NH Heritage Museum Trail Expands

Strawbery Banke Museum in Portsmouth has joined the NH Heritage Museum Trail as a Seacoast region member.

Welcoming more than 100,000 visitors annually, Strawbery Banke Museum interprets the waterfront neighborhood of Puddle Dock from 1695 to 1955 through 32 historic buildings, eight gardens, costumed role-players, traditional crafts people and professional staff.

“There is always strength in numbers,” says Strawbery Banke Museum President and CEO Lawrence J. Yerdon. “Each of us knows that partnership is essential to the success of our museums, whether collaborating along geographical, thematic or mission-driven lines.”

Formed in 2014 as a way to share resources and cross-promote, The Trail is divided into the Seacoast, Merrimack Valley and Lakes regions with 16 members in Canterbury, Concord, Dover, Exeter, Laconia, Manchester, Moultonborough, Plymouth, Portsmouth, Tamworth and Wolfeboro.

“In the coming months, we plan to roll out a Trail Passport that will incentivize people to visit not just one museum, but all museums on The Trail,” says Jeff Barraclough, president of The Trail. “We are thrilled Strawbery Banke Museum has elected to join our collaborative.”

Yerdon says as the Trail continues to build awareness among the traveling public, it makes sense to collaborate on initiatives like the joint Trail Passport. “By leveraging our individual marketing efforts into a larger collective initiative, members can better promote one another and NH’s unique and rich heritage."