Portsmouth Historical Society

Women of Portsmouth Walking Tour
2024-08-14 14:30 - 16:00, 2024-07-10 14:30 - 16:00 (America/New_York) | 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.

Coastal Critters Family Day
2024-08-10 11:00 - 13:00 | John Paul Jones House, 43 Middle Street, Portsmouth, NH, 03801, United States
Learn about what lives under the sea!

Register for the Coast Critters Family Day

Thank you to the Seacoast Science Center for bringing their touch tank to this program!

Twilight Tour
2024-08-09 16:00 - 20:00 | Portsmouth Historical Society at 10 Middle Street, 10 Middle Street, Portsmouth, NH, 01801, United States

ASL-Supported Walking Tour
2024-08-03 10:30 - 12:00 | Portsmouth Historical Society at 10 Middle Street, 10 Middle Street, Portsmouth, NH, 01801, United States
Daily Walking Tours
American Sign Language Interpretation provided by JLL Interpreters
Saturday, August 3 at 10:30 am
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.

Art Round Town
2024-08-02 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 August 2nd 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

Loyalist to Liberty Walking Tour
2024-08-02 14:30 - 16:00, 2024-07-19 14:30 - 16:00, 2024-07-05 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.

Curator Tours
2024-08-02 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 exhibitions
“The Matter of Memory” explores 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.
“Finishing Touches” highlights items from the collection that would add personality and individuality to the wearer’s outfit as well as demonstrate gender and class. Functional and fashionable, these pieces highlight accessories through the decades. Spend 30 minutes with our exhibition curator and make sure to ask about her “favorite” pieces.
“The Matter of Memory” Tours occur at 12:00 and 5:30 pm at 10 Middle Street.
“Finishing Touches” Tours take place at 2:00 pm and start at the John Paul Jones House.
This is a free tour, no registration required.

Learn more about "The Matter of Memory"

Learn more about "Finishing Touches"

Daily Walking Tours (May–October)
2024-08-01 - 2024-08-31, 2024-07-01 - 2024-07-31 | 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.

How to Research Your Historic Property
2024-07-31 17:30 - 18:30 | Portsmouth Athenaeum, 6-9 Market Square, Portsmouth, NH, 03801, United States
Get started on your historic plaques journey

Our July event is at capacity. Our next research event will take place in October, learn more and sign up:

Register for our October research event

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

Knit Happens
2024-07-26 14:30 - 15:30, 2024-06-28 14:30 - 15:30 | Portsmouth Historical Society at 10 Middle Street, 10 Middle Street, Portsmouth, NH, 01801, United States
Join us for a monthly yarn circle!

Register for Knit Happens

Read It and Eat + "DISH" Summer Dinner Party
2024-07-24 18:00 - 21:00 | Portsmouth Historical Society at 10 Middle Street, 10 Middle Street, Portsmouth, NH, 01801, United States
Register for Read It and Eat! + "DISH" Summer Dinner Party

If you cannot attend our events this year (May 20th, July 24th, September 23rd), you can still submit a recipe for our community cookbook! Email our Programs Coordinator, Sarah Robbitts-Terry at sarah@portsmouthhistory.org to submit your recipe.

FAQs

What is currently in-season?
Blueberries, peaches, raspberries, beans, peas, beets, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, cucumbers, corn, eggplant, lettuce and salad greens, onion, peppers, potatoes, scallions, spinach, summer squash, Swiss chard, tomatoes, turnips, rutabagas

How many people should my dish serve?
We usually have 15-20 people at each Read It and Eat event, however each of those individuals will all be making a dish! If your recipe serves 4-6, that should be more than enough. People tend to take small portions so they can try everything.

Will alcohol be served? Can I use it in a recipe?
Per the conditions of the Historical Society’s liquor license with the city, we do not serve alcohol at these events, and guests cannot bring alcohol to drink. However, dishes with cooked alcohol are perfectly fine to bring.
3S Artspace has a bar and will be serving drinks.

How are food allergies handled?
We do ask people to provide us with a list of ingredients in their dishes, but this is a potluck-style dinner with dishes all laid out together on a long table and served family-style. Dishes are prepared at individuals’ homes and cross-contamination cannot be ruled out.

Are non-alcoholic drinks provided?
Yes! In addition to water and seltzer, we provide fun mocktails for everyone to enjoy!

Can I plug in my crock pot?
Unfortunately, we do not have enough outlets to accommodate crock pots or other electrical equipment. Dishes must come ready to be served.

Learn more about "Dish"

About “Dish” at 3S Artspace
Who prepares the food and who sits at the table? Through drawing and community engagement, Laura Tanner explores how local foodways define a community’s identity and reflect contemporary challenges that the community is facing, like food insecurity and climate change. Gathering oral histories from farmers, chefs, restaurant patrons, and home cooks, her drawings present a visual archive of rituals, recipes, and traditions. Alongside works focused on Miami and New Orleans, the artist will premiere works inspired by the Portsmouth area in the exhibit at 3S Artspace. Her site-specific works examine foodways of the Seacoast, deepening the understanding of our community, its economy, social structures, political leanings, and needs.

Along the Waterfront
2024-07-24 14:30 - 16:30, 2024-07-17 14:30 - 16:30, 2024-06-26 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.

LGBTQ+ Walking Tour
2024-07-21 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.

Piscataqua Riverfest
2024-07-20 10:00 - 17:00 | NH

Book Signing: Lighthouses of New Hampshire
2024-07-17 17:30 - 19:00 | Portsmouth Historical Society at 10 Middle Street, 10 Middle Street, Portsmouth, NH, 01801, United States
Join us for a book signing with author Jeremy D’Entremont.
Get a chance to hear from and speak with the author of Lighthouses of New Hampshire.
Books will be available for sale in the gift shop. Admission is free, no RSVP required.

About the Author:
Jeremy D’Entremont has been photographing and writing about lighthouses for almost four decades. He is the author of more than 20 books and hundreds of articles on lighthouses and maritime history, and he has appeared on Public Television and other local and national TV and radio. He is the historian for the U.S. Lighthouse Society and hosts the Society’s weekly podcast, “Light Hearted.” He is a past president of the American Lighthouse Foundation and founder of Friends of Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouses.

About the Book:
Portsmouth Harbor’s 1771 lighthouse was the first lighthouse established in the American colonies north of Boston. A few miles offshore, a lighthouse was established at the southernmost of the Isles of Shoals in 1821. Inland, three wooden lighthouses were built on Lake Sunapee in the late 1800s to guide steamships full of vacationers to their destinations around the lake. All of these locations have stories to tell of dedicated keepers and their families, shipwrecks, rescues, and much more.

Colonial Field Day
2024-07-13 10:00 - 14:00 | John Paul Jones House, 43 Middle Street, Portsmouth, NH, 03801, United States
Join us for historic lawn games
Put down your screens, step back in time and join us for a morning of old-fashioned yard games! From bag races to Game of Graces, embrace the simplicity and timeless joy found in playing outside with family and friends.
Thank you to our sponsor Newburyport Bank for making this program FREE for everyone.

Adopt an Artifact
2024-07-10 17:30 - 18:30 | Portsmouth Historical Society at 10 Middle Street, 10 Middle Street, Portsmouth, NH, 01801, United States
RSVP to Adopt an Artifact

The “Adopt an Artifact” program was created to help raise funds to meet the critical needs of our historical collection. Portsmouth Historical Society has approximately 3,000 objects that it cares for, and many of our collection items need some repair in order to last 200, 300 years—and more, as we do our best to preserve them for future generations to learn from and enjoy.

Learn more about Adopt an Artifact

John Paul Jones 277th Birthday celebrations
2024-07-06 11:00 - 17:00 | John Paul Jones House, 43 Middle Street, Portsmouth, NH, 03801, United States
Help us celebrate the 277th Birthday of John Paul Jones!
Join us at the John Paul Jones House to celebrate the captain and legend himself. Enjoy cupcakes on the lawn at 12 pm, available while they last. There will be no guided tours, but museum docents will be on site to answer your questions.
Free admission to the John Paul Jones House 11 a.m.– 5p.m.

Happy Birthday, John Paul Jones!

Curator Tour
2024-07-05 17:30 - 18:30, 2024-07-05 12:00 - 13:00 | 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
2024-07-05 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 July 5th 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

Pride Month LGBTQ+ Walking Tour
2024-07-01 14:30 - 16:00, 2024-06-24 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 pmThird Sundays of the monthLearn about the hidden history of LGBT clubs, organizations, and people who impacted the Seacoast of NH on this 90-minute walking tour.Learn about other Pride Month events.

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.
