Strawbery Banke in Portsmouth, NH
is one of New Hampshire's oldest historical sites. Strawberry
Banke is an outdoor museum, it's history dates back to the early
1600's. In 1630 the area was chosen by English settler Captain
Walter Neal and it was named Strawbery Banke. Strawberry Banke
got it's name from the strawberry bushes that lined the
Piscataqua River. Strawberry Banke is New Hampshire's oldest
neighborhood and features 42 buildings, the oldest of which
dates back to 1693. Strawbery Banke has had numerous excavation
projects and archeologists have unearthed approximately 700,000
artifacts from the site. Some of these artifacts are on display.
In 1653 Strawbery Banke was renamed
Portsmouth.
Strawberry Banke, also known as the Puddle Dock later readopted
it's historical name and has been preserved as an outdoor museum
since 1965. The buildings, land and people do a great job of
keeping the history alive. Some of the buildings are used as
shops for artisans that provide traditional products and
services from it's early history. Ten of the houses in the
outdoor museum are used to show how homes were furnished during
it's time period and are open to the public. Tours are also
given by the staff who are also in traditional clothing, giving
this old little neighborhood the feel that you have stepped back
300+ years. You will certainly leave this historic site with a
new appreciation for our early NH settlers.
Strawberry Banke is normally open
from May 1 - October 31. Entry fees are $15.00 for adults, 5-17
is $10.00 & under 5 are free. There are special groups rates
available if you're interested in bringing a group of people or
for a school field trip. Strawbery Banke Museum can also provide
space for corporate events, weddings and wedding receptions.
Contact Strawbery Banke for more info at 603-433-1100.
Strawberry Banke also offers kid
programs like: Scouting, School programs, home school programs,
summer camps, and garden crafts.
Strawbery Banke is often misspelled
as Strawberry Bank, Strawberre Bank and Strawberrie Bank. Many
people also confuse it's location and think Strawbery Banke is
located in Maine. Strawberry Banke Museum is in fact located in
Portsmouth, NH which is across the Piscataqua River from Maine.
Strawbery Banke is in a congested area of Portsmouth. It is best to
use your GPS to get to the parking area. The GPS Coordinates for
Strawbery Banke are: N43°
04.521' | W070° 45.187'
See other historical places in NH
NH Tour Guide's History & Genealogy Forum