This season, education and adventure are just two kinds of experiences possible on New Hampshire Heritage Trail, which stretches from Portsmouth to Manchester and up through the Lakes Region.
On Saturday, June 4 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., education takes center stage at the Museum of the White Mountains (MWM), as it hosts an Opening Reception for a new exhibit, titled Watching the Seasons Change. The exhibit, noted MWM Director Meghan Doherty, will explore the seasons through different lenses, including artists’ perspectives and scientific research.
“Spring Thaw in the Presidentials, Mary Brewster Hazelton, Oil on Canvas, 1889. Museum of the White Mountains, Gift of Douglas and Karin Cullity Nelson.”
“Sap Collector, Artist Once Known, Birchbark, Vine or Twine, Circa 1870. On Loan from Mt. Kearsarge Indian Museum, Warner, N.H.”
“As the seasons change in the Northeast, we all expect certain signs – the bright red of the sugar maple, the crackle of frozen puddles under foot, the sweet smell of fresh growth as the snow melts, the burble of the brook under a thick canopy of leaves.” she said. “This exhibit will take a look at how our changing climate is affecting those things.”
Watching the Seasons Change Opening Reception is free to attend. To learn more about the exhibit, or MWM, visit plymouth.edu/mwm.
For those looking for adventure, the Aviation Museum of New Hampshire will hold the annual Nashua Fly-In BBQ on Saturday, June 18 in Nashua, NH.
According to Executive Director Jeff Rapsis, this event is “a great kick off to summer” with fun for all ages. “This is a terrific event that we look forward to hosting every year, especially as a way to celebrate dads,” he said.
At this Father’s Day weekend event, some of the highlights include vintage and home-built aircrafts, vintage cars, and a virtual reality exhibit that features a world aerobatics champion.
The event will also feature a restored Consolidated PBY-5A Catalina, a twin-engined amphibious World War II-era aircraft. The airplane, one of very few of its type still flying, will be on display to visitors through noon, and will offer rides in the afternoon.
To purchase tickets, or learn more about the Aviation Museum in Londonderry, visit nhahs.org.
Aside from preserving the history and heritage of New Hampshire, individual museums on The Trail feature events, programs, exhibits, and experiential learning opportunities for all ages. To learn more about The Trail, including its Passport program, which provides buyers with one free admission ticket to each member museum, visit nhmuseumtrail.org.
Between 2018 and 2020, nearly 50 photographers captured the people, places, culture, and events of New Hampshire as part of New Hampshire Now, a venture that involves several museums on the NH Heritage Museum Trail.
“We are so pleased we have the opportunity to participate in this project and showcase exhibits that document life in New Hampshire during the past year,” noted President Jeff Barraclough.
At New Hampshire Now’s flagship exhibit at the New Hampshire Historical Society, this ‘life’ includes everything from county fairs and craftsmen working in their shops to kids at summer camp. This photographic diary also includes images of extraordinary events of our time, including first responders in the Covid-19 pandemic and Black Lives Matter protests held around the state in the summer of 2020.
Photos from the New Hampshire Now exhibit on display at the New Hampshire Historical Society
While the exhibit at the New Hampshire Historical Society in Concord has a statewide focus, the others are tailored for every region of New Hampshire and feature images that characterize each specific area. The New Hampshire Now exhibit at Portsmouth Historical Society features images from the Seacoast and well-known people in the Portsmouth community.
“Visitors recognize not just the landscape, but owners of local businesses, well known artists, musicians, and teachers,” said Meredith Affleck, Manager, Exhibitions & Programming. “The photographs are works of art, really shining a light on the talent and commitment that these photographers bring to their work.”
At Manchester Historic Association’s Millyard Museum, its New Hampshire Now exhibit features some images Executive Director John Clayton described as provocative. “Manchester photos are far more gritty and representative of an urban environment,” he said.
NH Now Project photo of Officer Kelly McKenney from the Manchester Police Mounted Patrol on display at the Millyeard Museum
At the opening reception of the New Hampshire Now exhibit at Belknap Mill, Andrew Hosmer, mayor of Laconia, was in attendance. He spoke to the legacy of the Belknap Mill, honoring Peter Karagianis, Sr. who, along with other dedicated community members, saved the Mill from destruction during a period of urban renewal.
“The Mill represents the history of a community, the stories of its people and a vision towards the future,” said Hosmer. “This exhibition shines a light on New Hampshire in a way that captures and reflects who we are…the beauty, the grit and our individual and collective resilience.”
In addition to exhibitions, public programs and events, New Hampshire Now features a book that is available at each exhibition site, independent bookstores around the state, and at nhhistory.org. New Hampshire Now is a joint venture of the New Hampshire Historical Society and the New Hampshire Society of Photographic Artists.
To learn more about New Hampshire Now, including all exhibition locations, click here.
Formed in 2014, the NH Heritage Museum Trail is divided into the Seacoast, Merrimack Valley and Lakes Regions. Member institutions are located in Canterbury, Concord, Dover, Exeter, Laconia, Loudon, Manchester, Moultonborough, Plymouth, Portsmouth, Tamworth and Wolfeboro.
On the New Hampshire Heritage Museum Trail this fall, several museums feature lecture series.
At the Woodman Museum in Dover, their Fall Speaker Series kicks off on Wednesday, October 6 at 7 p.m. with New Hampshire author Olga Morrill. She is currently working on the third book of an historical fiction series called The Vagabond Trilogy, which includes real people and events from the Piscataqua Region in the 1600’s. In addition to Morrill’s presentation, the event will include an open discussion about colonial Dover in the early 17th century.
For tickets, or to learn more, visit woodmanmuseum.org.
Part of their Virtual Lecture Series, the New Hampshire Boat Museum (NHBM) in Wolfeboro will feature Daniel Boyne, author of The Red Rose Crew: A True Story of Women, Winning and the Water on Thursday, October 14 at 7 p.m. In his lecture, Boyne will discuss highlights from his book, which tells the story of a group of women who rowed their way to a silver medal at the 1975 World Championships in Nottingham, England.
“Their accomplishment helped to grow and change the sport for women,” said NHBM Executive Director Martha Cummings, who noted their Virtual Lecture series is free. “We are so appreciative of New Hampshire Humanities for its support of this and all our lectures, which reflect our continued focus on highlighting diversity in the sport of rowing this year,” she added.
To learn more about NHBM’s Virtual Lecture Series, visit nhbm.org.
Formed in 2014, the NH Heritage Museum Trail features member institutions in Canterbury, Concord, Dover, Exeter, Laconia, Loudon, Manchester, Moultonborough, Plymouth, Portsmouth, Tamworth, and Wolfeboro.
Founded in 1991 as a nonprofit entity and a founding member of the New Hampshire Heritage Museum Trail, the American Independence Museum in Exeter is celebrating the 300th anniversary of its Ladd-Gilman House this season. Built by Nathaniel Ladd in 1721 as a brick structure in the Georgian style, the house was deeded to Nathaniel’s sons, Elias and Josiah,who shared the house with their respective families. In 1747, Daniel Gilman bought the eastern part of the house from Elias — and in 1752, he added an addition to the eastern side.
“The new addition was constructed with clapboards and the rest of the brick structure was clapboarded to maintain a consistent appearance,” said museum Curator Jennifer Carr, who has conducted extensive research into the structure. By 1777, the entire house belonged to the Gilman family. In the early nineteenth century, the house was again enlarged when John Taylor Gilman had an existing structure moved from another part of town and added to the western side of the house. Possibly used by the Gilmans as a summer kitchen, the addition is now the museum’s gift shop.
In 1902, the house was sold to the Society of the Cincinnati in the State of New Hampshire, and it became their headquarters. The Society added a caretaker’s cottage to the western side of the house, which now serves as the museum’s offices and library.
Today, the Society owns the Ladd-Gilman House and Folsom Tavern (c. 1775) as well as the 3,000+ objects in the museum’s collection, which includes an original copy of the Declaration of Independence—known as a Dunlap Broadside. “This discovery led to the museum’s formation,” explained museum Executive Director Emma Stratton, who said the Ladd-Gilman House served as the actual home to many influential persons in NH’s initial history.
“It was home to Nicholas Gilman, Jr., a signer of the Constitution, and it also was Governor’s mansion when Nicholas’ brother, John Taylor Gilman, was Governor of New Hampshire,” she added. “Their father, Nicholas Gilman, Sr., served as the state’s first Treasurer.”
According to New Hampshire Heritage Museum Trail President Jeff Barraclough, the Ladd-Gilman House is one of many such structures on The Trail. “If you have an interest in architecture and culture—from the mid 1600’s through today—you will find it on The Trail,” he said. “We are excited about the anniversary of the Ladd-Gilman House and invite people to learn more about it.”
Tours of the Ladd-Gilman House are expected to resume September 1, and a 300th birthday celebration is planned for September 17 and 18. To learn more about the American Independence Museum, or Ladd-Gilman House, click here.
The American Independence Museum is one of more than 15 museums on the New Hampshire Heritage Museum Trail, which is divided into the Seacoast, Merrimack Valley and Lakes Region. Member institutions are located in Canterbury, Concord, Dover, Exeter, Laconia, Loudon, Manchester, Moultonborough, Plymouth, Portsmouth, Tamworth and Wolfeboro.
Comprised of museums throughout eastern New Hampshire, the New Hampshire Heritage Museum Trail will launch a Trail Passport Program on June 1, which will provide access to all 18 member institutions. “We are excited to launch this program,” said Trail President Jeff Barraclough. “We hope it provides an opportunity for people to see many of the remarkable museums throughout New Hampshire they might not see otherwise.”
Sponsored by the Bank of New Hampshire, the Trail Passport provides buyers with one free admission ticket to each of the museums that are part of the museum trail. Passports (valued at $150) will be sold at all participating museums for only $25. The passport can be used for an entire year starting from the date of purchase and will include brief summaries of the museums, organized by location and category that can be stamped upon entry.
“This is an incredible savings for people,” added Barraclough. “We look forward to seeing new faces this year throughout The Trail.”
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 Region. Member institutions are located in Canterbury, Concord, Dover, Exeter, Laconia, Loudon, Manchester, Moultonborough, Plymouth, Portsmouth, Tamworth and Wolfeboro.
