by Portsmouth Historical Society | Sep 19, 2025
Costumes, candy, and a scavenger hunt in North Cemetery
Join us for some history and Halloween fun at North Cemetery! Come in costume (if you want!), participate in a scavenger hunt with candy prizes, and learn about the history of North Cemetery and some of the famous Portsmouth figures buried there.
This program is designed for families and will highlight what an important resource cemeteries are for learning about the past. Though we will not be discussing anything gruesome, haunted, or scary, we will be talking about things like colonial funerals and headstone symbols, which include images of skulls and bones. If you’re unsure whether this program would be a little too spooky, please reach out to our cemetery guide, Sarah Robbitts-Terry ( sarah@portsmouthhistory.org) with any questions.
Thank you to our event sponsor:
by Portsmouth Historical Society | Apr 4, 2025
We invite our young visitors to explore their creativity with our 2nd annual Young Artists Contest!
Come visit our two exhibitions, “Winds of Change,” which features the sculpture and paintings of artist Cabot Lyford, and “Contemporary Currents,” which features many local artists across different mediums, and find a piece that inspires you. Take that inspiration, create your own piece of writing or visual art, and submit it to our contest to be eligible for a prize, which includes a gift certificate from Blick Art Materials!
Submissions are broken down into the following age divisions:
Ages 7 – 10
Ages 11 – 14
Ages 15 – 18
A winner and an honorable mention will be chosen for each age division in the categories of writing and visual art. Winners and honorable mentions will have the opportunity for their work to be displayed at the Portsmouth Historical Society.
The contest will be open from April 1st through May 31st. There will be a reception for all entrants and their families at the Historical Society at 5:30pm on June 13, 2025.
Content Note
While this exhibition does not contain anything graphic or obscene, please be aware that there are five pieces on display that depict female nudity.
What kind of art can I submit?
Writing: Short stories, poems, plays/dialogue, newspaper articles, essays, imagined interviews, and more are all potential options! Writing submissions have a max word count of 2,000. Visual Art: Any medium can be submitted, including (but not limited to) paint, colored pencils, charcoal, pastels, photography, collage, etc. Visual art will need to be photographed to be submitted. Please make sure your artwork is well lit and against a plain background. Have another idea? Reach out to sarah@portsmouthhistory.org with any questions!
How do I submit my art?
You can fill out our submission form online, or print out a paper form and drop it off or mail it to the Historical Society. Entries should be mailed to: Portsmouth Historical Society Sarah Robbitts-Terry 10 Middle Street Portsmouth, NH 03801 We can’t wait to see your work!
Is there a limit to number of submissions?
Each artist may submit up to three pieces of art, but each piece must be submitted with a separate form.
Thank you to our prize sponsors:
by Portsmouth Historical Society | Apr 4, 2025
Get creative with this special Children’s Day craft
Join us this Children’s Day with free admission for all! While you’re visiting, come check out our crafting space and create an entry for our Young Artists Contest. Our contest is open for children ages 7-18 years old, and we have categories for both writing and visual arts. Entrants choose a piece from our exhibitions (“Winds of Change,” “Contemporary Currents,” or “Past and Present”), and then use that piece as inspiration to create their own work of art. Winners and honorable mentions will receive prizes from Blick Art Materials and Nahcotta, and have the opportunity to have their pieces displayed at the Historical Society.
by Portsmouth Historical Society | Apr 3, 2025
Explore Portsmouth during Preservation Month!
Rescheduled to Saturday, June 7
Thank you to our event sponsor:
by Portsmouth Historical Society | Oct 4, 2023
It’s the sweetest time of the year!
To celebrate over 400 years of Portsmouth’s history, the gingerbread committee at Portsmouth Historical Society has chosen the theme of “Portsmouth Past, Present and Future.” We want to see gingerbread incarnations of the great people, places, and events of yesterday and today, or your favorite vision of futuristic Portsmouth! Let your imagination run wild!
