Portsmouth Historical Society — Attraction in Portsmouth

I remember when this building 🏫 use to be the Portsmouth Public Library. I like the new 🆕 one better! I enjoyed my visit because I enjoyed seeing aspects of Portsmouth history, some of which I remember seeing. Seeing a few photos and news 🗞️ articles about what Portsmouth used to look like, especially Market Square, I found interesting. The Seacoast African Cultural Center I found to be a little lacking. There wasn't much history about the Colonial period, what Portsmouth was like after the Revolution, especially about Ona Judge, or the Civil Rights Movement. I am looking forward to going on the tours that they offer. There is a gift shop. If you are not an old-time Portsmouth resident, it might not interest you. If you want to learn about Portsmouth, it's a good place to start. Update: February 2024; the old red English telephone 📞 booth has returned! It has been repaired and repainted. I...

I had previously thought of The Portsmouth Historical Society as a wonderful place to check in to see what was up in Portsmouth before setting out for the day, but as I entered, I was warmly greeted and invited to enjoy a video describing the history and founding of Portsmouth. After that I enjoyed an art exhibition of local artists and then, upstairs, my Mother and I saw the exhibition on children's book illustrators, and were excited to be able to purchase those books in the gift shop for our nieces and nephews. We actually spent several hours gaining new insight into life in Portsmouth, past to present, which enriched our visit immensely. And don't miss visiting the Portsmouth Historical Society's Gingerbread House Contest & Exhibition from November 24th - December 30th. You won't be...

The walking tour was a wonderful opportunity to learn more about the glorious history of Portsmouth, NH and its deep roots in American history. Our guide, Elizabeth,, was knowledgeable, accommodating and shared personal anecdotes to enliven the stories. I highly recommend this tour. Please be aware if you add the John Paul Jones House on a 230pm tour you must see it first. It was closed after our tour but the society staff refunded us. And we enjoyed visiting with them at the lovely gift shop. Next visit we will see all the old homes that were pointed out on the tour and go to Strawberry Banke. Portsmouth is a delightful city and everyone we met was so friendly and helpful we will definitely be...