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

Tag: inclusivity

American Independence Festival

Tickets available at the door or online.

Adults: $5
Children 4-18: $3
Member Adults: Free
Member Children: Free
Active Military and Veterans: Free
Festival 3-Day Pass Adult: $10
Festival 3-Day Pass Child: $6

Join us for the second Saturday of our modified Independence Festival.

Today’s Festival Highlights:

Artisans:

  • Laurel Jamieson- Spinning and Weaving
  • Adam Hodges-LeClaire- Tailoring
  • Walter Hanson- Ranger in Colonial Times
  • R.P. Hale- Dulcimer
  • Denise and Paul Pouliot- Abenaki Culture

Reenactor Groups:

  • The 4th (King’s Own) Regiment of the Foot
  • 85th Régiment de Saintonge

Other Festival Highlights:

  • Welcome and Land Acknowledgment at 10:15 am
  • John Taylor Gilman Declaration Reading Reenactment at 2 pm
  • From Sheep to Socks in Colonial America hands at 11 & 2:30

Ongoing programs:

  • Folsom Tavern tours
  • Hands-on family activities
  • Beer garden (12-4 p.m.)

Evening Event: Historic Enemies and Rivals: European Armies in North America

Enjoy living history as two reenactor units of the British and French army perform military drills and engage in some friendly rivalry. This evening program is free of charge.

American Independence Festival

American Independence Festival July 10, 17 & 24

Tickets available at the door or online.
Adults: $5
Children 4-18: $3
Member Adults: Free
Member Children: Free
Actively Military and Veterans: Free
Festival 3-Day Pass Adult: $10
Festival 3-Day Pass Child: $6

Join us for the first Saturday of our modified Independence Festival.

Today’s Festival Highlights:

Artisans:

  • Linda Oakley- Needlework
  • Peter Oakley- Shoemaker
  • Peter Cook- Flax to Linen
  • Bill Wasson- Ropemaking

Reenactor Groups:

  • First Regiment of New Hampshire- special presentations at 11:30 a.m. & 2:45 p.m.
  • Ladies Association of Revolutionary America- special presentations at 11 a.m. & 1:30 p.m.

Other Festival Highlights:

  • Meet “Black Jack” Staines- special presentations at 10:45 a.m., 12 p.m., 1:15 p.m. & 3:30 p.m.
  • John Taylor Gilman Declaration Reading Reenactment- 2 p.m.

Ongoing programs:

  • Folsom Tavern tours
  • Hands-on family activities
  • Beer garden (12-6 p.m.)

Evening Event: Theo Martey and the Akwaaba Ensemble

This free event is made possible through the sponsorship of Riverwoods Exeter.

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Family friendly event exploring local waterways at the Independence Museum

Table displaying Abenaki artifacts with an indigenous presenter demonstrating fletching

On Saturday, June 26 the American Independence Museum will host an outdoor community event, Our Waterways, exploring the waterways that have drawn people to the Exeter area for thousands of years.

Through presentations and hands-on activities, attendees will discover how different uses such as fishing, water power, and transportation transcend cultures and have different impacts on the waterways.

“Visitors will recreate rivers and dams to see how obstructing the river not only creates falls, but limits fish migration,” said Sarah Jaworski, American Independence Museum Program Manager. Make and take craft kits will also be provided.

The program runs from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m on the lawn at Folsom Tavern. Formal family-friendly presentations will occur at 10:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. From 10:30 to 11:15 a.m., Denise and Paul Pouliot of the Indigenous New Hampshire Collaborative Collective will share the importance of waterways in the daily life of the Pennacook-Abenaki People.

This will be followed from 12:30 to 1:15 p.m. by a presentation by the Mt. Kearsarge Indian Museum.

“Waterways are an interwoven link to the history, art and traditions of Native people, past and present. This brief discussion will share some insights into canoes and wampum beads, as they relate to Native people and the Waterways of the Northeast,” said Andrew Bullock, Executive Director of Mt. Kearsarge Indian Museum.

The entire program takes place outside on the grounds of the American Independence Museum. The cost is $10 a family (up to four individuals) and $5 for an individual. Members attend free.

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.

Family Friendly Saturday: Our Waterways

Cost:
$10- Family (up to four) non-member
$5- Individual non-member
$0- Members

Join us as we explore the importance of the river to all inhabitants of the area, as well as the human impact on the ecology of the river over time. The day will consist of hands-on activities with water and make-and-take crafts. Denise and Paul Pouliot of the Cowasuck Band of the Pennacook Abenaki will share the waterways importance to the daily life of the Pennacook-Abenaki People, including foodways, transportation, and culture. The Mt. Kearsarge Indian Museum will share how birch bark canoes allowed transportation across N’dakinna (the traditional ancestral homeland of the Abenaki, Pennacook and Wabanaki Peoples past and present) via waterways and how Wampum (beads with important culture meaning and significance) even have ties to the water.

Discover how the use of the waterways from fishing, water power, and transportation transcend cultures, and how those uses had different impacts on the waterway themselves.

The entire program takes place outside.

The program runs from 10:00-2:00, with formal family friendly presentations happening at 10:30 & 12:30.

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Tavern Tours Highlight Inclusivity and Diversity

Outdoor shot of the entrance to Folsom Tavern with an OPEN sign showing and four people on a tour.

In 2021, inclusivity and diversity will inform much of the programming and exhibits at the American Independence Museum, an emphasis that underscores Folsom Tavern Tours.

In these tours, Curator Jennifer Carr said visitors can expect to learn how many kinds of people used and experienced colonial taverns.

“A tavern was experienced differently by an enslaved person compared to a white merchant or woman, for instance,” she said.

Executive Director Emma Stratton said the museum is actively working to interpret history through diverse perspectives and to help with our understanding of the present.

“‘Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness’ is a complicated subject that has different meanings to different people in our history as a nation,” she said.

Built in 1775 by Samuel Folsom, Folsom Tavern boasts a unique history, as George Washington visited it in 1789. Folsom Tavern was also the site to the founding of the Society of the Cincinnati in the State of New Hampshire in 1783. The nation’s oldest patriotic organization, the Society was founded by officers of the Continental Army and their French counterparts who served together in the American Revolution.

“Visitors will learn about this fascinating history, too,” added Carr.

Folsom Tavern Tours also feature audio recordings that replicate sounds that may have been heard in 18th century taverns. After the guided tours, which will last approximately 45-minutes, visitors will be encouraged to remain on-site and enjoy 1-acre landscaped property.

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

All tours are limited and masks and pre-registration are required. Tours will be held every hour on the hour on Thursdays 10-12 and Fridays/Saturdays 10-3.

To register for Folsom Tavern tours, visit independencemuseum.org/visit/.

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.

Tavern Talk: Digging Into Native History in New Hampshire

Abenaki history has been reduced to near-invisibility as a result of conquest, a conquering culture that placed little value on the Indian experience, and a strategy of self-preservation that required many Abenaki to go “underground,” concealing their true identities for generations to avoid discrimination and persecution. Robert Goodby reveals archaeological evidence that shows their deep presence here, inches below the earth’s surface.

More information
Presented by Dr. Robert Goodby as part of New Hampshire Humanities to Go program.

This Tavern Talk will include an introduction to the film, a screening, and a guided discussion afterwards.

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American Independence Museum to virtually host Uprooted: Heartache and Hope in New Hampshire

Smiling white woman with shoulder length curly brown hair.

On Thursday, May 20, the American Independence Museum will host a virtual screening of the film Uprooted: Heartache and Hope in New Hampshire from 6 to 7 p.m.

Uprooted is a 30-minute documentary based on interviews collected during New Hampshire Humanities’ Fences & Neighbors initiative on immigration.

Telling the story of five refugees who resettled in New Hampshire after leaving war-torn countries, the film examines what it means to be a refugee and how these five individuals made new lives for themselves in a strange place, separated from their families and often without communities, English language skills, or jobs.

These stories of the challenges faced by newcomers to New Hampshire echo the stories of those who crossed the Atlantic seeking new lives during the colonial period: religious persecution, personal freedoms, government oppression, and the promise of opportunity.

“We hope to engage our Museum communities in discussions of belonging and citizenship. Uprooted highlights immigrant experiences and asks us to critically think about and understand the American struggle for freedom,” said Program Assistant, Emma Scheinmann.

The screening, which will take place on Zoom, will include a post-film discussion led by Dr. Sara Withers, the project director and a Senior Lecturer at University of New Hampshire. Dr. Withers is a Cultural Anthropologist studying the lives and experiences of refugees in the Granite State.

This event is sponsored by New Hampshire Humanities’s Humanities to Go Program, which offers over 500 high-quality cultural programs that are free and open to the public.

Registration is required for this free program, which takes place on Thursday, May 20 from 6 to 7 p.m.

To register for this virtual tavern talk, visit independencemuseum.org.

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.

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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American Independence Museum Receives $10,000 Grant

Large red construction vehicle sits on a grassy lawn with an embankment held in place by a stone wall of about 3 feet in height. On the hill above the ledge is the Ladd-Gilman House, a 300 year old building faces in cheery, yellow clapboard. 

A $10,000 grant from the Cogswell Benevolent Trust will support the American Independence Museum in its efforts to effect critical masonry repairs to the back portion of the Ladd-Gilman House’s attached caretaker’s cottage. The restoration project is part of a larger multi-year drainage and grounds work project that began in 2019.

“Water was pooling in our basements, which created a humid environment that is detrimental to collections care and storage,” said museum Executive Director Emma Stratton. “It’s very important we develop a permanent solution to this issue.”

This issue compromised the structural integrity of the foundation of caretaker’s cottage, where the museum’s offices and archives are located.

“We are very thankful for the support of the Cogswell Benevolent Trust in its continued support of our collection care efforts,” said Stratton, who said this phase of the project involves other related repairs.

These repairs include tying the gutter system on the caretaker’s cottage to an existing drainage system in the newly rebuilt retaining wall and re-grading the grounds.

“We are also completing a pathway between both of our historic buildings and adding handrails to all public entrances. We look forward to making our grounds more accessible to the public,” she added.

Built in 1721, the Ladd-Gilman House is a National Historic Landmark property that was home to Nicholas Gilman, Jr., a signer of the Constitution. The home also served as Governor’s mansion when Nicholas’ brother, John Taylor Gilman, was Governor of New Hampshire. Their father—Nicholas Gilman, Sr.—served as the state’s first Treasurer.

Built in 1775 by Samuel Folsom and visited by George Washington in 1789, Folsom Tavern was the site of the formation of the New Hampshire chapter of the Society of the Cincinnati in 1783. The nation’s oldest patriotic organization, the Society was founded by officers of the Continental Army and their French counterparts who served together in the American Revolution.

“This is a big year for the museum, as we plan to celebrate the 300th anniversary of the Ladd-Gilman House and our 30th anniversary as a museum,” said Stratton.

The project is expected to be complete by the end of the year.

To learn more about the museum, including its Patriot’s Day Membership Drive, visit independencemuseum.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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American Independence Museum hosts Patriot’s Day Membership Drive

April 19th, also known as Patriot’s Day, commemorates the encounters at Lexington and Concord that traditionally mark the start of the American Revolution. Almost 250 years later, Patriot’s Day is the driving force behind the American Independence Museum’s first annual membership drive. Staff hope the date will serve as a reminder to current and future members to prepare for the upcoming season and support the museum.

“Shifting all membership renewals and sign-ups to one date will make it easier for visitors to keep track of their renewal cycle,” said Emma Stratton, executive director.

This April date will ensure that memberships are valid for the entire 2021 season which runs from May-November. Current plans for the 2021 season include new digital programs, a modified American Independence Festival in July, Folsom Tavern tours beginning May 15, and events to celebrate the 300th anniversary of Ladd- Gilman House and the 30th anniversary of the American Independence Museum.

A new membership level for individuals will also be introduced. This new level will provide the holder with free admission to tours and the Independence Festival. Students and educators will get a bonus of access to new educational digital resources and programs.

“With all the new content we’ve been creating in the digital realm the museum wanted to continue creating these resources for educators. I hope that this special access will continue to provide classroom resources,” said Sabina Ion, Content and Marketing Manager.

For those looking to support the museum at a higher level or wishing to receive member benefits for more people, the museum also offers Dual, Family, and Advocate membership levels.

To join or to renew memberships, https://www.independencemuseum.org/membership

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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Mini Camps tell stories of the American Revolution “Beyond the Battlefield”

Welcoming campers back to the American Independence Museum for the first time in two years, the museum is pleased to offer Thursday Mini-Camps for children ages 8-12.

Mini-Camp sessions will run Thursdays in July from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the grounds of the museum’s historic Folsom Tavern. During each session, campers will explore new stories of the people who lived during the American Revolution.

“We will dive into the stories of people who shaped our nation, including stories of those often left out of the history books,” said Program Manager Sarah Jaworski.

In addition to experiencing a soldier’s perspective on the American Revolution, campers will see how everyday people, women, people of color, and children were affected and contributed to the patriotic cause. Over the course of the summer, campers will get to dress in historic 18th-century clothing, try their hand at colonial crafts, see what revolutionary camp life was like, and even become a spy.

New Hampshire COVID guidelines for camps will be followed and registration is limited. Families can enlist in one, two, three, or all four sessions.

Jaworksi noted, “We are thrilled to host in-person camp again this summer.”

Visit https://www.independencemuseum.org/thursday-mini-camps/ to learn more about each camp session and register online. Families can enlist in one, two, three, or all four sessions.

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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