We went with a group of friends and used a museum pass for free admissions. They had some…read moreinteresting stuff but was somewhat basic and in need of more updates. They have a lot of information about the Challenger that was worth the read and walk down memory lane in remembrance. We arrived at 12:30 PM but were told planetarium tickets were available for 2 PM. We paid $7 for these tickets. I don't know why I thought it was going to be a movie and instead found it to be an informative lecture about planets by a well-versed staff member who spoke about 45 minutes about stars and constellations. They have friendly and welcoming staff.

This is the official Christy McAuliffe Planetarium. Great place for all ages to learn about the…read moreuniverse / galaxies / constellations / Planets and much much more.

I grew up in New Hampshire but never visited the Manse until a decade and a half after leaving. I…read moreemailed the Manse's Pierce Brigade (their volunteer group) to see if they could offer a tour for the day after Thanksgiving. They put it together and brought our group of four on a very in-depth tour. You will learn so much about NH's only president, about society at the time of Pierce's life and presidency, and what local homes were like in that era. Our volunteer was able to answer every question that we lobbed her way, even on things not directly related to the Pierces. Bonus: you can see the dress that Pierce wore as a child. My one quibble was that our tour guide seemed to dismiss our personal anecdotes that we offered that connected with what we were seeing, which was disappointing as I used to be a docent at a presidential library, and learned the most from people on my tours. She also was very short with me when she saw me taking some photos (non-flash!), but she hadn't told me that it was not allowed. Apparently there was a sign in the lobby but I hadn't seen it. Overall, totally worth spending an hour while you're in New Hampshire to learn some history!

What a great museum about probably one of the least well known presidents our country has ever had…read more Sadly remembered as one of the worst presidents (if he is remembered at all) - mostly because of the Kansas-Nebraska Act -President Pierce actually had some rather great accomplishments during his tenure. To be honest, I knew almost nothing about Franklin Pierce when we went here and expected to be in the museum an hour or so......it is after all just a house he used to live in so how much could there be to see? Well, it was less about the house and more about what our docent offered us. She was so knowledgeable (sorry I have forgotten her name but she had a lovely Bostonian accent) and very happy to entertain our questions. We must have been there several hours soaking up all her knowledge and the stories she had to share. The Pierce's had quite a tragic family life. Having already lost one child in infancy and another as a toddler, Franklin Pierce began his presidency grief stricken by a tragic accident that took his older son's life. But, he had to deal with a country in turmoil and actually managed to accomplish quite a few positive things during his term. I was glad to come away from our visit with a much better understanding (and much more positive views) of our 14th President. I highly recommend this museum!

What an imposing residence.... And what a wonderful space now dedicated to the arts and special…read moreevents. The Kimball-Jenkins Estate has been gracing the old estate section of New Hampshire's capital city since before the American Revolution. A stone's throw from the site of the first Garrison House built during the French and Indian Wars in the 1740s, the site of the first house built in Concord NH in 1726, and the beautiful, Greek Revival home of President Franklin Pierce, 14th President of the United States. The Kimball-Jenkins Estate is a gorgeous Victorian estate with several annex buildings. The main building houses events and part of the display collection, which this month had beautiful paintings drawn by former Kimball-Jenkins students. I especially liked some that had a little Pollock infusion. The annex buildings house the Academy of Arts and the carriage house is used for special events. In several visits here, I've been in two different events at the carriage house, which is a superb place for events. The rest of the campus is also beautiful and well suited for weddings or just a stroll. A unique, beautiful, and historical gem in New Hampshire's Capital City.

Great staff, beautiful buildings and lots of opportunity to be expressive and engaged in learning…read moresomething new!

**November 2025: Weekday Early Afternoon Visit**…read more To be honest I almost skipped visiting the State Capitol because I foolishly judged it by its size. I thought it was small and thought that it wouldn't be worth the visit, but boy was I wrong. My friend and I arrived around 12:15pm and parked on the street. There's meter parking, but you'll pay by paybyphone.com. I think it's $1 an hour, but I recommend you fill the meter a little longer since it's $.85 extra if you need to add another hour (on top of the $1 per hour). I recommend 4 hours if you plan to visit the New Hampshire Historical Society, and the Library as well. Anyways, my friend and I got there and I was surprised by two things 1) The Hall of Flags all encased made for a really grand entrance and 2) There was no metal detector. We just basically walked in and headed towards the visitor's center towards the right side of the building. We signed our names in the guestbook and one of the volunteers gave us a shpeel about the area we were visiting. She informed us that since New Hampshire is start of the Presidential Primary and that a lot of presidential candidates will make an appearance here to start their campaign. It was kind of cool to stand in the same spot as Biden, McCain, Obama, Carter and many others. We saw went upstairs to the 2nd floor to see the Senate room, Governors Office, Secretary of State's office (and actually got to meet him - David M. Scanlan on our tour), and the house of reps (which was 400 seats!). In summary, never judge a book by it's cover. This small capitol held it's own and is definitely worthy of a visit!

A beautiful state house with a golden dome and an eagle on top. It was built in 1816-1819 as a…read moreGreek Revival style. The land it's on is 2.6-acres with a granite fence. There are seven statues/memorials on the grounds, the oldest being dedicated in 1886. The house chambers holds 400 people, which is the largest in the US. The building is open to the public and there are guided tours. This was part of the self guided walking tour and we enjoyed stopping by to explore it. It's close to everything; there were plenty of parking, restaurants, and shops. Overall, a historic building in a historic area, which is worth a visit.