New Hampshire Historical Society

06/01/2026

Back by popular demand....one month from today.....stay tuned for details!

05/27/2026

Sharing another great story from the New Hampshire Heritage Museum Trail's "25 Stories for 250 Years" project, this time from Trail partner Mt. Kearsarge Indian Museum.

Mt. Kearsarge Indian Museum is also hosting NH Chronicle this week--check it out weeknights at 7 p.m. on WMUR or streaming at https://www.wmur.com/article/streaming-now-new-hampshire-chronicle/23278669.

Long before New Hampshire existed, this continent was home to several hundred tribes and numerous linguistic groups. Sadly, many people are under the impression that with the founding of New Hampshire and the United States, 250 years ago, Indigenous Peoples disappeared. Mt. Kearsarge Indian Museum was founded 35 years ago to dispel that erroneous myth.

Mt. Kearsarge Indian Museum is the only museum in New Hampshire that is solely focused on educating the public about artistic expression, traditional values, and contributions from past and contemporary Native life. Explore seven galleries, arranged geographically, spanning the continent. Gain a better understanding of Indigenous life before, during, and after the impacts of colonial expansion forever changed the world.

Mt. Kearsarge Indian Museum celebrates 13,000 years of Indigenous history and lifeways. Visitors will gain an appreciation of the diversity of Native peoples and how they continue to coexist with their environments. Additionally, the museum celebrates an awareness that Native peoples continue to practice traditional skills, arts and lifestyles today.

Each month leading up to the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the New Hampshire Heritage Museum Trail will share a story about the unique and interesting people, places, and events that Trail museums celebrate.

These stories weave together New Hampshire’s rich heritage and highlight the ways in which New Hampshire’s story is America’s story.

Read more stories about our member institutions at nhmuseumtrail.org/25-stories-for-250-years

05/26/2026

Last chance! "If You Had to Choose: Patriots and Loyalists in Revolutionary New Hampshire" will close this Saturday, May 30. Come in to view it before it's too late!

A new exhibition, "Witness to War," will open in July!

05/21/2026

In honor of , we're sharing this very special toy tea service. It was purchased in Boston in 1795 by Revolutionary War veteran Colonel Jacob Wright for his four-year-old daughter Susan. Ever the doting dad, Wright carried it on horseback all the way home to Washington, New Hampshire.

The tea set descended through the Wright family until it was donated to the Society.

Object ID: 1936.004.02

05/20/2026

Today is Lafayette Day! Celebrate with us by visiting our exhibition, "Lafayette's Visit to New Hampshire," free of charge today between 1 and 5 p.m.

Since 1955, New Hampshire has commemorated the Marquis de Lafayette, his contributions to American independence, and the spirit of friendship between France and the United States every year on May 20.

Celebrations will begin at the State House Plaza at 3 p.m., including a musket salute by the New Hampshire SAR and a cannon salute by the Lyndeborough Lafayette Artillery, as well as remarks by the French Consul General Mustafa Soykurt--along with a special appearance by Lafayette!

The New Hampshire Historical Society will be open free of charge today from 1 to 5 p.m. for those wishing to view the current exhibition, "Lafayette's Visit to New Hampshire." Please stop in!

05/18/2026

The New Hampshire Historical Society is offering several free professional development opportunities for educators this summer.

New Hampshire and the American Revolution, June 23 and 24, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. (Sponsored by the Society of the Cincinnati in the State of New Hampshire)

Geography and New Hampshire History, August 11 and 12, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Granite State Fun Facts and Symbols, August 13 and 14, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

All workshops are held at the New Hampshire Historical Society, 30 Park Street, Concord.

There is no cost to attend. Breakfast and lunch are provided, and attendees will receive CEU certificates for the two-day workshop and for any pre-training work they complete, as well as a $100 Target gift card.

Advance registration is required, and all participants must be public or private school teachers in New Hampshire.

To register, visit https://moose.nhhistory.org/educators/professional-development

05/16/2026

The New Hampshire Historical Society is pleased to participate in Blue Star Museums, a program that provides free admission to currently serving U.S. military personnel and their families during the summer. In fact, the Society offers this discount all year round, not just during the summer months, although nationally Blue Stars Museums begins today, Armed Forces Day, and runs through Labor Day, September 7.

Blue Star Museums offers free admission to any bearer of a Geneva Convention common access card (CAC), a DD Form 1173 ID card (dependent ID), or a DD Form 1173-1 ID card, which includes active duty U.S. military—Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, as well as members of the Reserves, National Guard, U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, NOAA Commissioned Corps—and up to five family members. For more information, visit arts.gov/bluestarmuseums.

Blue Star Museums is a partnership between the National Endowment for the Arts and Blue Star Families, in collaboration with the Department of Defense and more than 2,000 participating museums across America.

05/15/2026

Calling all social studies teachers!

Discover how to integrate substantive state history into U.S. history courses in one of our "New Hampshire and the Nation" workshops. These workshops will help educators and administrators in grades 8 to 12 prepare for implementing the state's revised 306 requirements, which specify that all students must complete a half credit of state history at the high school level starting in the fall of 2026.

The workshops will provide compact, content-rich overviews of state history that connect with national themes.

There is no cost to teacher or administrators to these workshops to attend, and each host location welcomes educators from other schools. Remaining workshops will be in Keene (Tuesday May 19), Dover (Thursday May 21), Souhegan (Friday May 22), and Bow (Wednesday May 27). Both workshops will also be offered at the New Hampshire Historical Society in downtown Concord in June.

Advance registration is required. For more information, go to https://www.nhhistory.org/Educate/Adult-Programs/Workshops.

05/05/2026

Calling all social studies teachers!

Discover how to integrate substantive state history into U.S. history courses in one of our "New Hampshire and the Nation" workshops. These workshops will help educators and administrators in grades 8 to 12 prepare for implementing the state's revised 306 requirements, which specify that all students must complete a half credit of state history at the high school level starting in the fall of 2026.

The workshops will provide compact, content-rich overviews of state history that connect with national themes.

There is no cost to teacher or administrators to these workshops to attend, and each host location welcomes educators from other schools. Advance registration is required. For more information, go to https://www.nhhistory.org/Educate/Adult-Programs/Workshops.

04/29/2026

Our research library and exhibitions will be closed all day this Saturday, May 2, for our annual meeting.