Exterior of NHBM’s Moultonborough Facility (Photography by Kimberly)
One of nearly two-dozen member institutions on the New Hampshire Heritage Museum Trail, the New Hampshire Boat Museum (NHBM) recently opened a new campus in Moultonborough.
Trail President Jeff Barraclough expressed excitement about The Trail’s newest addition.. “It’s fantastic to see our member institutions expanding,” he said. “I believe the New Hampshire Boat Museum’s new facility will become a preeminent destination for visitors from across the region…This is an important development for The Trail.”
At the new campus, which features a “light and bright” 24,000 square-foot building, visitors will experience a “museum in the making,” according to NHBM Executive Director Martha Cummings. “It’s a chance to glimpse into our future,” she said. “This is a huge and exciting project, and we want the public to be a part of the process.
Interior of NHBM’s Moultonborough Facility (Photography by Kimberly)
When complete, the new facility will feature exhibits that showcase boat building, speed and sport, and a variety of styles and types of boats powered by wind, steam, gas, and paddles. Featuring interactives that allow visitors to literally touch history, exhibits will also peel back the various sociological and cultural layers that surround boating (and its history).
According to Cummings, the new campus strengthens NHBM’s mission. “Our ability to preserve history and celebrate boating, the outdoors, and lake life is enhanced with this state-of-the-art campus,” she said. “We are so excited to develop and share stories about the incredibly diverse history of the state’s boating culture, which belongs to everyone.”
In celebration of the new campus, admission is free to NHBM’s Moultonborough Campus in 2024. “We want everyone to experience the beauty of this place,” added Cummings.
Founded in 1992 by vintage and classic boating enthusiasts, NHBM offers dynamic exhibits and engaging programs and events tailored to the diverse boating lifestyles and values of people of all ages. To learn more about NHBM, visit nhbm.org.
In addition to NHBM in Moultonborough, member institutions on The Trail are located in New Hampshire’s Lakes Region, Merrimack Valley, and Seacoast.