You must have a General Museum Admission ticket to attend this tour.

Save $2 on all General Museum Admission options when you purchase online in advance. Online prices already include the $2 discount. No promo-code needed.

In this 60-minute guided tour, visit three historic Portsmouth homes to explore how the American Revolution and its legacy shaped daily life. Begin at Pitt Tavern in 1777, to learn how civilians during the Revolution grappled with questions of loyalty and debated the meaning of independence and equality. Next, at the Rider-Wood House in 1826, see how life unfolded in a new nation facing the challenge of living up to the Revolution’s promises. Conclude at the Goodwin Mansion in 1870 to discover how the Revolution continued to shape American life long after its end.

Each house presents a window into how Portsmouth residents experienced and remembered the Revolution, demonstrating that the struggle for freedom extended beyond battlefields into daily life.

Join an expert guide and explore three centuries of New England History. This 90-minute guided tour highlights four historic homes, each offering a unique glimpse into Portsmouth’s past. Limited to 15 participants per tour.

• Goodwin Mansion (1870): Experience the elegance of Ichabod and Sarah Goodwin’s home during a time of social and industrial change.

• Shapiro House (1919): See how Jewish immigrants Sarah and Abraham Shapiro built a new life, shaping Portsmouth’s growing immigrant community.

• Pitt Tavern (1777): Learn about the Stavers family and what it took to keep a tavern running in Revolutionary-War era America. 

• Abbott House & Store (1940s): Discover how widow Bertha Abbott, a widow, welcomed neighbors with the help of local high schooler Leslie Clough during World War II.

The Revolutionary Portsmouth Lecture Series is a collaborative program between Strawbery Banke Museum and Portsmouth Historical Society, presented in conjunction with each organization’s 2026 exhibition, Revolutionary Portsmouth. Through a series of engaging talks, historians and scholars explore the people, events, and everyday experiences that shaped Portsmouth during the American Revolution and its lasting legacy.

Lectures rotate between Strawbery Banke Museum and Portsmouth Historical Society. Please note the location for each program when registering.

Member Prices are valid for Strawbery Banke and Portsmouth Historical Society Members.

Candlelight Stroll
Select your ticket quantity and type below.

Please arrive during the arrival window listed on your ticket.

Strawbery Banke members receive discounted tickets with a valid membership. Members must be signed in to their account before selecting tickets. Once signed in, the member discount will be automatically applied to eligible member tickets in the cart. No promo code is required.

Parking is not available on-site for Candlelight Stroll. The Museum’s small parking lot is reserved for guests with accessible parking needs on a first-come, first-served basis.

Early Bird Discount will be automatically applied in the cart.

Questions or difficulty purchasing tickets? Please call 603.241.1644.

Trick-or-treat outdoors from house to historic house with Jack-o'-lanterns lighting the way in one of the nation's oldest neighborhoods. Meet wayward pirates and a mysterious fortune-teller, listen to ghostly tales, construct a giant spider web, dance to tunes, and play games for prizes.  Additionally, enjoy frighteningly fun shopping at our Strawbery Banke pop-up tent for exclusive Halloween merchandise!

Early Bird Pricing (08/10 - 09/07) Applies automatically in the cart.

Strawbery Banke Members receive discount on tickets (no promo code needed).  Members must sign in to receive their discount. Member tickets are listed at the same price as non-member tickets. The discount will be applied in the cart. If you are having difficulty purchasing tickets please contact 603.473.4814

Explore historic architecture and building traditions through hands-on workshops, model building, and guided visits inside historic houses.

Families may choose from age-based workshops offered throughout the day. Workshop times and lengths vary by age group.

Click "Show Individual Events" to see all Homeschool Day Workshops.

If programs are full or you are trying to register large groups, please email bcoppola@sbmuseum.org or mbeihl@sbmuseum.org for assistance. 

Please note: Due to space limitations, only one adult per family will be able to attend.

Discover the art of turning fiber into yarn in this one-day beginner workshop at Strawbery Banke. Using a simple tool called a drop spindle, participants will learn the foundational techniques of hand spinning and gain an understanding of how fibers twist and form thread.

Guided by a Museum Instructor, you’ll practice drafting and spinning and explore how to control thickness and twist. By the end of the session, you’ll take home both your drop spindle and the yarn you’ve spun.

The Intro to Drop Spinning Workshop is designed for ages 16 and older and is suitable for beginners. Limited to 8 participants. Members $55; Nonmembers $65. 

Members make sure you are signed in and your $10 discount will be added to your cart.

To register for individual book clubs, click "Show Individual Events."

Join us for a professional development workshop generously sponsored by George Washington's Mount Vernon. This program examines George Washington's evolving and often contradictory views on slavery. Through primary sources and digital archives, participants will explore what Washington said and wrote about slavery throughout his lifetime, considering the historical context and the lasting impact of his decisions.

The workshop will also highlight the remarkable story of Ona Judge, one of the people enslaved by Washington who courageously escaped to freedom and spent the remainder of her life in Portsmouth. Her story provides a powerful lens for discussing resistance, agency, and the lived experiences of enslaved people.

Participants will take part in a guided tour of sites associated with the Black Heritage Trail of New Hampshire, connecting national history to local stories of freedom and resilience. Educators will also receive a variety of classroom-ready resources, including digital materials, primary sources, and lesson ideas to help students engage with this complex chapter of American history.

Lunch will be provided, and participants will receive a $50 transportation stipend upon completion of the workshop. This program is designed for K–12 educators seeking meaningful, inquiry-based approaches to teaching about slavery, the founding era, and the experiences of individuals whose stories have too often been overlooked.

Please contact Bekki Coppola with any questions.

Please Click "Show Individual Events"  to select workshops

Advance your knitting skills in this intermediate workshop at Strawbery Banke. Guided by Museum instructors, you’ll work on a Fox and Geese Mitten, a classic pattern based on an 18 century game board.

Participants should already be comfortable with casting on and off, knitting, increasing, and decreasing. You’ll learn to read Colorwork charts work in the round, and gain confidence in shaping with increases and decreases. By the end of the session, you’ll take home a mitten  and the skills to continue the second mitten on your own.

Materials:

• One set double pointed knitting needles, size 3

• 2 or 3  colors of dk to worsted weight yarn

Or, preorder a kit at checkout and your instructor will have it ready for you. Kits include needles and yarn for class ($30).

This workshop is suitable for ages 16 and older and limited to 8 participants. Members $45; Nonmembers $55. 

Members make sure you are signed in and your $10 discount will be added to your cart.

Strawbery Banke Museum invites organizations and individuals to sponsor and decorate a tree for this year’s Candlelight Stroll, which takes place on the weekends of December 4-6, 11-13, and 18-20.

Sponsor-A-Tree participants receive:

• A 6-7 foot tree in a beautiful grove at the Museum ready for decorating
• A sign with a logo (or name) in front of your tree

Join the expert weavers at Strawbery Banke for a one-day workshop to create a handwoven scarf, approximately 8 inches wide and up to 60 inches long. This session is suitable for beginners and experienced participants alike and provides an opportunity to craft a unique piece for yourself or as a holiday gift.

Our Harrisville 4-shaft floor looms will be dressed with lovely wool, ready for you to throw the shuttle.   Under the guidance of our skilled weavers, you will learn fundamental techniques, explore creative color combinations, and experiment with a variety of treadling sequences to develop your scarf.

The One-Day Scarf Weaving Workshop is designed for ages 16 and older and is suitable for beginners and experienced participants alike. Limited to 6 participants each date. Members $100; Nonmembers $125. 

Members make sure you are signed in and your $10 discount will be added to your cart.

Build on your basic knitting skills in this hands-on workshop at Strawbery Banke. Designed for knitters who can already cast on, knit, and purl, this class will guide you through shaping, seaming, and finishing a stylish watch cap suitable for cool weather or thoughtful gifts.

You’ll practice pattern reading, simple increases and decreases, and tips for creating a polished, professional-looking project. By the end of the session, you’ll leave with your own handmade mitts, new techniques, and added confidence in your knitting skills.

Materials to Bring:

• One pair of straight or 16" circular knitting needles, size 6 or 7

• 1 ball of DK to worsted weight yarn

Or, preorder a kit at checkout and your instructor will have it ready for you. Kits include needles and yarn for class ($30).

This workshop is suitable for ages 16 and older and limited to 8 participants. Members $45; Nonmembers $55.  

Members make sure you are signed in and your $10 discount will be added to your cart.

Explore the art of 18th-century handwriting in this hands-on workshop at Strawbery Banke. Participants will learn traditional quill-writing techniques and practice the elegant scripts used by the Founding Generation.

Guided by Museum instructors, you’ll cut your own quill pen to use during class and take home. You’ll also work with historically accurate inks to create a finished piece of handwritten penwork, beautifully framed and ready to keep or give as a gift.

This workshop is suitable for ages 16 and older and limited to 12 participants. All materials are included. Members $35; Non-Members $45. 

Members make sure you are signed in and your $10 discount will be added to your cart.

Learn the basics of crochet granny squares  in this beginner workshop at Strawbery Banke. Participants will be guided by Museum instructors as they create a classic granny square motif and border using wool yarn, a naturally fire resistant material.

No prior crochet experience is required. Step by step, you’ll learn how to read a crochet chart and make the stitches. By the end of the session, you’ll have a completed hot pad reminiscent of the one in the Pridham kitchen.

This workshop is suitable for ages 16 and older and limited to 8 participants. All materials are provided, though you are welcome to bring your own fabric scraps. Members $55; Nonmembers $65. 

Members make sure you are signed in and your $10 discount will be added to your cart.

Discover the art of turning fiber into yarn in this one-day beginner workshop at Strawbery Banke. Using a spinning wheel, participants will learn the foundational techniques of hand spinning and gain an understanding of how fibers twist and form thread.

Guided by a Museum Instructor, using either your own spinning wheel or one of ours, you’ll practice drafting and spinning and explore how to control thickness and twist. 

The Intro to Drop Spinning Workshop is designed for ages 16 and older and is suitable for beginners. Limited to 8 participants. Members $55; Nonmembers $65.

Members make sure you are signed in and your $10 discount will be added to your cart.

Explore  Weaving Shoelaces

All materials  supplied. Learn to carve a small band heddle and weave shoelaces.  Will be using a box cutter style blade to carve your own heddle and then learn to use it to make shoe laces or other thin bands.

This workshop is suitable for ages 16 and older and limited to 8 participants.   Members $45; Nonmembers $55.

Members make sure you are signed in and your $10 discount will be added to your cart.

Join expert guides for a 90-minute tour exploring three centuries of Thanksgiving traditions. Travel through time and visit four historic houses to learn how this holiday has evolved over time. Discover how people celebrated Thanksgiving in 1777 at the William Pitt Tavern, experience the height of the Victorian period in 1870 at the Goodwin Mansion, share in the experience of a Jewish immigrant family learning about the American holiday in 1919 at the Shapiro House, and learn about Thanksgiving on the Homefront in 1943 at the Abbott House and Store.

Strawbery Banke Members receive a discount on tickets (no promo code needed).  Members must sign in to receive their discount. Member tickets are listed at the same price as non-member tickets. The discount will be applied in the cart. If you are having difficulty purchasing tickets please contact 603.241.1644

Candlelight Stroll
Select your ticket quantity and type below.

Please arrive during the arrival window listed on your ticket.

Strawbery Banke members receive discounted tickets with a valid membership. Members must be signed in to their account before selecting tickets. Once signed in, the member discount will be automatically applied to eligible member tickets in the cart. No promo code is required.

Parking is not available on-site for Candlelight Stroll. The Museum’s small parking lot is reserved for guests with accessible parking needs on a first-come, first-served basis.

Questions or difficulty purchasing tickets? Please call 603.241.1644.