Daily Walking Tours (May–October)
2024-10-01 - 2024-10-31 | Portsmouth Historical Society at 10 Middle Street, 10 Middle Street, Portsmouth, NH, 01801, United States
Daily Walking Tours
Walking Through 400 Years of History
Daily at 10:30 am
Saturday and the 2nd and 4th Friday at 2:30 pm
This daily 90-minute walking tour covers the streets, stories, buildings, and architecture of historic downtown Portsmouth.

Book your walking tour!

Tour Description:
Learn why Portsmouth is the hub of the New Hampshire Seacoast! Our downtown is filled with hidden treasures. Our knowledgeable walking tour guides will introduce you to the city’s rich past and lively present—a unique mix of architecture, specialty shops, and bustling streets nestled in a village-like setting. This 90-minute guided walking tour is sure to bring the history of Portsmouth alive!

Walking Tour Rates:
Tours are $15 for members, $20 for non-members, $15 for discounted groups (Children 5-18, Seniors 62+, Students, Portsmouth Residents), and free for children 5 and under.All tours depart from Portsmouth Historical Society, 10 Middle Street, Portsmouth NH.Online reservations close 30 minutes prior to tour departure. Please call (603) 436-8433 for last minute bookings.Upgrade your ticket for just $5 to also visit our galleries and John Paul Jones House.

Death in Colonial New England: Cemetery Tour
2024-10-05 16:00 - 17:30, 2024-10-19 16:00 - 17:30 (America/New_York) | NH
Take a walk through North Cemetery to learn the meaningful, odd, and sometimes spooky traditions of Portsmouth’s past

Register for out Cemetery Walking Tour

How to Research Your Historic Property
2024-10-06 17:30 - 18:30 | Portsmouth Public Library, 175 Parrot Ave, Portsmouth, NH, 03801, United States
Get started on your historic plaques journey

RSVP to the Portsmouth Plaques Program Library Event

Portsmouth Historic Plaque Program
Learn more about the program and sign up to start your plaque research.

Women of Portsmouth Walking Tour
2024-10-09 14:30 - 16:00 | Portsmouth Historical Society at 10 Middle Street, 10 Middle Street, Portsmouth, NH, 01801, United States
Women of Portsmouth Walking Tour
Once a month at 2:30 pmSecond Wednesdays of the monthLearn the untold stories of navigators, preachers, artists, authors, tavern keepers, and madams who defied stereotypes and shaped Portsmouth on this 90 minutes tour.

Book your walking tour!

Tour Description:
For over 400 years women have been shaping the course of Portsmouth’s history. After the 90-minute walking tour, we hope you will walk away surprised by all the ways that women have impacted the fabric of this city. Your tour will cover almost two miles including Prescott Park and the Old Harbor.

Walking Tour Rates:
Tours are $15 for members, $20 for non-members, $15 for discounted groups (Children 5-18, Seniors 62+, Students, Portsmouth Residents), and free for children 5 and under.All tours depart from Portsmouth Historical Society, 10 Middle Street, Portsmouth NH.Online reservations close 30 minutes prior to tour departure. Please call (603) 436-8433 for last minute bookings.Upgrade your ticket for just $5 to also visit our galleries and John Paul Jones House.

Final Day of the John Paul Jones Season
2024-10-14 | John Paul Jones House, 43 Middle Street, Portsmouth, NH, 03801, United States

Along the Waterfront
2024-10-16 14:30 - 16:30, 2024-10-23 14:30 - 16:30 | Portsmouth Historical Society at 10 Middle Street, 10 Middle Street, Portsmouth, NH, 01801, United States
Along the Waterfront
Twice a Month at 2:30 pm
Third and fourth Wednesdays of the month
Stretch your legs on our longest walking tour! This two-hour tour includes Prescott Park, the working waterfront, the tugboats, a bit of beer history and more. Born and bred Portsmouth local, Ron Sher, adds personal anecdotes and depth to this extended tour.

Book your walking tour!

Walking Tour Rates:
Tours are $15 for members, $20 for non-members, $15 for discounted groups (Children 5-18, Seniors 62+, Students, Portsmouth Residents), and free for children 5 and under.All tours depart from Portsmouth Historical Society, 10 Middle Street, Portsmouth NH.Online reservations close 30 minutes prior to tour departure. Please call (603) 436-8433 for last minute bookings.Upgrade your ticket for just $5 to also visit our galleries and John Paul Jones House.

Portsmouth History Homeschool Program
2024-10-18 10:00 - 14:00, 2024-11-15 10:00 - 14:00 | Portsmouth Historical Society at 10 Middle Street, 10 Middle Street, Portsmouth, NH, 01801, United States
How did the people of Portsmouth’s past live? Find out at our homeschool programs.

Register for the Homeschool History Program!

Loyalist to Liberty Walking Tour
2024-10-18 14:30 - 16:00 | Portsmouth Historical Society at 10 Middle Street, 10 Middle Street, Portsmouth, NH, 01801, United States
From Loyalist to Liberty
Semi-Monthly at 2:30 pm
First and third Fridays of the month
This 90-minute walking tour traces the path of Portsmouth during the 1770s. From a hub of British loyalty a series of events in the 1770s fanned the flames of independence and turned Portsmouth into a hotbed of Patriotism.

Book your walking tour!

Tour Description:
Learn about British settlement of the Seacoast and the economic prosperity that made Portsmouth the capital city of the royal colony and then see how the events of the 1770s changed public opinion to that of revolution. During your 90-minute walk, you will visit sites that are related to the American Revolution including: North Church and State House Plaque, Queen’s Chapel, Liberty Pole, Pitt Tavern, and more.

Walking Tour Rates:
Tours are $15 for members, $20 for non-members, $15 for discounted groups (Children 5-18, Seniors 62+, Students, Portsmouth Residents), and free for children 5 and under.All tours depart from Portsmouth Historical Society, 10 Middle Street, Portsmouth NH.Online reservations close 30 minutes prior to tour departure. Please call (603) 436-8433 for last minute bookings.Upgrade your ticket for just $5 to also visit our galleries and John Paul Jones House.

LGBTQ+ Walking Tour
2024-10-20 14:30 - 16:00 | Portsmouth Historical Society at 10 Middle Street, 10 Middle Street, Portsmouth, NH, 01801, United States
“Gay” Old Times: Stories of Portsmouth’s LGBTQ+ Community
Once a month at 2:30 pm
Third Sundays of the month
Learn about the hidden history of LGBT clubs, organizations, and people who impacted the Seacoast of NH on this 90-minute walking tour.

Book your walking tour!

Tour Description:
Tour guide Tom Kaufhold will take you through Portsmouth for this engaging 90-minute tour. You will pass by many beautiful historic sites and learn some important facts about Portsmouth LGBTQ+ people, places and events, including:

How UNH and the NH Supreme Court impacted Portsmouth’s LGBTQ+ community
Where the first gay and women’s bars were in Portsmouth
The restaurant credited with starting Portsmouth’s restaurant renaissance
The church that supported two LGBTQ+ organizations for decades.

Walking Tour Rates:
Tours are $15 for members, $20 for non-members, $15 for discounted groups (Children 5-18, Seniors 62+, Students, Portsmouth Residents), and free for children 5 and under.All tours depart from Portsmouth Historical Society, 10 Middle Street, Portsmouth NH.Online reservations close 30 minutes prior to tour departure. Please call (603) 436-8433 for last minute bookings.Upgrade your ticket for just $5 to also visit our galleries and John Paul Jones House.

Rainbow Symposium
2024-10-23 17:30 - 19:30 | Portsmouth Historical Society at 10 Middle Street, 10 Middle Street, Portsmouth, NH, 01801, United States
Learn about Portsmouth’s LGBTQ+ History.

RSVP to Rainbow Symposium

This program is put on with Seacoast NH LGBTQ+ Oral History Project
The NH Seacoast LGBT History Project was founded by Tom Kaufhold in 2015. Tom had been collecting papers, ephemera, and artifacts related to or created by the LGBTQ+ community on the Seacoast region of New Hampshire. To tell the story more fully, Holly Cashman, a professor at the University of New Hampshire, began collecting oral histories from the same community.

Victorian Halloween Party
2024-10-25 19:30 - 22:00 | Portsmouth Historical Society at 10 Middle Street, 10 Middle Street, Portsmouth, NH, 01801, United States
Join us for a night of vintage frights and spooky delights!

Register for the Victorian Halloween Party!

"It's Pastel" Reception
2024-10-26 17:30 - 19:00 | Portsmouth Historical Society at 10 Middle Street, 10 Middle Street, Portsmouth, NH, 01801, United States
NH Pastel Society “It’s Pastel” Reception
Saturday, October 26 5:30–7:00 pm
Portsmouth Historical Society is once again welcoming the Pastel Society of New Hampshire for their annual juried exhibition! Join them for a reception on October 26 from 5:30 to 7:00, meet the artists, and hear the announcement of the award winning submissions.
This event is free and open to the public.

Learn more about "It's Pastel"

"It's Pastel" Exhibition Opens
2024-10-27 10:00 - 17:00 | Portsmouth Historical Society at 10 Middle Street, 10 Middle Street, Portsmouth, NH, 01801, United States

Curator Tours
2024-11-01 12:00 - 18:30 | Portsmouth Historical Society at 10 Middle Street, 10 Middle Street, Portsmouth, NH, 01801, United States
A behind-the-scenes look at our current exhibition
“The Matter of Memory” explored the ways that museums are the vessels of communal and individual memory along with how they consciously or unconsciously shape memory through what types of items are displayed and shared. Walk through the gallery with our museum curator and get a deeper understanding into some of the choices made in museum collections and exhibitions in both the past and present.
Tours happen at 12:00 and 5:30 pm.This is a free tour, no registration required.

Learn more about the exhibition

Art Round Town
2024-11-01 17:00 - 20:00 | Portsmouth Historical Society at 10 Middle Street, 10 Middle Street, Portsmouth, NH, 01801, United States
We’ll be open until 8 p.m. on November 1st for Art ‘Round Town!
Free admission all day long.
Visit our most recent exhibition “The Matter of Memory” and view highlights from our permanent collection in our “Past & Present” exhibition.

Add the 12:00 pm curator tour to your calendar

Add the 5:30 pm curator tour to your calendar

"The Matter of Memory" Exhibition Closes
2024-11-03 10:00 - 17:00 | Portsmouth Historical Society at 10 Middle Street, 10 Middle Street, Portsmouth, NH, 01801, United States

Family Day: Gingerbread House Workshop
2024-11-09 11:00 - 14:00 | Portsmouth Historical Society at 10 Middle Street, 10 Middle Street, Portsmouth, NH, 01801, United States
Ready, set, bake!

Register for the Gingerbread Houes Workshop!

John Paul Jones House Open on Veterans Day
2024-11-11 11:00 - 15:00 | John Paul Jones House, 43 Middle Street, Portsmouth, NH, 03801, United States
Built in 1758, the John Paul Jones Historic House Museum is a registered national historic landmark.
Although the season officially ended on October 14, the John Paul Jones House will be open on Monday, November 11 in honor of Veterans Day from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m..
Free admission for all.

Closing Early
2024-11-12 13:00 - 17:00 | Portsmouth Historical Society at 10 Middle Street, 10 Middle Street, Portsmouth, NH, 01801, United States
We will be closing at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, November 12.
We will reopen again at 10 a.m. on November 13 and welcome visitors to “It’s Pastel,” “Past and Present,” our museum shop, and more!

Intro to Pastel
2024-11-14 17:30 - 19:00 | Portsmouth Historical Society at 10 Middle Street, 10 Middle Street, Portsmouth, NH, 01801, United States
Join our own Donna Theodossiou for a beginner’s lesson in pastels! Donna is a self-taught artist who loves exploring the beauty of the world around her through her art. Learn more about Donna on her website, Color in the Fog Studio.

Register for our Intro to Pastels Workshop!

Gingerbread Participant Registration Ends
2024-11-21 | Portsmouth Historical Society at 10 Middle Street, 10 Middle Street, Portsmouth, NH, 01801, United States

"It's Pastel" Exhibition Closes
2024-11-22 10:00 - 17:00 | Portsmouth Historical Society at 10 Middle Street, 10 Middle Street, Portsmouth, NH, 01801, United States

Museum Closed
2024-11-28 | Portsmouth Historical Society at 10 Middle Street, 10 Middle Street, Portsmouth, NH, 01801, United States
We will be closed on Thursday, November 28.
We will reopen again at 10 a.m. on November 29 for the grand opening of the 34th Annual Gingerbread Contest and Exhibition and “Upstairs with the Furniture Masters.”

Gingerbread Exhibition Opens!
2024-11-29 | Portsmouth Historical Society at 10 Middle Street, 10 Middle Street, Portsmouth, NH, 01801, United States

"Upstairs with the Furniture Masters" Exhibition Opens
2024-11-29 10:00 - 17:00 | Portsmouth Historical Society at 10 Middle Street, 10 Middle Street, Portsmouth, NH, 01801, United States

Members Sip & Shop
2024-12-04 17:30 - 19:00 | Portsmouth Historical Society at 10 Middle Street, 10 Middle Street, Portsmouth, NH, 01801, United States
Join us for a fun and exclusive holiday shopping experience!
Enjoy special discounts, raffles, and door prizes, plus complimentary light refreshments to make your shopping even more enjoyable. Members are welcome to bring a friend for an evening of holiday cheer and unique finds. Don’t miss out on this festive annual event!

Browse the online store

Gingerbread Reception and Judges' Awards
2024-12-06 17:30 - 19:30 | Portsmouth Historical Society at 10 Middle Street, 10 Middle Street, Portsmouth, NH, 01801, United States
Gingerbread Reception and Judge’s Awards
Friday, December 6, 5:30–7:30 pm
Join us to celebrate the opening of our 34th Annual Gingerbread House Contest and Exhibition! Get in the holiday spirit and see our marvelous cookie creations, while also enjoying some cider and small treats. Stay for the big reveal of the winners of our Judges’ Choice prizes!
This event is free and open to the public.

See all the sweet details

Thank you to our sweet sponsors:

Avery Insurance

Devine Millimet
Seacoast Lately

Bangor Savings Bank
