The Upper Valley of New Hampshire and Vermont is rich in history. Visiting a local Museum or Historical Society gives you a window to the past and an appreciation of the present.
Saint-Gaudens Historic National Park
Cornish, NH
Arts & Culture, Natural Wonders & Outdoor Recreation, Historical
Description: Saint Gaudens' Sunday afternoon concerts (2 – 4 p.m.)
Step into the world of one of America’s greatest artists. Discover the home, studios and gardens of Augustus Saint-Gaudens, one of America’s greatest sculptors. See over 100 of his artworks in the galleries and on the grounds, from heroic public monuments to expressive portrait reliefs, and the gold coins which changed the look of American coinage. Enjoy summer concerts, explore nature trails, or indulge your hidden talents during a sculpture class.
Link: https://www.nps.gov/saga/index.htm
Enfield Shaker Museum
Enfield, NH
Arts & Culture, Historical
Description: The Enfield Shaker Museum & historic site located in Enfield, NH is an outdoor history museum and historic district. It was originally home to 3 families of Shakers and has been cherished for over 200 years. It is dedicated to preserving and sharing the history of the Shakers who lived on the site from 1793 to 1923.
Link: https://shakermuseum.org
American Precision Museum
Windsor, VT
Arts & Culture, Historical
Description: The Museum preserves the heritage of the mechanical arts, celebrates the ingenuity of our mechanical forebears, and explores the effects of their work on our everyday lives. The American Precision Museum, housed in the original Robbins & Lawrence Armory, now holds the largest collection of historically significant machine tools in the nation.
Link: https://www.americanprecision.org/
Fort at No. 4 Open Air Museum
Charlestown, NH
Historical
Description: The Fort at No. 4 was once the Northernmost of the Western British colonies. Now, reenactors host tours and events at the settlement.
Link: http://www.fortat4.org/
Orozco Murals in Baker Library at Dartmouth College
Hanover, NH
Historical, Arts & Culture
Description: The monumental mural cycle The Epic of American Civilization was painted by Mexican artist José Clemente Orozco between 1932 and 1934 in Baker-Berry Library at Dartmouth College. This national historic landmark is considered one of the finest examples of mural painting in this country by one of the greatest twentieth-century practitioners of public art.
Link: http://www.dartmouth.edu/digitalorozco/
Hanover Historical Society
Hanover, NH
Historical, Arts & Culture
Description: The Hanover Historical Society operates a small museum, Webster Cottage, on the campus of Dartmouth College; collects and preserves materials of historical significance and makes them available to the public. They also sponsor historical talks and tours relating to the region’s history.
Link: https://hanoverhistory.org/
Lyme Historians Museum
Lyme, NH
Historical, Arts & Culture
Description: The Lyme Historians help document the town’s history, keeping it alive and relevant to the present day by maintaining exhibits and collections and acquiring books, maps, documents and artifacts pertaining to Lyme, New Hampshire.
Link: https://lymehistorians.wordpress.com
Norwich Historical Society
Norwich, VT
Historical, Arts & Culture
Description: Our mission is to foster a greater sense of place and community by presenting and sharing its collections and stories from the past. The Society maintains the historic 1807 Lewis House in the heart of Norwich’s historic downtown along with an extensive collection of artifacts, photos, and archives relating to the town’s history.
Link: https://norwichhistory.org/
New London Historical Society
New London, NH
Historical, Arts & Culture
Description: See history brought to life through fun events such as reenactments, feasts, and fiddle contests.