
At the Millyard Museum in Manchester, he said extra precautions have included the implementation of a regular cleaning and disinfecting schedule and designating a one-way traffic flow throughout the museum. “We are also limiting the number of guests in the museum at any one time and temporarily removing some ‘hands-on’ features of our exhibits,” he said.
According to Mike Culver, executive director of the Wright Museum in Wolfeboro, member institutions have a responsibility to “help bring communities together again.” “However that is going to look in 2020 given social distancing restrictions, all of us on The Trail want the public to know that we are all in this together,” he said. “Our state’s heritage is still something to cherish and celebrate, especially now.”
Formed in 2014 as a way to share resources and better promote their respective collections, programs and events, The Trail is divided into the Seacoast, Merrimack Valley and Lakes Regions. Member institutions are located in Canterbury, Concord, Dover, Exeter, Laconia, Manchester, Moultonborough, Plymouth, Portsmouth, Tamworth and Wolfeboro.
Recently, Strawbery Banke Museum in Portsmouth joined the NH Heritage Museum Trail as a Seacoast region member. Welcoming more than 100,000 visitors annually, Strawbery Banke Museum interprets the waterfront neighborhood of Puddle Dock from 1695 to 1955 through 32 historic buildings, eight gardens, costumed roleplayers, traditional crafts people and professional staff.
Formed in 2014 as a way to share resources and better promote their respective collections, programs and events, The Trail is divided into the Seacoast, Merrimack Valley and Lakes regions with 16 members in Canterbury, Concord, Dover, Exeter, Laconia, Manchester, Moultonborough, Plymouth, Portsmouth, Tamworth and Wolfeboro.
“There is always strength in numbers,” said Strawbery Banke Museum President and CEO Lawrence J. Yerdon. “Each of us knows that partnership is essential to the success of our museums, whether collaborating along geographical, thematic or mission-driven lines.”
For Jeff Barraclough, president of The Trail, this expansion “could not come at a better time.” “In the coming months, we plan to roll out a Trail Passport that will incentivize people to visit not just one museum, but all museums on The Trail,” he said. “We are thrilled Strawbery Banke Museum has elected to join our collaborative.”
Yerdon said he looks forward to working with other members “to increase visitation everywhere along ‘The Trail.’ As the NH Heritage Museum Trail continues to build awareness among the traveling public, it makes sense to collaborate on initiatives like the joint Trail Passport,” he added. “By leveraging our individual marketing efforts into a larger collective initiative, members can better promote one another and NH’s unique and rich heritage.”
Recently, Castle Preservation Society (CPS) in Moultonborough received a grant from the Land and Community Heritage Investment Program (LCHIP), the second such award for museums on the NH Heritage Museum Trail in the past year. “The LCHIP program is significant because it enables nonprofits like CPS to tackle important preservation projects that will benefit countless numbers of visitors for many years to come,” said Charles Clark, CPS executive director.
Emma Stratton, executive director of the American Independence Museum, which was awarded $80,000 earlier in 2019, agreed and said LCHIP funds have been used to address foundation and drainage issues on its Ladd-Gilman House (c.1721). “We removed a 20th century deteriorating concrete skirt, repaired mortar between the foundation stones and regraded around the Ladd-Gilman House,” she said. “We also created an underground drainage system, added storm doors, repaired rotten door sills, rebuilt a historic stone wall and installed the beginnings of a pathway between our two historic buildings.”
This other structure on the campus of the American Independence Museum in Exeter is Folsom Tavern (c.1775). “In the spring,” added Stratton, “we hope to continue our work to connect the pathway between our buildings, regrade the green space on our campus and finalize more intensive foundation repairs.”
Noting their award was $51,875, Clark said LCHIP funds will be used to support restoration of the exterior of the North tower at Castle in the Clouds. This project, he explained, will include repairing failing mortar, restoring wooden rafter tails and window framing, and installing a new replica balcony of the 1914 original. “While repairing the mortar, each stone in the tower’s facade will be re-pointed, which involves removing each one and carefully numbering and photographing their placement to ensure each return to its original position,” he explained.
In restoring the timber framing, Clark said they will save as much original detail as possible, according to Secretary of the Interior’s standards for historic restoration. “For non-salvageable portions, all replicated timbers will be skillfully handcrafted out of solid oak, including scalloping details,” he added.
According to both executive directors, the LCHIP grant created leverage opportunities. “Combined with several other grants we have received, it unlocks a challenge grant from the Steinwachs Family Foundation that allows the project to be fully funded,” said Clark.
Stratton added, “An award from LCHIP is a testament to the importance of a project and, as a matching grant program, helps the visibility of a project when approaching additional funders. This grant was an incredible opportunity for the American Independence Museum, as we approach the Ladd-Gilman House’s 300th anniversary in 2021.”
About The Trail
Comprising more than 15 museums, the NH Heritage Museum Trail is divided into the Seacoast, Merrimack Valley and Lakes Regions with stops in Canterbury, Concord, Dover, Exeter, Laconia, Manchester, Moultonborough, Plymouth, Portsmouth, Tamworth, and Wolfeboro.
Featuring 17 museums from Portsmouth to Plymouth and several points north and west, the NH Heritage Museum Trail recently opened two new exhibits.
Millyard Museum
Every four years, Manchester is visited by numerous presidential candidates campaigning in the New Hampshire Primary, a process that is explored in the new exhibit, “Manchester and the Path to the Presidency.” “The exhibit features incredible images of candidates through the years with Manchester voters in their homes, on the streets and in many iconic spots around the city,” said the museum’s Jeff Barraclough. “With this exhibit, we believe we demonstrate our pivotal role in American political history.”
Sponsored by Brady Sullivan Properties, the exhibit will be on view through February, 2020. To learn more, visit manchesterhistoric.org.
Wright Museum
In Wolfeboro at Wright Museum, visitors will have the chance to view “The Last Good War: The Faces and Voices of World War II,” an exhibit sponsored by Taylor Community and The Weirs Times. The exhibit features photographs of World War II veterans by Thomas Sanders, who traveled the nation to record in pictures and words experiences from those who fought the “last good war.”
“This is not to be missed and only available for view through the end of our season on October 31,” said museum Executive Director Mike Culver. “We welcome all to see and learn more about ‘the greatest generation.’”
Comprised of 17 museums, the NH Heritage Museum Trail is divided into the Seacoast, Merrimack Valley and Lakes Regions with stops in Canterbury, Concord, Dover, Exeter, Laconia, Manchester, Moultonborough, Plymouth, Portsmouth, Tamworth, and Wolfeboro.
With 17 museums from Portsmouth to Plymouth and several points north and west, the NH Heritage Museum Trail features two unique events on Saturday, October 26.
Canterbury Shaker Village At Canterbury Shaker Village in Canterbury from 3pm to 8pm, guests will be treated to traditional music performed by a variety of artists and groups and food from local Canterbury food and drink vendors. Musicians expected to perform include High Range Band, Liz Faiella with Lindsay Straw, The Wholly Rollers, Jordan Tirrell-Wysocki Trio, Jim Prendergast with Hanz Araki and others. Food and drink vendors will include a seasonal selection from the Village’s own Creamery Café and Canterbury Aleworks.
“It is a wonderful outdoor event, marked by beautiful fall foliage and perfect for the entire family,” said Maggie Stier, interim executive director.
The Canterbury Shakers composed over 10,000 pieces of music at the Village and there will be special programming throughout the evening highlighting some of their work as well as a program showcasing the newly restored 1887 Hook & Hastings pipe organ in the Chapel of the Dwelling House.
Canterbury Shaker Village is a non-profit museum and historic site located 12 miles north of Concord, NH. It features 25 historic buildings, 700 conserved acres of fields, orchards, and gardens, and offers easy walking trails that encircle several ponds on the property. For more information about this event and to purchase tickets, visit shakers.org.
American Independence Museum In Exeter, the American Independence Museum (AIM) will host Ghosts of Folsom Tavern and Winter Street Cemetery Tour beginning at 3 pm with cemetery tours every half hour from 4-5:30pm. At this family-friendly event, Colonel and Mrs. Folsom invite guests to join them in their historic tavern to celebrate the waning light and autumn season.
“You will meet the Folsom family, tour their historic tavern and hear how they once hosted George Washington while enjoying seasonal refreshments,” said museum Executive Director Emma Stratton.
Afterwards, guests will make their way to Winter Street Cemetery to meet their colonial tour guide and see the Folsoms’ final resting place and gravesites of many of Exeter’s (in)famous and revolutionary residents.
Home to a world-class collection of 3,000 historic artifacts, AIM welcomes more than 5,000 visitors annually and distinguishes itself with educational school programs and events that make history fun and relevant. To learn more about the event, or to purchase tickets (which include tours), visit independencemuseum.org.
About The Trail
Comprised of 17 museums, the NH Heritage Museum Trail is divided into the Seacoast, Merrimack Valley and Lakes Regions with stops in Canterbury, Concord, Dover, Exeter, Laconia, Manchester, Moultonborough, Plymouth, Portsmouth, Tamworth, and Wolfeboro.
In October, the NH Heritage Museum Trail will feature several harvest themed events for all ages.
Millyard Museum
On October 12 and 13 at Millyard Museum in Manchester, visitors will have the chance to view fall foliage from the top of the 66-foot-tall Weston Observatory off of Oak Hill Ave. “This is a great family fun event,” said Millyard Museum Director of Operations Jeffrey Barraclough. “The Weston Observatory is normally closed to the public so this is the only weekend to get a unique view of New England’s fall foliage.”
On October 18, 19, 25 and 27, Canterbury Shaker Village in Canterbury will offer Spirit Encounters Tours. These evening tours will take visitors into some of the buildings and rooms at the 200-year old Shaker Village that help tell the stories of the Shakers’ involvement with the spirit world and the growth of spiritualism as part of the Shaker religion.
“The tour leaders share the Shakers’ own accounts of otherworldly encounters, and they make the tours a lot of fun,” said Interim Executive Director Maggie Stier.
On October 19, Remick Country Doctor Museum and Farm in Tamworth will host Herbal Root Fest. At the event, Museum Educator and Herbalist Carol Felice will teach visitors how to recognize and harvest medicinal and wild edible plant roots.
“You will also create a delicious lunch and a medicinal remedy from what you collect,” said Museum Executive Director Cara Sutherland. “Participants will walk away well-nourished and with a supply of fresh assorted roots and a do-it-yourself handbook.”
Comprised of 17 museums, the NH Heritage Museum Trail is divided into the Seacoast, Merrimack Valley and Lakes Regions with stops in Canterbury, Concord, Dover, Exeter, Laconia, Manchester, Moultonborough, Plymouth, Portsmouth, Tamworth, and Wolfeboro.
In the Seacoast Region of the NH Heritage Museum Trail, visitors and locals alike will be treated to two unique family friendly events.
On Sunday, September 8 from noon to 4 pm, Woodman Museum in Dover will host its 23rd Annual Car Show. The event will will feature beer and food by Bad Lab Beer Co. in addition to pre-WWII motorcars, antique and classic cars, trucks, motorcycles, and bicycles.
“This event is a hit every year,” said museum Executive Director David Tompkins. “It’s a great way to enjoy the museum and community.”
Community will also be the focus at nearby American Independence Museum’s Beer for History, sponsored by Donahue Tucker & Ciandella. Featuring beer, food by Sea Dog Brewing (also a featured brewer), colonial inspired music, games and more, the series takes place in the museum’s Folsom Tavern, built in 1775.
“George Washington had a beer here, so you should, too,” said museum Executive Director Emma Bray.
Beginning on Thursday, September 26, Beer for History kicks off with von Trapp Brewing, known for brewing Euoropean-styled lagers.
Other featured breweries in the series include Throwback Brewery, Sea Dog Brewing, Tilton Brothers Brewing, and Bad Lab Beer Co.
“Both events highlight the diversity of programs and events on The Trail,” said Jeff Barraclough, director of operations of Millyard Museum, one of several institutions that founded it. “It’s been a great 2019 and we look forward to a strong fall.”
The NH Heritage Museum Trail is made up of 17 museums with stops in Canterbury, Concord, Dover, Exeter, Portsmouth, Laconia, Manchester, Moultonborough, Plymouth, Tamworth and Wolfeboro.
For more information about these and any other events on The Trail, visit nhmuseumtrail.org.
