Enriching experiences await students in beautiful Old New Hampshire A state ripe with history and outdoor experiences, New Hampshire provides amazing field trip opportunities across a range of subjects. As one of the original 13 colonies, the Granite State is the perfect place to introduce students to the vast history of New England and all that took place there over the previous centuries. In addition to homes and villages that dot the state and now serve as historic sites, there are science museums, theaters and parks all with exciting student field trip ideas to offer.
Canterbury Shaker Village is a National Historic Landmark.
New Hampshire History & Heritage Field Trip Ideas
As the ninth state in our union, New Hampshire has plenty to offer in the way of history and historical sites. The American Independence Museum, another great field trip idea, is located in the state’s Revolutionary War Capital of Exeter and offers students a chance to view historic artifacts as they take part in programs that focus on civic duties, engagement and responsibility. The Mariposa Museum & World Culture Center in Peterborough is another hands-on experience not to be missed. With nearly 8,000 artifacts from around the world, the center is designed to introduce students to cultures and communities different from their own. Field trips are customized by grade level, with the most popular program focusing on learning about the life and experiences of children across cultures.
Keep history alive with a visit to the Wright Museum of World War II in Wolfeboro. This thoughtful museum pays tribute to Americans who lived during World War II with stories and artifacts from the time. The collection features more than 14,000 items that will help students understand more about the realities of wartime living and the sacrifices made by those that came before us.
To get a feel and true appreciation for life in early New Hampshire, take a trip to one of the state’s most celebrated museums. Strawbery Banke in Portsmouth is an outdoor history museum that presents life in New England as it would have spanned over four centuries. Students can explore furnished homes and see what life was like from the 1690s all the way to the 1950s. Skilled interpreters guide students through daily life in times past, making for a unique and memorable experience.
The Canterbury Shaker Village in Canterbury is an internationally known nonprofit museum and historic site with 25 original shaker buildings. It is one of the most intact and authentic surviving Shaker community sites and was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1993.
Performing Arts Locations to Visit
At Jean’s Playhouse in Lincoln, field trip groups can enjoy Broadway-style musicals in this beautiful theater. The Papermill Theatre Company puts on performances year-round, and students will also enjoy a show by Jean’s Teens, which is a community-based theater company featuring local teens. There are also opportunities for backstage tours so that field trip groups can see how performances come together. At the Capitol Center for the Arts in Concord, a 1,300+-seat theater with an Egyptian motif, there are numerous student-friendly performances throughout the year. Most performances also have study guides available online to help students get the most out of their experience.
The Music Hall in Portsmouth caters to student groups with affordable productions that are designed to help children gain insight into culture, the arts and live performance. For students studying the works of Shakespeare, Advice to the Players in Sandwich is a truly unique experience. This company of theater professionals performs works of Shakespeare and offers workshops throughout the year, introducing students to some of the best works in the English language.
Arts & Culture Activities in New Hampshire
Across the Granite State you’ll find plenty of opportunities to foster creativity and a love for the arts in students. The Currier Museum of Art in Manchester takes their dedication to students seriously with school tours that empower them to develop problem-solving skills, empathy and voice through fine arts. The museum aims to make art accessible for all students and works closely with educators to develop a tour that is multisensory. Taking in the decorative arts, sculptures and photographs on display in the museum, students come away with a new-found ability to describe what they are seeing and connect art with their daily lives.
Educational Field Trips through STEM
Experience the history of flight through an amazing field trip at the Aviation Museum of New Hampshire in Manchester. Interactive exhibits allow students to get up close with planes of past and present as well as take part in special programs designed to introduce topics of forces & motion, physics and careers in aviation. A marvel of engineering, the Mount Washington Cog Railway climbs to the peak of Mount Washington, giving students an incredible view and a fun experience. The McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center in Concord offers a firsthand look into astronomy, aviation, Earth and space science.
Marine & Aquatic Student Adventures in New Hampshire
New Hampshire packs a lot into its 18 miles of Atlantic coastline. At the Seacoast Science Center in Rye, students can view the natural beauty of New Hampshire as they explore seven different natural habitats over 135 acres. Interpretive and live animal exhibits are a great place to reinforce skills learned in the classroom with group-specific programs available for field trips. Students can get up close with sea life in the tide pools, learn about conservation efforts of local marine life or put their detective hats on to identify rock formations and creatures out on the shore.
At Greenland’s Great Bay Discovery Center, there are opportunities for scavenger hunts along the nature trail, interacting with marine animals in the discovery tank, exploring the waterfront ecosystem and putting together all the components of the estuary. The center also offers a wealth of resources for educators to enhance students’ learning before, during and after the field trip.
Head away from the coast and there are still opportunities to incorporate marine biology into a New Hampshire field trip. At Living Shores Aquarium in Glen, students are in for a highly interactive experience where they’ll delve into the world of marine sciences and wildlife conservation. Touch pools offer the chance to see and feel creatures like rays, sharks, crabs, lobsters and more, all while learning about these creatures’ natural habitats and biology. Various reef exhibits showcase the wonders of the deep in all the vibrant hues of fish and coral, and during select times of day students may also take part in a stingray feeding.
Main photo: Peak autumn foliage in New Hampshire
