Cute, quaint, with wonderful actors who were very knowledgeable about their era. Loved the beautiful historical architecture that spanned over a generation of locals. A little more care could be taken to distinguish the private properties from the museum properties, as we nearly walked in on someones yard while they were doing yard work! Friendly and knowledgeable staff. Working restrooms in the main building. All staff wore masks.

We stumbled on Strawbery Banke by searching for things to do in Portsmouth and we couldnt have been happier with the experience. On the surface, it appears to be a regular historical old town but it is one of the most entertaining museums you can come across. This is because while you are exploring the historic grounds, you encounter live role players reenacting characters from various time periods, these characters are extremely knowledgeable and make you feel like you are living a day in their life. Also, pro tip, you can park in their parking lot until 9pm allowing you to explore the downtown area without having to pay for parking after your visit at museum. Definitely worth a visit.

Strawbery Banke Museum has beautiful gardens and wonderful staff. I love visiting this tranquil location for outdoor strolls in the gardens. They have a lovely herb garden and victory garden, fantastic educational opportunities for children and interesting programming throughout the year. I wish I could give 100 Stars.

It would have been better if we could go through the homes..closed due covid. But, a great stop to stretch you legs.

Lots of history and very knowledgeable staff! We had a great time even though COVID restrictions were in place.

My husband and I got married here on March 21, 2020. The museum and the gardens are beautiful and charming. Wendy was so helpful and accommodating, especially with everything going on with the pandemic at the time.

I must say this is our second time attending Strawberry Banke and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. Due to the current state of affairs my sweet daughter and I attended the guided tour. The tour guide was sweet, loving and attentive to the many questions of our inquisitive child. We never felt as though we were missing out on actual tours of the inside of the period homes. The grounds were well maintained and educational. I thoroughly appreciate how the tour guide and period characters commented on how attentive and well behaved our loving 6 year old is- means a great deal! Thank you for a fun and educational mommy and daughter day!

Loved this place!! Went for the holiday stroll with friends. Was great to see diversity amongst the homes in how they celebrated the holidays, appreciated the folks did NOT break character. Grounds were/are beautiful. Ice rink was unexpected and the Victorian skaters were a real treat. Horse and carriage rides too! Great for all ages. Excited to check it out on other seasons.

Just a great place to relax and go back in time. Close to the water and city center. Take the whole day or an over night trip to enjoy it all

Either more printed information needs to be handed out or more live cast members need to participate. Its too much money for basically nothing. The neighborhood around the area is just as interesting to walk and its free.

It was interesting to learn the history of Strawberry Banke. I do wish they were able to reproduce essential moments and elements that the strawberry Banke went through. I think in the future as they restore more buildings for the public to visit it will be better. Overall the tour itself was lacking but the well kept grounds helped make up for it.

This place is a neat little time capsule with homes from different periods in history. They have homes built in the 1600s and some of them have guides from those time periods. The Thomas Bailey Aldrich house is a must and dont forget your ration stamps when you visit the corner store.

It is no surprise that this is the tp attraction in Portsmouth. The living museum consists of an entire neighborhood of buildings from the 17th through the 19th centuries preserved to show the historical eras of its habitation, from the time the buildings were first constructed, up until the late 1940s, just before the preservation project began. Costumed staff provide insights into how residents experienced life in various periods. Highly recommended for both adults and children.

Loved the candle light walk at Strawberry Banke.. all the participants seemed very acknowledgable and we enjoyed the period costumes wornEspecially enjoyed the barrel maker, fabric spinner and weavers

The way history was presented kept you interested. There were various time periods presented in the houses. The roads were gravel so wear a good pair of hikers. The walking was easy though wheelchairs might be challenged in places. Plenty of rest rooms on site plenty of parking in the lot or near by. Picnic tables are available, bring a lunch or buy something in the cafe. My kids are 3.5 and 7 and they found plenty to keep their interest. One of the houses is now opened play area with kitchen. So much to see and explore. As home schoolers we thought it was worth buying membership.

Fun historic location. Most houses closed during COVID-19. But grounds are nice.

Nice grounds, would be best to go once it is fully open post covid

The tour was great and very informative. Beautiful garden too!

Initially, I wasnt sure what to expect from this place as I am not a museum enthusiast. I must say they have done a good job preserving the homes and their lifestyle from the 1600s. There are actors who enact certain characters from that era which makes the place come to life. Lot of work has gone into preserving history, appreciate the effort.

Toured the victory gardens, kitchen gardens with excellent guides ( matthew ) providing information back to early 1600s.

This isnt your typical museum. Youll be transported through the history of Portsmouth while you walk around to the different buildings, which are all staged to depict different times in history. There are people in character in many of the buildings, who are there to share stories. My favorite was talking to a gentleman who actually lived there in the 50s and talked about running the streets and eventually becoming a drummer. Im glad we added this to our trip.

Offsetting the miserable people who left 1 star reviews due to COVID restrictions. This place is great.

We enjoyed the day walking the ground sand learning about the different exhibitions

Very interesting place, fun for both adults and kids. A living history museum. Very reasonable. Only one small sandwich shop to eat at so eat before you go. Lots of walking in and out of houses that you can tour.

Fun and interesting at the same time. Price was reasonable and the history was great. The guides were great and that area of Portsmouth has so much to offer.

Eh, hard to say since we couldnt go in, it was outdoors only but they charged the same. Lovely grounds, but 40$ for 20 minutes walking around is too much.

Buildings were mostly closed due to Covid-19 but still 3 reenactors were there to share history

This place is great if you want to experience history. They have many reenactors that add to the look and feel of the place. There are many old buildings to visit and you can easily spent the day here. You get a little go around at the start so you can plan your route. Id recommend visiting all the houses though. You can easily spot places you can go in by the flags in front. We really enjoyed stepping back in time.

Absolutely worth going. This place makes you feel like you are back in time. So much fun!!

Wonderful place with amazing view. My family and I go here all the time and its wonderful year round. My kids love this place and the little hidden fairy house in the garden. Absolutely astonishing place.

Cool historical town that makes you feel like you have stepped back in time. We went for the Christmas event which was fun. They had knowledgeable staff dressed the part, hot cider and donuts, carriage rides, and a skating rink on the pond. The lights and decorations were nice and appropriate for the period. Definitely recommend, and its free for veterans!

Very cool place. Unfortunate that the buildings were all closed due to the pandemic.

Really unique museum about the history of a small town around the water in Portsmouth! Theyve kept and/or restored many buildings and they have knowledgeable guides to inform you about the towns history and the way people lived. Beautiful grounds are perfect for walking around with family and friends on a nice weather day.

What a great place, I went here today and there werent many people at 10:30 in the morning, the staff seems to like working there, and i got to watch a woman cook chicken

This is a historical landmark, has a nice collection of colonial era homes. I remember them having more actors and demonstrations when I visit as a child. The current program makes it long visit for children because of the lack of activities geared towards younger visitors. Very exposed area bring water. The cafe was very nice. We really enjoyed our lunch.

The place is well kept. The interpreters are friendly and knowledgeable.

Great place to see and learn about Portsmouth history, although not all the buildings were open for my visit.

Very good historical Expirience

What a special place...step back in time from the 1600s through WWII!! The staff are very friendly and very knowledgeable! Ask questions...they love to share! The actors who portray real people who lived there are terrific. Id highly recommend the guided walking tour of the gardens on site. Our guide, who oversees much of the plantings shared tons of great information including the historical medicinal uses of many of the plants and flowers. The museum has a house on site that actually was a museum and a character from 1919 guides you through a tour of the museum...so cool!

The Candlelight Stroll was fun for our whole family, even baby. This is the second year weve done the Candlelight Stroll and its a really unique and enjoyable experience. The antique houses are interesting to walk through and the carolers were lovely. The bonfire and ice skating just added to the bustling festivities! We love this place and highly recommend it. Plan ahead for parking because there are only a few rows of spots near the museum. There is other off-site parking but its a few blocks away.CONS: As fun as we have there is always room for improvement. For example I feel like the houses could be decorated a bit more. I get that its supposed to be of era but perhaps it could just be a tad more done up while sticking to the theme. Also it can be confusing which way you are supposed to go upon entering some of the houses so perhaps an arrow or sign to direct people because it can get pretty congested when people dont know which way to go. Theres usually someone who greats people at the door but often they are taking to other guests and not always paying attention to the traffic. There is typically only a few rooms open for viewing and it would be nice if more of the rooms were open. Some of the houses are three stories yet only 1-2 rooms in the downstairs were open. It just seems like they could do more. The other issue was the mud. The little town is adorable but all the main walkways are so muddy. Thats a much larger and expensive issue but I believe fixing that will improve the overall experience, especially parents pushing strollers.FOR THE PARENTS WITH YOUNG KIDS: We brought a stroller and wed just park it outside the houses and carry baby inside. Our son was too big but a baby carrier is great option for this museum. As I mentioned its muddy so dress kids according. Both times Ive been it was crazy windy. Im thinking because its right on the sea coast that it may be a little more windy in that area. Cold weather gear is a must!

We love Strawberry Banke. The gardens are gorgeous, the houses are amazing, and they always have something going on for every season!

Lovely recreation of times gone by! The guides are really informative, my personal favorite was the lady recreating period cooking on an open fire. Dont miss it if you visit!

We were there during the Fairy Festival (which we truly enjoyed even though we had no children with us)! So I dont think we got an everyday experience there. But we did enjoy all the buildings that were open and the people inside were very interesting and knowledgeable! We enjoyed the gardens.

Went there to skate on the pond. Ice quality was great. Nice for an evening skate!

The museum is delightful, with knowledgeable guides and gorgeously maintained houses (each “interpreted” ie decorated to a different time period) and even a skating rink.It’s important to pay attention to what time of year you are going on a tour, as different things are offered. For example, during the holidays there are candlelight tours with actors in the houses (including the early 1800s Ukrainian Jewish family playing dreidel!), whereas in early January you cannot visit the upper floor of the houses and there are few actors but you can appreciate the gorgeous holiday decorations (made from flowers grown in the gardens and preserved with incredibly vibrant colors and shapes) with much smaller crowds. The main season is May to October, when there are actors and where you can appreciate the incredible gardens maintained by the local horticulturalists.Our favorite activity was watching the historical cooking expert demonstrate how to cook on the hearth, including an apple pie in a Dutch oven and the bread in the oven’s back nook, and seeing the type and price of goods stocked into the store (including prices in WWII rations coupons), and poking through the kitchens and plateware of different eras and socioeconomic levels. Highly recommend a visit ($15/adult for our tour of 5 houses) in whatever season. We’re looking forward to returning this summer to appreciate the period gardens!

Candlelight stroll was great!! The main parking lot for Strawberry Banke was only for the handicapped but they were giving out parking area maps. Loved the tins smith who made punch hole designs in tin lanterns. They were beautiful!!.

Great experience and free for military!

Peaceful village. Has a childrens house where kids can play in the kitchen. Within walking distance from downtown Portsmouth.

Unfortunatelly when we visited it was closeed due to the season and we were unable to see the interior of the very well preserved houses. The next time we will better informed, so we can explore it in every detail. On the spot, in the winter time, there is an ice skating ring and a sympathetic and warm cafe

Skating at Puddle Dock pond at Strawberry Banke is like a Norman Rockwell painting!

Great historical walk through Portsmouth. This occasion we were attending the local pride celebration being held in the field by the museum.

Our whole family enjoyed experiencing Strawbery Banke. There were many staff members throughout the village and they were very helpful and ready to answer all our questions. The kids loved the hands on opportunities with weaving, cooking, and the discovery center. This is a great place to make history come alive!

Great experience. Must do for history buffs. Staff relates only to era they represent making it a fun experience.The ice skating show was a nice surprise.Bring your own or rent skates there makes for a wonderful family experience.They had horse drawn carriages the night we were there. They were free which is unheard of.Also a warming hut with hot drinks, doughnuts and live music. All on a donation basis.Great way to spend an afternoon with friends and or family.Had so much fun we became members.

I am a member of the all women a cappella group, The Afternotes, and we caroled at the Candlelight Stroll on December 21st. It was absolutely magical! Ice skating, horse drawn sleigh rides, differently themed buildings to stop and warm up with fires and cider and chestnuts - a wonderful holiday experience.

This review is for the 2019 candle light stroll. This was my first time at Strawberry Banke. It was very well put together. The actors were engaging and the historical accuracy was better than I had expected. There was a very wide array of exhibits, from various time periods. The downsides were the massive crowd; there were long lines at every exhibit and activity, which was not a lot of fun at 26 degrees. There was also a very large amount of electric light, which really took away from the experience in the pre-industrial areas of the museum. I am very eager to visit again during their normal course of business.

If youre into US history and buildings, its a great place to walk around and see what it was like in colonial times. It does different t seasonal events as well that are fun for all ages. The staff are great dressing in period costumes and answering questions.

Must stop here if in Portsmouth. This was excellent. Staff is informative and friendly.

Awesome place to come if you enjoy history and scenery. Lots to learn and very educated staff. Stuff to do for the kids as well - dressing up in period garb was a favorite. One thing about a tour guide - she reported that a portrait on the wall of one of the old village homes was of George Washington, but upon further inspection, it was actually the Marquis de Lafayette. I wont hold that against them though. Highly recommended.

We went to the candle light Stroll land had a great time! Lots of history and outstanding atmosphere. The period actors are the icing on the cake.

Very interesting experience. This is much more than the average historic village. Most of the homes were from this very spot. There are details about the families that lived there. Some very poor, others well off. They have historic actors that you can interact with as well. Was well worth the visit. Its also a short walk from the center of town, so it was very easy to explore this along with the rest of Portsmouth in one day.

Great time. The people did a great job . living the parts. We enjoyed our visit. Price was fair.

It is very authentic, the guides are knowledgeable and friendly, and the method actors/actresses are great about staying in character. Its fascinating to walk around the grounds and learn about how different buildings were used throughout the centuries, the stories of people who lived there, etc. Their cafe is a great spot for break or lunch. This is a great place to spend a day for museum and history buffs.

One of the many pleasurable things to do and set in Portsmouth. As a matter of fact, its surrounded by other beautiful homes that are a joy to look at

We really enjoyed this! It was unique and enjoyable for everyone.

A walk through many historical layers from pre-revolutionary times through the 1950s. Live displays of activities (cooking, weaving, basket making, etc.) add to your experience.

Strawberry banke has it all camps, great staff members, tours, events, its a great learning experience.

It was my husbands first visit and he loved it. Ive been a couple times as a kid but feel I had more appreciation as an adult. Love history!!!

We were generally disappointed in our visit on Saturday. Small children disrupted our tour multiple times; the museum should include age appropriate guidelines for the tours. The Thanksgiving focus was tenuous at best, and the Native American exhibit stop was not engaging.

We liked it. The weather was rainy.

Beautiful gardens and historical homes. The staff are in character and supply interesting stories and facts. We were there on a very hot day, no A/C in the historical buildings. There is a cafe on site which is excellent.

Fabulous and very interesting village. The actors are incredibly knowledgable about everything and you will learn something fun and new everytime you visit. At Christmas time they have a candlelight stroll and ice skating that takes you back to a simpler time in our history and you cant help but picture yourself living back than. If you have never been here this is an absolute must when youre in the area.

Gorgoues hard to find parking... And is very crowded

I adore this place. I always learn something new. Gorgeous buildings and impressive amount of information know by their guide tours. Their special events are worth going to.

This is q fun living history museum with period buildings. You can tell that this place is a labor of love as nearly everything is perfectly maintained for show.

Very fun place. Took about 4 hours to see it all.

A lot of buildings to tour, some with actors protraying that time period, and especially liked the one at the Shapiro house. All workers were very knowledgeable. Expect to spend a long time there! Tickets are actually good for 2 consecutive days.

We recently got married at Strawbery Banke outside in the garden in the middle of winter. The event coordinator, Wendy, was excellent to work with & she went above & beyond to accommodate our off-season wedding. I’d truly recommend this venue to anyone looking for a spot in downtown Portsmouth to host a ceremony. It was affordable & customer service was awesome!

Great place to go. Ive only been there for a few events, never did the tour yet, but looking forward to it.

I think that this place, is good for people how like history and all the good people and staff made it amazing.

Need to return so see what we missed. The history is so interesting and the historic buildings are a treasure to study. Great step back in time.

Attended the candlelight stroll event. What an amazing time! This may become an annual tradition.

So much fun!

Wonderful campus environment with great staff/actors who remain in character during the tour. It is the only museum that I have been to that covers so many time periods and really makes you feel like you are in each time period.

My third time here. If you love New England and love history, you must go here. Staff is awesome and authentic.

Its a fun place you can go pick strawberries just walk around the place

Interesting houses primarily from colonial times. In various stages of restoration.

We went for the Christmas Stroll and loved it! A new Holiday tradition!

I love this museum. Its our second time visiting. I love the 1940s store and Victory garden. And the house that shows how it was lived in first on one side and last on the other side. And all the things for kids of all ages to play with.

We had a great visit! To be able to experience interpretations of life over several centuries in one museum is both fascinating and thought provoking. It was the first I’ve been to a living history museum represented that way and it is genius. The role players we met were perfect for their roles and kept in character whenever we interacted with them. From architecture to exhibits, gardens, knowledgeable interpreters, well casted role players, and incredibly rich history, a visit there is time very well spent! Looking forward to going back!

Very nice facility with historic grounds and buildings that depict the area over time.

A most enjoyable Candlelight Stroll this year ! We never miss it...

History and houses, two of my favorite things! Tour homes, shops and a tavern from the 18th and 19th century. Staff is all around to answer questions and a few role play. I loved the history and architecture of the homes. I will definitely go back.

Highlight of my New England vacation.We actually went in November and they were closed. They graciously let us walk around the grounds. Everyone we met in Portsmouth was so friendly, cannot say enough about that. Definitely want to return while they are open to experience everything. Thank you strawberry Banke!

Such an interesting cross section of NH history. Highly recommend. If youre a NH resident, may wish to check if your library branch has passes.

Love this place! I spent 2 full days here soaking in the history! The period actors were wonderful!

Nice perspective on regional history

This whole place is neat. Really neat. Like, I found myself taking pictures of the wallpaper it was so neat. The team at Strawberry Banke meticulously deconstructed and restored properties dating back hundreds of years, detailing how the houses were built and then restored, as well as what life was like for all the people who lived in these houses through the years. The houses are gorgeous, the staff are very knowledgeable, and there are different hands-on activities every day.I recommend visiting this place if youre anywhere near Portsmouth!

Awesome night for candle light tour

The buildings and historical fixtures were fascinating. I felt the museum lacked the organization and structure that would bring things alive.

Its a good idea to visit this museus and get a bit of the local history. Its really well maintained and the whole village experience is pleasant. Worth spending an hour for sure.