Portsmouth Children's Museum (Closing May 26) |  |
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Museums & History| Official Website: Portsmouth Children's Museum (Closing May 26) Location: 280 Marcy Street, Portsmouth, NH, 03801 directions Phone:(603) 436-3853 Hours: Hours Vary see below Ages: Toddlers, Kids In/Outdoor: Indoor Cost: $ see below |
Others to Consider: Old South Meeting House, Faneuil Hall Marketplace, Quincy Market, Old Statehouse Museum, Isabella Stewart Gardner MuseumAfter nearly 25 years in Portsmouth, the Children’s Museum is closing its doors this weekend in preparation for its expansion and move to Dover later this summer.
The Children’s Museum plans to open as The Children’s Museum of New Hampshire in Dover in July. With triple the space, several new major exhibits, and enhanced visitor amenities, the museum is anticipate be a top destination for families with children of all ages.
The new museum will be located in downtown Dover, at the corner of Washington Street and Henry Law Avenue, next to the Dover Public Pool. This scenic setting on the banks of the Cocheco River includes a playground, picnic tables, and parking – perfect for family visits. Inside the museum, new visitor amenities include an elevator and ramp system for full accessibility, a snack room, storage space for coats and strollers, and dedicated spaces for school visits, performances and birthday parties.
About the Original Portsmouth Children's Museum
The The Children's Museum of Portsmouth is a hands-on arts and sciences museum for children of all ages offering engaging exhibits, daily art and science activities, family programs and workshops.
Housed in the town's historic Old Meeting House, the venue a a unique, large roomed antique building full of things to discover and explore. It's not huge by any means, but they offer a wide variety of interactive exhibits.
The small gift shop located at the fron entrance is very reasonably priced with quite a few cute souvenir choices.
View Upcoming Events Calendar
Features
Yellow Submarine
This two-story educational play structure is a reconstruction of a research and exploration submarine. Command the sub from the control room, send a Morse Code message to the surface, view the ocean environment above you through the periscope, then take a break in the sleeping quarters. Equipped with lots of ladders, stairways, tunnels and a fast slide.
Dino Detective
Become a paleontologist! Put on your lab coat and goggles and dig for a Triceratops fossil. Take part in the scientific process as you compare the jaws, claws, and vertebrae of a Triceratops and a Tyrannosaurus Rex.
Lobstering Boat
Climb aboard this 15-foot lobster boat that comes with a working lobster trap, raincoats, life vests, and sea creatures. Plot your course through the port of Portsmouth with a full-size nautical chart, a marine compass, and simple navigational tools.
Post Office
Visit the 'full-service' post office to mail letters, buy stamps, and check your PO box. Or, clock in and go to work behind the window -- sort letters, wait on customers, and deliver and collect mail along your route through the museum. Kids really get into delivering the laminated letters around the museum.
Play It Cool
Play It Cool is the museum's newest exhibit and it's a hit with all ages! This exhibit features Mindball, a two-player biofeedback game with a built-in electroencephalograph (EEG) machine. Each player wears an electrode headband which monitors alpha and theta brainwaves, the brainwaves of relaxation. The player who can become the most relaxed wins the game.
Art Center
Dive in to the art project of the day!
Pattern Palace
The throne room is 'under construction.' Tie on an apron and join the crew of 'Ye Olde Construction Company,' where 'Patterns are our passion,' to help finish the job. Complete the royal throne, the stone fireplace, the 'stained glass' window, and the rich flooring. This regal environment surrounds you with visual and textural patterns to discover, ponder, and manipulate -- from the silvery tin-paneled walls to the one-point, perspective mural, from the hand-crafted throne to the royal dragon portraits. Patterns are everywhere!
Birthday Parties
The museum is available for birthday parties every evening (except Wednesday) beginning at 5:30 PM, Sunday mornings between 9 AM and 12:30 PM, and Monday afternoons beginning at 1 PM (school year only). You're welcome to bring your own party food or have it delivered. There is a refrigerator and freezer on site. They do ask that all eating during parties be confined to the Project Area.
 Hours |  Top |
Tuesday - Saturday
10:00am - 5:00pm
Sundays
1:00pm - 5:00pm
Also open most Monday holidays and school vacation days
 Cost | Top |
Adults/Children: $6.00
Seniors: $5.00
Members: Free
Children Under 1: Free
 Location | Top |
280 Marcy Street, Portsmouth, NH, 03801 map
From the north (Maine): Route 95 South to Exit 7 in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Turn LEFT onto Market Street. Stay in the left lane and follow Market Street into downtown Portsmouth (about 3/4 of a mile). Turn LEFT onto Bow Street. Follow Bow Street as it curves to the right, staying in the left-hand lane as you approach the stop sign. At stop sign, continue straight. At second stop sign, turn LEFT onto State Street. Get into the right-hand lane. Take the last RIGHT onto Marcy Street. The museum is five blocks up on your right.
From the south (Massachusetts): Route 95 North to Exit 7 in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Turn RIGHT onto Market Street. After the first light, stay in the left lane and follow Market Street into downtown Portsmouth (about 3/4 of a mile). Turn LEFT onto Bow Street. Follow Bow Street as it curves to the right, staying in the left-hand lane as you approach the stop sign. At stop sign, continue straight. At second stop sign, turn LEFT onto State Street. Get into the right-hand lane. Take the last RIGHT onto Marcy Street. The museum is five blocks up on your right.
From the northeast (Concord/Dover/Rochester): Route 4 to Route 16, the Spaulding Turnpike. Follow the turnpike South to Exit 3 (left exit). Merge onto Woodbury Avenue and follow for about four miles into downtown Portsmouth. (Woodbury Avenue will become Market Street at about the halfway mark). Stay to the LEFT at the blinking yellow light near the Sheraton Portsmouth Hotel and Conference Center. Turn LEFT onto Bow Street. Follow Bow Street as it curves to the right, staying in the left-hand lane as you approach the stop sign. At stop sign, continue straight. At second stop sign, turn LEFT onto State Street. Get into the right-hand lane. Take the last RIGHT onto Marcy Street. The museum is five blocks up on your right.
From southern New Hampshire coast (Hampton/Rye): Route 1 North to traffic light at fork by Bowl-O-Rama and the cinemas. Bear right at fork, heading toward downtown Portsmouth. At first traffic light, turn RIGHT onto South Street. Follow South Street through one traffic light and one blinking light to the stop sign at the end of the road. Turn LEFT. Continue for 1/2 block and take second RIGHT onto Marcy Street. The museum will be 100 yards up on the left.
From the west (Manchester/Nashua): Take Route 101E to 95 North, and take Exit 7 in Portsmouth. Turn RIGHT onto Market Street. After the first light, stay in the left lane and follow Market Street into downtown Portsmouth (about 3/4 of a mile). Turn LEFT onto Bow Street. Follow Bow Street as it curves to the right, staying in the left-hand lane as you approach the stop sign. At stop sign, continue straight. At second stop sign, turn LEFT onto State Street. Get into the right-hand lane. Take the last RIGHT onto Marcy Street. The museum is five blocks up on your right.
Parking
Parking is limited at the museum, particularly during the warmer months. Nearby on-street parking is also available. Vans and buses must drop off visitors at the designated unloading zone directly in front of the museum. Buses and vans can then park for free at the Peirce Island Lot off of Marcy Street, near Prescott Park.
 Tips | Top |
- Food and drink are not permitted in the museum itself, but visitors may picnic at outdoor tables or in the amphitheater or trolley. Portsmouth has many family-friendly restaurants, but plan ahead, as there's very little in walking distance of the museum. View Portsmouth Restaurants
- Also tends to be on the warm side in here. Dress in layers. We went in January and it was uncomfortably warm - especially on the third floor.
 Related Links | Top |
- Profiles
 Reviews | Top |
Cute place, Sat 6 Jan 2007
If you happen to be in the Portsmouth area, this is a fun stop to make with the kids. It's not huge, but there is plenty of room to explore. There are three floors. The first floor is primarily the Big Yellow Submarine - a two story climbing structure that's pretty neat. The next floor is really one giant room that is chock full of hands on exhibits with lots of pretending and role playing centers. My kids spent a lot of time on the lobster boat and really enjoyed playing at the post office. They each took a postal bag and filled it with mail, and had a ball delivering the mail to the various mailboxes. It would be nice if there was more sitting room for parents, but it's definitely roomier than the Children's Museum in Acton, so there are more places to stand here without feeling cramped. (The Acton museum is what I would compare it too in size and scope). Overall, a nice time. We used our Museum of Science membership card to gain access for free. Then after we hopped over the bridge to Kittery to do some great outlet shopping.
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