Opening in April 2026, the Cousins Apartment will bring the Penhallow-Cousins House to life for the first time through an immersive installation exploring Black family life in Portsmouth’s Puddle Dock neighborhood during the 1930s and 1940s. Through archaeology, oral histories, artifacts, and community collaboration, the exhibition centers everyday life, resilience, and belonging.

The award-winning Walsh House offers a fully immersive experience that brings the world of a sea captain and his family to life circa 1800. The first-floor rooms are furnished with touchable reproduction objects, providing visitors with a sense of discovery and opportunity for exploration.

Learn more about Abenaki and Wabankai peoples of Northern New England, Southern Quebec, and the Canadian Maritime Provinces, both past and present. The People of the Dawnland exhibit, located in the Jones House, invites visitors to examine ancient stone tools, hear and learn an Abenaki greeting, and see what plants are growing in the Abenaki teaching garden.

Explore stories of service and sacrifice in the newly refreshed Voices from World War II exhibit in the Abbott Garage. Listen to oral histories recorded by local residents, originally collected in the 1990s, and view historic photos of Portsmouth’s Puddle Dock neighborhood during World War II. Visitors can also mark a world map with where they or their loved ones have served in times of war and peace.

Located in the Montrone Family Gallery in the Thales Yeaton House, the Port of Portsmouth: War, Trade, & Travel exhibit focuses on the maritime history of Portsmouth and the Seacoast, showcasing a collection of models and paintings of ships built in Portsmouth and the stories of those who sailed them.