This place is super cute! I've been to all the popular aquariums in the US (Atlanta, Monterey,…read moreetc.) and this might actually be my favorite. While the entire exhibit only takes place in one room, the amount of hands-on experiences and knowledge offered by Ellen is next level. My daughter greatly enjoyed the experience, and I did as well!

What a great experience for my kids (6 and 13). Read the website for details but there's something…read morefor all ages in this tiny little place. Both kids were engaged and Ellen did a great job of doing so at the proper level. Highly recommended

Lovely and stately mansion adjacent to the Salmon Falls lake and Vaughn Woods, Hamilton House is…read morenamed for the first owner . It is built for a wealthy merchant/privateer and it clearly shows with its rich wood carvings and grand front hall. Tour guide is friendly and shows the house at a good pace. No awkward silences. There is one bathroom on the grounds and lovely gardens for visitors to walk through. People book the venue for weddings.

This gorgeous historical site is the perfect bit of peace when we don't want to sit among the…read morenoisy, too-close-for-comfort crowds lining every inch of southern Maine beaches. It's an oasis of green trees, bushes, and grasses dotted with the most beautiful variety of flowers. There's classic statuary, stone walls, an artists cabin, scattered chairs and benches, the stately old home and, of course, marvelous views of the calm Salmon Falls River. If you look closely, you might spot a heron or several turtles coming out of the mud, marching slowly toward the tidal waters as the river's edge fills back in. You can even access Vaughan Woods from a footpath, if you'd like to get a hike in. Of course, you can always bring a blanket, a picnic, and just enjoy the gorgeousness that surrounds you. Bathroom situation: in season there's a wee house-type structure that opens into a single, large bathroom. It appears to be cleaned and stocked regularly.

Great visit. Every employee was a pleasure to talk to. The gift shop has a nice selection. The…read morelittle cafe on site has snacks and cold beverages. This was an actual neighborhood saved from demolititon. Each home is set up for a specific period in time up to the 1950's. I really enjoyed the WWII grocery store. The docent there had lots of very interesting information about grocery shopping during wartime. All together a good experience we would repeat. We left midway through to have lunch nearby and returned to complete the circuit. One of the houses is in an unrestored condition. A blacksmith was on hand during our visit too in his workshop. Private dirt parking lot, clean public restrooms in two locations. Most buildings are not ADA accessible if I remember correctly due to their age, but some are ground level entrance. Pathways throughout are wide, compact dirt or gravel.

This review is for the Thanksgiving-specific tour they give in November which I'm sure is quite…read moredifferent than their in-season tour, but it was fantastic. It was 90 minutes and covered 4 of the houses ranging from a Revolutionary-era tavern serving a local Thanksgiving to a WWII era general store operating on rations gretted by an in character store owner. Despite the bitter cold outside, the houses were decently warm. Our tour guide was fantastic. He answered all questions thoroughly, and we were able to look through the available rooms at our own pace. The tour covered both Thanksgivings through time and also a bit on the history of the museum, how it came to be, and who the people were who lived there. It was well worth visiting again when I can go on a regular tour, but they also have a Christmas light stroll that sounds intriguing. There is a decent-sized parking lot, but it is shared with other businesses, so I recommend coming to an earlier tour to ensure availability. The visitor's center is pretty big with restrooms, snacks for purchase, and a small gift shop. Right now, there is also an ice-skating rink adjacent to the center if you have time. The tour had a few kids on it, and they seemed pretty interested in the presentation. If you love historical sites and even just unique experiences, this is a cool museum to visit.

The last time I went to the Woodman Museum, I was in utero. But I found out today that they have a…read moreteacher discount, so I should have gone again much sooner! There were several highlights but I'll just share a few. First was the room dedicated to our nation's 250th anniversary. This historical tribute renewed my respect in the values upon which the United States was founded. Thomas Jefferson writes about King George: "He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States: for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners: refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither..." Jefferson reminded me that like the Woodman Museum, the country was built on a foundation of open arms. I have to mention the bronze statues of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles mounted on granite in a special exhibit dedicated to these lovable heroes. It was an impressive and whimsical display. If there is a movement to make a grand-scale version in a public park in town, sign me up to campaign for that! This would be so cool with a splash pad in the center of it for kiddos. Finally, I have to say how impressed I was with the staff who were friendly, helpful, and incredibly well-versed in the history of the grounds. They answered all my questions with ease in a welcoming Dover style. It was totally gnarly, dude.

The Woodman Museum was a very pleasant surprise. It contains a wide variety of exhibits and…read moreitems/specimens. People working there are pleasant and helpful. Parking is on street we grabbed a spot on Summer St next to the museum). There are three buildings total to walk through. There are stairs involved once you are in the museum. Plan to spend a couple of hours there. It's a hidden gem in Dover, NH.

We visited in September 2024 and I thought I had posted a review, but sometimes when I'm writing…read morereviews in the car while in-transit, they get lost in the either, so here I am again! We didn't get an early start and by the time we arrived there were lines miles away from the entrances. Police were directing traffic down different streets toward different parking areas. So plan to arrive early. Parking is in grassy fields surrounding the fairgrounds and there is a *lot of it so plan to walk quite a way to and from your vehicle and to drive 'off road' for a bit. Definitely do not bring your sports car if you can help it because those fields have ruts. The road way we walked in on was dirt and they did have a tractor pulling a cart if you wanted a ride that went by occasionally. Strollers and/or wagons for the smaller ones if an absolute must. There are a few entrances into the fairgrounds so make note of which entrance you are parked near. There are maps of the fairgrounds available inside (we were not offered one upon entry) at an information kiosk we stumbled upon. They also have designated 'meet up' spots in case you get separated from members of your group so maybe find those and let the kids know where to meet up if they get lost. And we *did come across some lost children who were frightened out of their wits so please do let the little one's know what to do if they get separated from you. (Yes, someone helped them locate their family but it still breaks my heart see how scared they were.) We enjoyed our visit to the Deerfield Fair. Although we did not partake of any of their ride options, we very much enjoyed their farm demonstration and exhibits. From the pig barn to award winning veg and chutneys it's a lot of fun. We also took in some heavy stock pulling competition in one of the outdoor areas. I can assure you the shady side was full, so plan on getting a seat early if you need a rest and shade (or sun). I really enjoyed the roving Pirate dressed in full gear, playing pirate and nautical music on his motorized pirate ship. Brought a smile to my face! There are plenty of food options here. Definitely something for everyone and we tried a couple of options. It was a beautiful day and the fair was super busy so there were definitely lines for food no matter the time of day. The staff in the food trucks were all lovely even with all the crowds needing attention. We took a walk through the kids petting zoo, and a tent full of old tractors that was very interesting. They also had a demonstration of several old motorized farm equipment pieces. Whether you are here for historic farm equipment, modern rides, fair food, cow barns, pigs, award winning veg or tractor pulls, Deerfield Fair has you covered. Wear you walking shoes!

The Deerfield Fair began in 1876 as a one day event; in 1930 it became a two day event; in 1945 it…read morebecome a three day event; by 1950 it became a four day event. It's located on 100 acres and during those four days, it had approximately 100,000 visitors. I really enjoyed experiencing this historic fair. It happens annually every September and probably the largest fair I've been to. I love the autumn and New England setting; it just feels super New England. Parking was plentiful when we went but I can understand if people get lost since there were so many cars. Also, if you have a low frame car, becareful because there were tons of deep potholes under all that grass. There were so many vendor tents, activities, and events. There were horse shows, live music, circus, magic show, rides, fair food, and petting zoo to name a few. I really enjoyed the variety of foods; so many to choose from. There were tons and tons of people. My family and I had a great time.

We have been a part of a number of local CSA farms, and Heron Pond Farm fits our needs the best! It…read moreis like going to the store and getting what you need - except that all of it is grown right there on the farm! When you walk in, there are many choices to pick from - all of it fresh! That way I can pick what I need for that week and not get food that I won't use. The vegetables are always clean, fresh, and ready to use. There are add-on shares for meat and eggs that have been really helpful too. The staff are always very pleasant and helpful. This is a great way to feed you and your family and support a local farmer as well!

Worthy of 5 stars if you were going to make a point of stopping by every week. They are a small…read moreshop so you don't necessarily get all that you might want. But they have great quality. I think their logo was so well designed that I bought a T-shirt and a bag. Both have held up well. The bag gets used for everything and I love knowing that it is from there. I think they deserve a special mention for accepting SNAP/EBT cards. I don't think they do it every day and all day but call to check. I just really appreciate that tax dollars go towards a local business instead of half ripe crap that is sitting at the big chain grocery store. Local is always my first choice!!

Had a good time Saturday at the Hampton beach seafood festival…read more The beer tent was adjacent to one stage and all the cans were 16 oz. for $6 which isn't ridiculous for an event like this. There were 3x more "stuff" vendors than food vendors (always love to see more food vendors). Huge advantage to an event like this is the ability to hit multiple vendors for a snack. We tried out the clam chowder from Rye Harbor Lobster pound, a fried clam basket from another vendor and oysters on the half shell from another vendor (and sampled a beer or two). If you go, I'd suggest you arrive early. By the time we left the food lines were getting pretty long and it was getting hot. Bands were loud and decent, stopped by the food demonstration and it was underwhelming. Good time - will make plans to go again.

For the 2017 Hampton Beach Seafood Festival (September 8 - 10, 2017), the admission prices were:…read more$5 Friday $10 Saturday admission $8 Sunday Children under 12 get in for free We attended on Saturday and took advantage of their free in-town satellite parking and free shuttle (school bus!) service. Wristbands were conveniently offered for sale (cash only) at our parking lot (no line!) so we paid up before boarding for our quick 10 min ride to the beach. Each bus route was conveniently marked with a letter. ATMs were available, while some vendors would also accept credit cards. Both portapotties and real bathrooms with running water (and longer lines) were available. Having arrived past lunch time, with empty stomachs, we hit the two food tents first. I had done my reconnaissance, so I made a beeline to Rye's with their 4.5 star rating on Yelp, and their fluffy chowder. On the way, I spied a tempting pile of onion rings pass by, but before I could discover the source, a friend had hit upon 1.5 star La Spiaggia and returned with a huge blooming onion which we tore into and which easily satisfied the hankering for fried onion of some sort. Seafood stew at Old Salt was well reviewed by another, but there was only so much a stomach could handle. The chowder at the cooking demo tent called out to us, but they ran out before the back rows had the chance to troop through. So we settled in a spot in the middle rows to await the next and final demo, by Community Oven. In the meantime, I had a fun moment when I realized the name of the preceding chef sounded familiar and had a lightbulb moment when I made the connection to the recent steak cooking competition I had attended - yes, Justin Rexroad was indeed a contestant! Basically, the price of admission was for the food samples I tasted from the chef demo, including some yummy soft homemade marshmallows, and a few freebies and samples from other vendors and businesses that had set up shop along the boulevard, as many of the restaurants participating in the festival already had storefronts alongside the road. There was also live music entertainment at the stage lined with rows of seating before it. We had a good time, though we decided to avoid the mass exodus by departing prior to the scheduled fireworks on Saturday.

We had a great time walking on the bosrd walk and all the shops having fried dough watching the…read morefireworks the weather was great, bar and restaurants had great food.

It was site of seafood festival 2025! Loved it last year, loved it this year. Even in the down…read morepour. Love the beach community. All venders were great. The food cannot be beaten. The place was least crowded due to weather but me and my friends had a great time. Short drive from RI.