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.

Victorian Halloween Party
2024-10-25 19:30 - 22:00 (America/New_York) | 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!

Portsmouth History Homeschool Program
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!

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

Open Late for Shop & Stroll
2024-12-07 17:00 - 21:00 | Portsmouth Historical Society at 10 Middle Street, 10 Middle Street, Portsmouth, NH, 01801, United States

Members-Only Gingerbread Event
2024-12-11 09:00 - 10:00 | Portsmouth Historical Society at 10 Middle Street, 10 Middle Street, Portsmouth, NH, 01801, United States
Members only chance to see Gingerbread
Get in one hour early and enjoy seeing the Gingerbread exhibition in the sweetest way!

Become a Member!

Learn about the exhibition

Register for our special Members Gingerbread Event

Book Signing: "Lucy's Voice" with Dennis Robinson
2024-12-11 17:30 - 19:00 | Portsmouth Historical Society at 10 Middle Street, 10 Middle Street, Portsmouth, NH, 01801, United States
Buy Your Copy of Lucy's Voice

Join us as local author, Dennis Robinson, reads from his new history-mystery!

About the Author:
J. Dennis Robinson is a popular columnist, lecturer, and public historian.
He is the author of a dozen narrative history books on topics ranging from Jesse James, Lord Baltimore, and child labor exploitation to Wentworth by the Sea Hotel, Strawbery Banke Museum, Privateer Lynx, archaeology at the Isles of Shoals, and the infamous 1873 Smuttynose Island ax murders.

Buy your copy of Lucy's Voice

About the Book:
SHE WAS HAPPILY ENGAGED TO THE MOST HANDSOME MAN IN THE NATION. THEN HE KILLED THE PRESIDENT.
An ornate Spanish dresser reignites a Civil War-era mystery. What did Lucy Hale know when her fiancé, John Wilkes Booth, shot Abraham Lincoln? The privileged daughter of a New Hampshire senator, Lucy was never questioned. Museum caretaker Levi Woodbury and reporter Claire Caswell are drawn into the search for a lost journal that may rewrite history.

"Furniture Masters" Reception
2024-12-12 17:30 - 19:00 | Portsmouth Historical Society at 10 Middle Street, 10 Middle Street, Portsmouth, NH, 01801, United States
“Upstairs with the Furniture Masters” Reception
Thursday, December 12, 5:30–7:00 pm
All are welcome to attend this reception celebrating 30 years of the New Hampshire Furniture Masters. This exhibition features a variety of holiday gift items alongside an extraordinary collection of studio-made, handcrafted fine furniture made by members of the organization. Many pieces on display are available for purchase. Perfect for a last-minute gift.
This event is free and open to the public.

Learn more about "Upstairs with the Furniture Masters"

Gingerbread Open Late
2024-12-13 10:00 - 20:00, 2024-12-20 10:00 - 20:00 | Portsmouth Historical Society at 10 Middle Street, 10 Middle Street, Portsmouth, NH, 01801, United States

Family Favorite Cookie Swap
2024-12-14 13:00 - 15:00 | Portsmouth Historical Society at 10 Middle Street, 10 Middle Street, Portsmouth, NH, 01801, United States
Share your a family holiday tradition and enjoy the Gingerbread Contest!

Take part in the Family Favorites Cookie Swap

Members-Only Gingerbread Event
2024-12-18 17:00 - 18:00 | Portsmouth Historical Society at 10 Middle Street, 10 Middle Street, Portsmouth, NH, 01801, United States
Members-only chance to see Gingerbread
Get in one hour early and enjoy seeing the Gingerbread exhibition in the sweetest way!

Become a Member!

Learn about the exhibition

Register for our special Members Gingerbread Event

Museum Closed
2024-12-25 | Portsmouth Historical Society at 10 Middle Street, 10 Middle Street, Portsmouth, NH, 01801, United States

Holiday Hours 10am-4pm
2024-12-26 - 2024-12-30 | Portsmouth Historical Society at 10 Middle Street, 10 Middle Street, Portsmouth, NH, 01801, United States

Gingerbread Exhibition Closes
2024-12-30 | Portsmouth Historical Society at 10 Middle Street, 10 Middle Street, Portsmouth, NH, 01801, United States
