Children's Museum to Reopen in New Dover Location

The Portsmouth Children’s Museum is no more. The museum that was well-known for its interactive exhibits is now going to be known as the Children’s Museum of New Hampshire. Along with the new name, the museum has moved and is set to open at its new location at 6 Washington Street in Dover at the end of this week.

The museum had nearly 100,000 yearly visitors at its old location and had come to outgrow its original location in Portsmouth. In 2005, the Museum signed a 60-year lease with the city of Dover for the use of the Butterfield Building. The new 20,000 sq. ft. space will allow for new exhibits and programs to be added alongside the Museum’s popular exhibits (like the Yellow Submarine) from its previous location. The new space is triple the size of the previous building.

“We are thrilled to welcome families to explore and enjoy our new space,” said Denise Doleac, director and founder of the Children’s Museum. “By using the latest educational research and collaborating with local artisans, our staff has created unique and engaging opportunities for learning and fun. From stimulating areas for babies and toddlers to engineering challenges for middle schoolers, the Children’s Museum of New Hampshire offers a world-class learning environment for families, schools and the community. We are grateful to the many donors, members, suppliers and officials who helped make this day possible.”

The Museum will have exhibits ranging from one on the local Cocheco River to one on aerodynamics and the physics of flight. The building is fully ADA-accessible and will open following a ceremony led by Dover Mayor Scott Myers at 10:00AM on Saturday the 26th.