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Vacation Ideas - Strawbery Banke in Portsmouth, New Hampshire (NH)

By Connie Limon

The map location for Strawbery Banke is 14 Hancock Street, Portsmouth, New Hampshire 038301. Visitors to the Museum have a chance to experience and dream about how people lived and worked in this historic American neighborhood throughout four centuries of history. The stories are accomplished through the restored houses, the featured exhibits, the historic landscapes and gardens and its interpretive programs. The community story is from the late 17th to the mid-20th century. The Museum's main focus is upon the study of the lives of this period of people and others who left their mark on Portsmouth's history. Most people were typical figures, merchants and seamen, fathers and mothers. A few well known residents were Daniel Webster, John Paul Jones and Paul Revere.

The uniqueness of Strawbery Banke among outdoor history museums is the presenting of an authentic neighborhood. Most of the 42 historic buildings are on their original foundations with the earliest building dating back to 1695. The historic buildings provide the community's strongest link to the lives of those who lived in the neighborhood during the late 17th to the mid-20th century.
Many of the Strawbery Banke's houses are restored and furnished to reflect the particular periods n the past. Some buildings are used for exhibits on special themes as architecture or archaeology. Other historic buildings serve as shops for artisans practicing traditional trades. This vast variety of houses and exhibits provides visitors with a rich experience in exploring the past.

There are 42 historic buildings on the Museum site. Some names of the historic houses and buildings on the site of Strawbery Banke's Museum are (this list is not complete):

• The Aldrich House
• The Chase House
• The Conant House
• Cotton Tenant House Potters
• Dinsmore Shop
• Goodwin Mansion
• The Hough House
• The Jackson House
• Marden-Abbott House and Store
• Stoodley's Tavern
• The Walsh House
• The Yeaton House (unrestored)
• The Yeaton-Walsh House (unrestored)

Other Museum Buildings include:

• The Carter Collections Center (New)
• The Dunaway Restaurant
• Stable
• Tyco Visitors Center and Museum Store

Hours of Operation

• May 1 through October 26: Open for self-guided tours daily 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Garden Tour daily at 1:00 p.m.

• October 27 through April 30: Open for guided walking tours, Saturdays and Sundays, 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. (90-minute tours on the hour)

• December weekdays Monday through Friday, Holiday House Tours: Monday through Friday, 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. (90-minute tours on the hour), except on 12/24, 12/25, 12/31

• The Museum is open, Sunday, April 8 (Easter), Monday, April 16 (Patriot's Day), April 22 to April 30, Tours offered all week prior to May 1 Opening, Friday, November 24 (day after Thanksgiving)
The Museum is closed Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year's Eve, New Years Day.

Admission Cost

Self-Guiding Season May to October Adults are $15; youths (5-17) are $10, 4 years and under is free. There is a family rate (2 adults & youths 5-17) for $40. Group's rates are available for 10 or more persons.

Where to eat (there are more than 50 restaurants and café all within an easy walk into Portsmouth's historic downtown)
Some suggestions include:

• Blue Mermaid Island Grill, 409 The Hill (behind the Hilton Garden Inn), Portsmouth, NH 603-427-2583
• The Dunaway Restaurant at Strawbery Banke, 66 March Street, Portsmouth, NH, 603-373-6112
• Old Ferry Landing Restaurant is 0.37 miles from Strawbery Banke, 10 Ceres Street, Portsmouth, NH 603-431-5510
• Jumpin' Jay's Fish Café is 0.5 miles from Strawbery Banke, 150 Congress Street, Portsmouth, NH, 603-766-3474
• Café Espresso (lighter fare) is 1.36 miles from Strawbery Banke, 800 Islington Street, Portsmouth, NH 603-334-3407
• Dos Amigo Burritos is 0.56 miles from Strawbery Banke Museum, 107 State Street, Portsmouth, NH, 603-373-6001

Recommended places to stay include:

• Anchorage Inn, 1.93 miles from Strawbery Banke, 417 Woodbury Avenue, Portsmouth, NH 603-431-8111
• Captain Lord Mansion, 28.5 miles from Strawbery Banke, Kennebunkport, ME, 207-967-3141
• Best Western Wynwood Hotel & Suites is 1.73 miles from Strawbery Banke, 580 US Highway 1 Bypass, Portsmouth, NH 603-436-7600

Source: Strawbery Banke Museum Online

Important Disclaimer: The URL address in the resource box of this article is not associated with the Strawbery Banke Museum or any of the businesses mentioned in this article. This article and the web site are offered as a resource for formulating vacation ideas

This article is FREE to publish with the resource box.

© 2007 Connie Limon All Rights Reserved

Written by: Connie Limon. For more vacation ideas visit http://smalldogs2.com/VacationIdeas For a variety of FREE reprint articles and special topic articles rarely found elsewhere visit Camelot Articles at http://www.camelotarticles.com

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