Portsmouth, NH

Local Events

Reenactments, heritage festivals, and living history programs — experience the Revolution where it happened.

Upcoming This Year

Dec

ReenactmentFeatured

Fort Constitution Heritage Day / Raid on Fort William and Mary Anniversary

Fort Constitution Historic Site, New Castle, NH

Annual commemoration of the December 1774 raids on Fort William and Mary (now Fort Constitution), one of the first overt acts of armed resistance against the British Crown. The event typically features living history demonstrations, musket and cannon firings, costumed reenactors portraying New Hampshire patriots, and guided tours of the fort's historic grounds overlooking Portsmouth Harbor.

FreeHeld on or near December 14, the anniversary of the first raid. Contact Fort Constitution Historic Site or the New Hampshire Division of Parks and Recreation to confirm exact date each year.

Jun

Guided Tour

John Paul Jones House Guided Tours and Lecture Series

John Paul Jones House, 43 Middle Street, Portsmouth, NH

The Portsmouth Historical Society offers annual guided tours and periodic lecture programs at the John Paul Jones House, where the famed naval commander lodged while overseeing the construction of the warship Ranger at the nearby Langdon shipyard. Tours cover Jones's career, the Ranger's historic voyage to raid Whitehaven, England, and the capture of HMS Drake, as well as Portsmouth's vital role as a shipbuilding center during the Revolution.

Paid admission; prices varyOpen seasonally, typically June through October. The Portsmouth Historical Society also hosts periodic lectures on Revolutionary War topics. Contact the society for current dates.More info →

Jun

Guided Tour

Moffatt-Ladd House Revolutionary War Garden & Heritage Tours

Moffatt-Ladd House and Garden, 154 Market Street, Portsmouth, NH

The Moffatt-Ladd House, home of General William Whipple—a signer of the Declaration of Independence—hosts seasonal tours highlighting the Whipple family's role in the American Revolution. The property features original 18th-century architecture, period furnishings, and one of the oldest gardens in New Hampshire. Special programs often explore themes of liberty, enslavement (through the story of Prince Whipple), and patriot leadership in colonial Portsmouth.

Paid admission; prices varyOpen seasonally, typically mid-June through mid-October. Check the museum website for special Revolutionary War-themed programs and events.More info →

Jul

Exhibition

Strawbery Banke Museum Colonial & American Revolution Programs

Strawbery Banke Museum, Portsmouth, NH

Strawbery Banke Museum, a 10-acre outdoor history museum in downtown Portsmouth, hosts seasonal living history programs that include 18th-century domestic life demonstrations, costumed interpreters portraying Revolutionary-era Portsmouth residents, and hands-on activities exploring the town's role in the American Revolution. Summer programming and special heritage weekends often highlight the colonial and Revolutionary periods.

Paid admission; prices varyIndependence Day and summer season programming; Strawbery Banke runs seasonal exhibits from May through October with special July 4th events. Check museum website for current schedule.More info →

Jul

Festival

American Independence Festival

American Independence Museum, Exeter, NH

Held annually in nearby Exeter, NH—New Hampshire's Revolutionary War capital—the American Independence Festival celebrates the reading of the Declaration of Independence and New Hampshire's pivotal role in the Revolution. The festival features a dramatic public reading of the Declaration, Revolutionary War reenactments, fife and drum corps, colonial craft demonstrations, and family activities. The event draws participants and attendees from across the Portsmouth–Seacoast region.

Paid admission; prices varyTypically held on a Saturday near July 4th in Exeter, NH (approximately 15 miles from Portsmouth). Organized by the American Independence Museum. Check museum website for exact date.More info →