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Tour Information: (603) 772-2622
Thursday – Saturday: 10 am to 4 pm

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American Independence Museum to Host Service Credit Union Day

Service Credit Union has sponsored the American Independence Museum (AIM) through several key initiatives in 2023, including free admission for all visitors to the American Independence Festival in July. This partnership continues with Service Credit Union Day on Veteran’s Day, Saturday, Nov. 11, in which AIM will offer free admission to all Service Credit Union staff and members.

“This is a wonderful way for us to share with Service Credit Union some of the new, inclusive stories we have been developing in our museum,” said AIM Executive Director Jennifer Carr. “We are so grateful we have this chance to educate and inspire the entire Service Credit Union community given how much they do for others.”

In addition to supporting organizations in areas in which their branches are located, Service CU meets community needs outside its existing reach through the Service CU Impact Foundation. In its first four years, the Impact Foundation has raised more than $2.2 million to support three focus areas: education, human services, and veterans.

Service CU’s Manuela Fraser (l) and Sean Hladick (r)

Regarding Service Credit Union Day, Sean Hladick, Community Relations Specialist at Service CU, said it is crucial they give back to their communities, including their employees and their families. “We’re grateful to the American Independence Museum for all they do to preserve and celebrate history, and are very excited for this partnership and opportunity,” said Hladick.

Presenting Sponsor

About American Independence Museum

Located in Exeter, NH, the American Independence Museum features a rare collection of historic artifacts that shed light on the Revolutionary War. Examples of popular items in our exhibits include a dragoon pistol, brown bess musket, and 18th century powder horn. Many of our programs offer insight into civic duties, civic engagement and civic responsibility, while we also feature a variety of things to do in NH, such as camps for kids, festivals, summer festival, reenactments, and homeschool programs. Perfect for a day trip or weekend trips, we believe in inclusivity and inclusive history and the spirit behind the phrase, ‘we the people’.

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American Independence Museum To Host Zoom Session for Older Adults

Engaging Older Adults

On Thursday, October 19 at 10:00 a.m., the American Independence Museum (AIM) will host a 60-minute Zoom session for older adults in an effort to expand its Creative Aging Advisory Group.

The purpose of the group, made possible by a grant from Eventide Foundation, is to provide older adults with meaningful opportunities to provide input on offerings at the museum. “Serving the needs of older adults is important to us, but we do not want to dictate how these needs are met,” said Sarah Jaworski, Program Manager. “We want to hear from older adults and give them agency.”

To date, AIM Executive Director Jennifer Carr said a lot of the feedback from older adults has focused on the importance of social connections. “We want seniors to feel comfortable here and that they are welcome,” she said.

To this end, Carr said AIM is exploring ways to enhance accessibility at its Folsom Tavern (c. 1775). Possible future enhancements include outdoor seating and lighting in addition to a portable outdoor restroom.

“We have a bathroom on the second floor at the tavern, but that presents a barrier for anyone with mobility challenges,” added Carr. “We want to remove that barrier.”

Regarding the Zoom session scheduled on Thursday, October 19 at 10:00 a.m., Jaworski said its structure will be informal and “more social than anything else.” “We will offer free museum memberships to any older adult that attends,” she added. “We look forward to making new friends.”

Preregistration is not required to attend the virtual session, although it is encouraged. To preregister or to learn more, please click the button below.

About American Independence Museum

Located in Exeter, NH, the American Independence Museum features a rare collection of historic artifacts that shed light on the Revolutionary War. Examples of popular items in our exhibits include a dragoon pistol, brown bess musket, and 18th century powder horn. Many of our programs offer insight into civic duties, civic engagement and civic responsibility, while we also feature a variety of things to do in NH, such as camps for kids, festivals, summer festival, reenactments, and homeschool programs. Perfect for a day trip or weekend trips, we believe in inclusivity and inclusive history and the spirit behind the phrase, ‘we the people’.

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American Independence Museum to Host Constitution Comic Workshops

On Saturday, September 16, the American Independence Museum (AIM) will host a series of free Constitution Comic Workshops designed for educators and families.

The workshops begin at 10:00 a.m. for educators where well-known NH-based cartoonist Marek Bennett will instruct participants on how to integrate the use of comic making into the classroom to explore primary sources. Educators will receive 1 CEU for attendance.

At 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., participants will instruct families and kids (ages 7+) on basic techniques of cartooning. “It will be fun and free,” said AIM Executive Director Jennifer Carr.

The workshops represent AIM’s Building Community initiative, part of the museum’s ongoing We Are One campaign. “All voices, all perspectives matter, and everyone is welcome here—this is our core organizational message,” added Carr.

Home to a world-class collection of 3,000 historic artifacts, the American Independence Museum develops programs, events, and exhibits that honor and invite inclusive and diverse perspectives.

AIM’s Constitution Comic Workshops take place on Saturday, September 16 at 10:00 a.m. for educators and 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. for families and children. Space is limited and pre-registration is encouraged.

About American Independence Museum

Located in Exeter, NH, the American Independence Museum features a rare collection of historic artifacts that shed light on the Revolutionary War. Examples of popular items in our exhibits include a dragoon pistol, brown bess musket, and 18th century powder horn. Many of our programs offer insight into civic duties, civic engagement and civic responsibility, while we also feature a variety of things to do in NH, such as camps for kids, festivals, summer festival, reenactments, and homeschool programs. Perfect for a day trip or weekend trips, we believe in inclusivity and inclusive history and the spirit behind the phrase, ‘we the people’.

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American Independence Museum To Offer Free Admission to Active Military

Aim Curator with AIM Executive Director with artifact.

The American Independence Museum (AIM) has joined the Blue Star Museums initiative to provide free admission to currently-serving U.S. military personnel and their families through Monday, September 4.

Participation in this initiative, according to AIM Executive Director Jennifer Carr, is especially meaningful given the origins of the museum itself. “We were founded by the Society of the Cincinnati, the nation’s oldest patriotic organization,” she said. “The founders were officers of the Continental Army who served together in the American Revolution.”

Members of the Society today, noted Carr, can trace their lineage back to those who fought in the American Revolution. “While the museum is focused on much more than the Revolutionary War, today’s active military have historically found special meaning in our collection and stories,” she added.

One example of such storytelling at AIM is that of Baron Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben’s book on Regulations for the Order and Discipline of Troops of the United States, adopted by Congress in 1779. “Baron von Steuben was a Prussian military officer recruited by Benjamin Franklin to train the Continental Army in European military techniques,” said Maddie Beihl, AIM curator.

Baron Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben’s book on Regulations for the Order and Discipline of Troops of the United States, adopted by Congress in 1779

Arriving in Portsmouth, NH in 1777, von Steuben traveled to Pennsylvania and joined George Washington at Valley Forge. His training quickly paid off, transforming the struggling American Army, and they began to win battles.

“US military members often recognize the drills in von Steuben’s book, as some are still in use to this day,” said Beihl, who noted the book is currently on display at the museum.

About American Independence Museum

Located in Exeter, NH, the American Independence Museum features a rare collection of historic artifacts that shed light on the Revolutionary War. Examples of popular items in our exhibits include a dragoon pistol, brown bess musket, and 18th century powder horn. Many of our programs offer insight into civic duties, civic engagement and civic responsibility, while we also feature a variety of things to do in NH, such as camps for kids, festivals, summer festival, reenactments, and homeschool programs. Perfect for a day trip or weekend trips, we believe in inclusivity and inclusive history and the spirit behind the phrase, ‘we the people’.

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American Independence Museum to Host Lunch & Learn

Cover of the book New Hampshire War Monuments. Text is in white font over a dark green background. Images of stone monuments are located above and below the title bar.

On Thursday, November 10 at 12 noon, the American Independence Museum will host Lunch & Learn: NH War Monuments, its first such program since the onset of the pandemic.

“We are thrilled to again welcome people back to our popular Lunch & Learn series,” said Program Manager Sarah Jaworski. “This one will be interesting, too, as Kathleen and Sheila Bailey discuss their book, New Hampshire War Monuments: The Stories Behind the Stones.”

Exploring the “heartbreaking history and backstories” of some of the statues and plaques that dot New Hampshire’s cities and landscapes, New Hampshire War Monuments: The Stories Behind the Stones was published in August 2022.

Stories in the book range from a heartbroken Danish sculptor who gives a gift to the town where his late wife enjoyed summers to the way a daughter pays tribute to her father, killed in the Civil War. “The book explores the stories behind New Hampshire’s war monuments, memorials, and other tributes to those who have made the ultimate sacrifice,” said Jaworski. “These are literally the stories behind the stones.”

Lunch & Learn: NH War Monuments takes place, 12 noon to 1:00 p.m., on Thursday, November 10 at the American Independence Museum’s Folsom Tavern, 164 Water St., Exeter. Attendance is free, and people are encouraged to bring a bagged lunch. Signed copies of Signed copies New Hampshire War Monuments: The Stories Behind the Stones will be available for purchase.

Home to a world-class collection of 3,000 historic artifacts, the museum is currently developing a variety of public and education programs in digital formats to encourage digital inclusion for all ages. Click here to learn more.

About the American Independence Museum

Located in Exeter, NH, the American Independence Museum features a rare collection of historic artifacts that shed light on the Revolutionary War. Examples of popular items in our exhibits include a dragoon pistol, brown bess musket, and 18th century powder horn. Many of our programs offer insight into civic duties, civic engagement and civic responsibility, while we also feature a variety of things to do in NH, such as camps for kids, festivals, summer festival, reenactments, and homeschool programs. Perfect for a day trip or weekend trips, we believe in inclusivity and inclusive history and the spirit behind the phrase, ‘we the people’.

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Free Admission through Smithsonian Museum Day

Seven individuals walk around a museum room with a pyramidal shaped interactive in the middle of the room

On September 17, 1787, delegates to the Constitutional Convention formally signed and adopted the United States Constitution. Nearly 250 years later, we celebrate this day as Constitution Day or Citizenship Day.

The American Independence Museum is thrilled to offer free admission to all on Saturday, September 17 through the Smithsonian Magazine Museum Day Program. Smithsonian Museum Day is a program where hundreds of museums and cultural institutions across the country provide free admission to individuals who have registered through the Smithsonian’s website.

“We are thrilled to once again participate in the Museum Day Program. Free admission on Constitution Day provides all guests with the opportunity to not only celebrate this important day in our nation’s history, but see our working drafts of the Constitution with handwritten notes that show how much thought and effort went into our creating our founding documents,” said Jennifer Carr, Curator and Acting Executive Director at the American Independence Museum. The museum collection includes two early drafts of the US Constitution. Visitors are encouraged to compare these two versions, written one month apart, and note the seemingly small yet impactful differences in language, such as the change from listing the thirteen original states by name to “We the People of the United States.”

To further commemorate the day, the museum will be putting on the final part of their Five Freedoms Family Saturdays, a civic educational program that explores the five freedoms outlined in the First Amendment with family-friendly activities geared toward younger children.

Program Manager Sarah Jaworski notes that, “it’s important that all future citizens, no matter how small, understand the nation’s founding documents. Through this program we want to celebrate that the US Constitution is a document by and for the people.”

To register for Smithsonian Museum Day and plan your visit, go to www.independencemuseum.org.

About the American Independence Museum

Located in Exeter, NH, the American Independence Museum features a rare collection of historic artifacts that shed light on the Revolutionary War. Examples of popular items in our exhibits include a dragoon pistol, brown bess musket, and 18th century powder horn. Many of our programs offer insight into civic duties, civic engagement and civic responsibility, while we also feature a variety of things to do in NH, such as camps for kids, festivals, summer festival, reenactments, and homeschool programs. Perfect for a day trip or weekend trips, we believe in inclusivity and inclusive history and the spirit behind the phrase, ‘we the people’.

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Traveling Trunk Looking for a Lift in 2022/23 School Year

Elementary school aged children holding up paper plate masks with Revolutionary Era characters drawn on.

Logging 18,350 miles and educating 520 secondary students throughout the U.S. in 2021, the Traveling Trunk program has been an educational staple at the American Independence Museum since 2016. Registration for the program for the 2022/23 school year opened on May 1.

Shipped throughout the U.S., the trunk contains 70+ high quality reproduction items that range from clothing to replica personal care items and games. Hands-on learning, noted Program Manager Sarah Jaworski, is the intent behind the program, which is offered at no charge to schools.

“Teachers are provided with suggestions and ideas on activities to go along with the curriculum,” she said.

While aimed toward students in the 3rd through 5th grade, the program’s curriculum is flexible and can be customized for all grade levels. Developed with initial seed funding from the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation, the program relies on corporate funding to pay for associated shipping costs and replacement of replica educational items.

The only caveat with the upcoming school year, however, is the museum is currently looking for corporate support. “Shipping is the biggest expense along with the extra time needed to prepare a trunk to travel,” said Museum Executive Director Emma Stratton, who estimated the program’s annual costs at $5,000.

As for the benefits of sponsoring the trunk—either monthly or for an entire school year—Stratton said the program is unique in that it provides insight into New Hampshire’s colonial history. “This is a chance for students to learn more about not just New Hampshire, but Exeter’s status and role during the years leading up to and after the Revolutionary War.”

To learn more about the Traveling Trunk, including sponsorship opportunities, email Jaworski at [email protected], or visit independencemuseum.org.

About the American Independence Museum

Located in Exeter, NH, the American Independence Museum features a rare collection of historic artifacts that shed light on the Revolutionary War. Examples of popular items in our exhibits include a dragoon pistol, brown bess musket, and 18th century powder horn. Many of our programs offer insight into civic duties, civic engagement and civic responsibility, while we also feature a variety of things to do in NH, such as camps for kids, festivals, summer festival, reenactments, and homeschool programs. Perfect for a day trip or weekend trips, we believe in inclusivity and inclusive history and the spirit behind the phrase, ‘we the people’.

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Questioning “Does Truth Matter?” with the American Independence Museum

The American Independence Museum is pleased to announce the first virtual Tavern Talk of 2022 on Wednesday, March 23 at 6:30 p.m. featuring guest speaker Dr. Joshua Tepley presenting “Does Truth Matter?” Tepley is an Associate Professor of Philosophy at St. Anselm College, whose research interests include concepts of free will and personal identity, as well as the intersection of philosophy with science fiction and pop culture. Tepley has supported the museum in the past as a program participant and presenter.

“This Tavern Talk will touch on the timeless concept of truth, questions that both past and present Granite State citizens grapple with,” said museum Program Manager Sarah Jaworski.

The coexistence of multiple truths and experiences ties directly to the American Independence Museum’s mission of sharing the diverse stories of New Hampshire during the American Revolution.

“Our work at the museum requires examining multiple perspectives to find out what happened in the past. We understand that no singular truth exists. We are delighted to have Dr. Tepley share his ideas on truth with us,” said museum Executive Director Emma Stratton.

Participants will have the opportunity to share their concepts of truth as Tepley leads the group in a thought-provoking community conversation.

Tavern Talks are also supported by a Humanities-To-Go grant from the NH Humanities Council.
Click here to register for the zoom presentation on Wednesday, March 23, 6:30 p.m.

About the American Independence Museum
The American Independence Museum is a history museum in Exeter, NH that features a collection of 3,000 historic artifacts that shed light on the American Revolution. Many of our programs touch on civics and the fight for independence, while we incorporate  inclusivity and diversity into the experiences we create on-site and in digital formats. We feature a variety of things to do for people of all ages, including festivals, an historic tavern, guided tours and our annual American Independence Festival.

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Fireside Tavern Night at the American Independence Museum

Folsom Tavern covered in snow

On Thursday, December 2 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., the American Independence Museum will host Fireside Tavern Night at Folsom Tavern (c. 1775).

Free for all ages, the event will feature colonial music, fireside cooking demonstrations, hot cider and refreshments, and opportunities to make simple crafts. Attendees will also be able to purchase items from the museum’s gift shop inside the tavern.

“We will also have local vendors selling handcrafted and carefully curated gifts,” said the museum’s Sarah Jaworski, who noted Folsom Tavern will also be decorated for the holidays. “It will be a very festive atmosphere.”

Fireside Tavern Night takes place from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Thursday, December 2 both within and outside of Folsom Tavern, 164 Water St., Exeter, NH. Admission is free, and guests are encouraged to bring healthy non-perishable food and toiletry donations for St. Vincent dePaul. Masks are required inside.

About the American Independence Museum
The American Independence Museum is a history museum in Exeter, NH that features a collection of 3,000 historic artifacts that shed light on the American Revolution. Many of our programs touch on civics and the fight for independence, while we incorporate  inclusivity and diversity into the experiences we create on-site and in digital formats. We feature a variety of things to do for people of all ages, including festivals, an historic tavern, guided tours and our annual American Independence Festival.

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RiverWoods Exeter to present concert with Theo Martey & The Akwaaba Ensemble

Riverwoods Exeter and AIM representatives standing in front of the Folsom Tavern

On Saturday, July 10 the American Independence Festival will cap off an exciting day with an outdoor concert featuring Theo Martey & The Akwaaba Ensemble, presented by RiverWoods Exeter.

Theophilus Nii Martey, originally from Ghana, is a master of West African drumming and dance. Martey founded the Akwaaba Ensemble in Manchester, NH. Their energetic and engaging performances are a reflection of their name, which means ‘welcome’ in the Twi language of Ghana. The Ensemble’s music evokes the life and culture of their West African ancestors, who were among those living free and enslaved in New Hampshire during the Revolutionary era.

This outdoor concert takes place from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m. and is free of charge thanks to generous support from RiverWoods Exeter. Guests are encouraged to bring chairs, blankets, and picnics.

“The RiverWoods Exeter community is more than just a local business, we are neighbors!” said RiverWoods Exeter Executive Director, Deb Riddell. “Our residents and staff are big fans of the Exeter area and eager supporters whenever and wherever possible. We’re excited to be able to sponsor this concert, allowing it to be a free community event.”

Celebrating the arrival of the Declaration of Independence in Exeter on July 16, 1776, the American Independence Festival features a variety of entertainment, including music, military demonstrations, traditional artisan working village, and more. Sponsored by the New Hampshire State Council on the Arts, this year’s festival includes in-person events spanning the month of July.

To learn more, or purchase tickets, visit independencemuseum.org.

For more information about RiverWoods Exeter, part of the largest family of non-profit Continuing Care Retirement Communities in Northern New England, visit RiverWoodsExeter.org.

About the American Independence Museum
The American Independence Museum is a history museum in Exeter, NH that features a collection of 3,000 historic artifacts that shed light on the American Revolution. Many of our programs touch on civics and the fight for independence, while we incorporate  inclusivity and diversity into the experiences we create on-site and in digital formats. We feature a variety of things to do for people of all ages, including festivals, an historic tavern, guided tours and our annual American Independence Festival.

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