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Strawbery Banke Museum
Rating Details »
Strawbery Banke Museum PO BOX 300
Portsmouth, NH 03804
(603) 433-1100
Portsmouth, NH 03804
(603) 433-1100
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
8 reviews for Strawbery Banke Museum
Strawbery Banke is more than a museum, it's ten acres of historic houses, people in costume, and various exhibits and demonstrations. If you've been to Colonial Williamsburg, you'll know what you're in for. Not all of the houses are meant to depict the same time period, so you get the feel of the neighborhood over time.
I made the mistake of going on a hot and humid day. Even though many of the houses have central air, it seems to be there to preserve the interiors and not to provide comfort. The oppressive summer heat made itself felt and I gave up about halfway through. Be sure to check it out if it's a nice cool day and you want to show the kids something different.
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I enjoy confusing my kids. It can be a learning experience, it gives them a shot of skepticism, and it builds character. (At least that's my excuse.) My ultimate object is to get the WTHIGO look or "what the hell is going on?" look
Enter Strawbery Banke, an excellent historical museum of restored homes on the shores of the Piscataqua River in Portland, NH (named for the wild Strawberries that used to grow there). The museum concept by itself is not confusing. In fact, it was all too clear to my kids, and we practically had to drag them here. What really blew their minds were the "role players" at some of the houses. These are actors who behave as residents, and treat you like a traveler visiting during their respective era. That's when the WTHIGO look from the kids came up in spades.
First we met Mrs. Goodwin, the wife of the NH Governor during the Victorian era. She was out tending her garden. I made the mistake of asking her what year it was, and she answered "Dear me sir, everyone knows it is 1870...Have you been to the tavern much today?" I sheepishly lied that I had. Then she proceeded to give a tour of her garden and tell us abut the latest "modern" touches she had implemented. My kids asked lots of questions, many of the sort: "are you really...?" The actress really knew her stuff, staying in character the entire time. My kids were hooked and wanted to see more.
Other role players included Mrs. Shapiro, an elderly Jewish woman from 1919 had just made some Mandelbrot in the working coal oven (she really had) and was waiting for her daughter to come home from school. There was also Mrs. Cooper, who was running a general store in 1943 and talked to the kids about collecting grease and scrap metal for the war effort, among other things. There were even some children role players, a group of younger girls pretending to prepare dinner in the Pitt Tavern in the year 1773.
The home restorations themselves are extremely well done and there is also a cooper and a potter that you can watch in action. There is even a house dedicated to antique and hand-made toys, where we spent a lot of time.
We liked it so much we went back the next day (tickets are good for two days), and that time we didn't have to drag the kids kicking and screaming.
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Since I work for a museum and have spent my entire career in the cultural heritage industry, it is easy to be a critic of sister institutions. I've heard of Strawbery Banke for years and have had the pleasure of meeting some of their staff. It was exciting to finally have an opportunity to visit. I left with a happy heart, impressed by the breadth and depth of the museum's work and resources
I was most impressed by the museum's quest to represent the broad scope of Portsmouth's history. It was wonderful to see buildings interpreted over the course of three centuries. This includes a corner grocery from WWII, a family of Jewish immigrants and colonial era merchants and craftsmen. As an architectural history head, I also appreciated the exhibits that deconstruct building techniques and technologies from the 17th and 18th centuries. The museum immersed you into different facets of a real 400 year old New England port community. I was left with the impression that the number of family activities grows significantly following the start of the summer travel season.
I was saddened to see, scattered throughout the complex, a few decrepit exhibits, peeling labels and poorly designed text panels. We were also a little too early to in the season to enjoy the full flowering force of their gardens. We now live relatively close to Strawbery Banke and look forward to going back and enjoying the resources of this fine institution.
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This review is only for the grounds and the gardens at Strawbery Banke which are quite lovely. We did not explore the museum, we were taken aback by the large buses of school kids pouring in and out of there but I have always loved walking around and looking at the houses and the gardens. If you aren't interested in the tour, check out the grounds and the houses. They are beautiful and totally worth a visit. I uploaded a couple photos taken of the grounds and surrounding buildings. Very cool place and very walkable!
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Living history museums are probably the best way to get a sense of life way back when. Covering the period from Colonial America to WWII America, a visitor can get a sense of the changes in this town over 300 years. On our visit, we got to see a cooking demonstration from the 1700s, see a cooper's shop, "shop" at a corner store and make dolls out of corn husks. We even had lunch in a tavern that was frequented by George Washington and the Marquis de Lafayette!
One plus is that their schedule varies each day, so the ticket which is good for two days can be put to good use. Great for all ages.
I walked through the museum and the grounds I did not tour any of the houses as it was UBER hot. It was Lovley absolutely lovely and I got a feel for what Portsmouth must have been like. I was impressed by the restoration. I was surprised that some of the houses weren't even from there but moved there. It was cool to know that someone had spent that much time making them seem like they had always been there! I want to go again and really look around on a day when it isn't super hot!
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Wonderful restoration of a Portsmouth neighborhood from earlier times. Numerous houses and shops with actors in period costumes. Great for kids and adults.
In town, so you don't need a car once in Portsmouth. Shops and restaurants nearby in a lovely town.
I've been to Strawbery Banke twice. Once when I was about 7, and then again when I was about 23. It's a place that I enjoyed as much as an adult as I did when I was a kid. I like it particularly because it shows how the town (and lifestyle) changed over time. It's not at all hokey. It's a great place to go, especially on a nice day. It's in a very lovely spot.
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