New Hampshire is surrounded on four sides by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Canada to the north and Maine to the northeast with just a short 18 mile stretch of coastline on its southeastern border that gives it access to the ocean and its only seaport, Portsmouth, founded in 1623 on the banks of the Piscataqua River.

You don't have to imagine what the town would have looked like throughout the subsequent centuries as a 10 acre area has been set aside and restored as an open air museum. The site is called 'Strawbery Banke' the name given to settlement by the first English settlers who ventured up the river and found its banks rich in wild berry bushes. The museum recreates local crafts of the past 300 years and has preserved many of the original 17th and 18th century homes, shops and taverns. Others have been renovated to house exhibitions. The museum recreates moments in time from the original settlement in the 17th century, through its development as a seaport in the 18th century right up to the second world war. Children in particular will love the interactive activities on offer.