Some have coined Portsmouth the crown jewel of the New Hampshire seacoast. Located four miles inland from the Atlantic Ocean, the city is a busy working port steeped in history and rich with cultural offerings. A great starting point for a visit to Portsmouth is the "Discover Portsmouth" Center, a cultural visitor's center where information and exhibits about all the museums, historic homes, land and water tours, and performances in local theaters are available for free. Watch the new award-winning film, "Welcome to Historic Portsmouth" , chart your day with a free map, or explore views of Portsmouth landmarks, the arts of the past and present, or visit the adjacent Seacoast African American Cultural Center. The "Discover Portsmouth" Center is free, except for special events, and open weekends-only from April to Memorial Day, and open after Memorial Day to October 31 daily from 10 AM to 5 PM. For information, call 603-436-8433. 

Portsmouth boasts 400 years of history, culture, architecture and scenic beauty. The Portsmouth Harbour Trail, offered by the Greater Portsmouth Chamber of Commerce, is an ideal way to explore this pedestrian-friendly city. Join a Portsmouth Harbour Trail tour and let the Chamber's knowledgeable guides highlight the historic homes, working waterfront, colorful Prescott Park, vibrant Market Square, and more. Along the Harbour Trail, individuals will hear stories about the rich and famous to the humble merchants and madams who had thriving businesses here. (Tours are lively and informative, but also family-friendly.) Hear about the brewers and politicians, fishermen and revolutionaries, who made Portsmouth the talk of the nation in their day. Learn how diplomats from around the globe made peace here while others simply came to paint, write, or play their music. Visitors will find that the people who were born here, worked here, or moved here over the past three centuries - like John Paul Jones, William Whipple, and Celia Thaxter - weave a colorful cultural tapestry. Portsmouth was, and still is, a town full of characters. Tickets are $10 for Adults; $8 for Seniors & Students; $5 for Kids 8-14; and children under 8 are free. Tickets can be purchased at the kiosk, or at the Chamber's year-round visitor information center at 500 Market Street. Tours will run Saturdays at 10:30 a.m. and Sundays at 1:30 p.m. through the end of June, then daily at 10:30 a.m. July through mid-September, and will revert to the weekend-only schedule mid-September to mid-October. For details and general visitor information, please contact the Greater Portsmouth Chamber of Commerce at 603-610-5510 or visit www.portsmouthchamber.org.  

For those who prefer to see the town by trolley, the Seacoast Trolley Company offers group and guided tours and charters. The trolleys run mid-June through Labor Day, 10am-4pm. For information, call (603) 431-6975 or visit www.seacoasttrolley.com.

The number of important historic houses in this small city speaks to the preeminence of its past and to its citizens’ passion for preservation. The Warner House (1716) is perhaps the finest example in New England of a brick urban mansion from the early 18th century. Among the many interesting features are mural paintings of American Indian chieftains and a lightning rod on the west wall, said to have been installed under the supervision of Benjamin Franklin in 1762. Open June through October, Mon.-Sat. 11am-4pm and Sunday noon-4pm. Group tours are available. Call (603) 436-5909 or visit http://www.warnerhouse.org/.

The Wentworth-Coolidge Mansion (c. 1753), a National Historic Landmark, was the 18th-century residence of New Hampshire’s first Royal Governor, Benning Wentworth, who lived in the enormous yellow house overlooking Little Harbor from 1753 to1770. The 42-room structure is surrounded by one of the nation’s earliest plantings of purple lilacs, planted around the 1750s. The House is open May through October for visits, lectures, exhibits and concerts. Open Wed.-Sat. 10am-3pm; Sunday noon-4pm. Call (603) 436-6607 for information.

Historic New England owns several spectacular historic homes in Portsmouth, including the Jackson House (c. 1664), one of the oldest examples of plank-frame building construction in New England; the Governor John Langdon House (1784), one of New England’s finest 18th-century houses, built for John Langdon, prosperous merchant and ardent supporter of the Revolutionary War who later became governor of the State; and the Rundlet-May House (1807), built in the grand Federal style for James Rundlet, a wealthy Portsmouth merchant. All Historic New England houses are open June through October. Group rates are available. Call (603) 436-3205 for information.

For those who long to walk in the footsteps of greatness, Portsmouth boasts The John Paul Jones House, where the "Father of the American Navy" lived while supervising the outfitting of the Ranger and the America. A National Historic Landmark, the building now houses the Portsmouth Historical Society Museum and the Portsmouth Peace Treaty (1905) exhibit. The museum is open from Memorial Day to October 31, seven days a week 11 am to 5 pm and welcomes group tours. For information, call (603) 436-8420.

Portsmouth has been home to African-Americans for more than 350 years. The Portsmouth Black Heritage Trail takes visitors on a self-guided tour of 24 sites where Portsmouth's black residents lived, worked, prayed, and celebrated. Brochures containing maps and an overview of the Trail are available for $2.00 each (plus postage). For more information, call 603-431-2768 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .