To Develop & Advance Passion for History, Nature, and the Arts.

Woodman Museum

A visit to the Woodman Museum offers an intimate and unique opportunity for visitors to explore the world of history, art, and science.

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Where History, Art, and Science Come Together.

The Woodman, founded in 1916, is a traditional early 20th-century style natural science, history, and art museum with exhibits for all ages. The museum’s collection includes hundreds of colonial artifacts; comprehensive mineral, shell and fossil gallery; mounted animal specimens; fine art and furniture; an extensive collection of militaria; local history objects; and much more.

Special Exhibits

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Heirloom Halloween

Coming Soon

This fall the Woodman Museum is proud to partner with Heirloom Halloween to bring guests an exhibit celebrating the rich and evolving history of Halloween from the 1800s through the mid-20th century.

Explore collections of antique jack-o’-lanterns, paper decorations, party games, postcards, and other historic treasures from Halloweens past.

Exhibit Location

Thom Hindle Gallery, Keefe House

On View 9/2/26 – 11/22/26

Our Community, Our Memory

The Woodman Museum invites guests to experience Our Community, Our Memory an exhibit recognizing the 25th Anniversary of the September 11th attacks.

Guests can see artifacts including a piece of steel from WTC Tower 1, a Pentagon capstone, and the uniform of Major John Fischer, a local man who served in the recovery efforts at Ground Zero. Learn about the heroes who joined him in those recovery efforts, and of the victims Dover lost in the attacks.

Exhibit Location

Foster Gallery, Woodman House

On View Through 11/22/26

Revolutionary Spirit

To celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the Woodman Museum brings you a gallery about the local men who fought for American Independence.

The Woodman Museum is displaying it’s collection of Revolutionary War artifacts one last time before they go on a brief break from display. See soldiers equipment, muskets, the belongings of Declaration signer Josiah Bartlett, and more!

Exhibit Location

Foster Gallery, Woodman House

On View Through 11/22/26

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Woodman House

Built by Captain William Palmer, for his private residence, in 1818. Palmer lived here until 1822 when he swapped houses with Charles Woodman, a wealthy Dover merchant; a member of the Legislature from 1820-1822, and in 1822 was Speaker of the House. His tenure in the house was short, however. In 1822 he died, aged 32, leaving his wife Dorothy (Wheeler) Woodman and three month old son Charles. The elder Charles’ widow remarried three years later to Daniel M. Christie, a successful attorney, head of the N.H. bar for many years, and the father of three N.H. chief justices. He lived there until 1849 with his wife and as a widower after that until his death in 1876.

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Hale House

Built by Captain William Palmer for Dover Industrialist John Williams in 1813. Williams was the founder of the Dover Cotton Factory in 1812. He also built another cotton mill (Dover, later Cocheco Manufacturing Company), the Cocheco Printworks and a nail factory. This stately brick home on Central Ave was Williams’ residence until November, 1840, when he sold it to John Parker Hale. Williams, one the wealthiest and influential men in the state, managed to lose his fortune and died a poor man in Boston just three years later, although his efforts brought great prosperity to Dover.

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Damm Garrison House

Built by Deacon John Damm and his son William around 1675 as one of fourteen fortified homes known to have existed in the colonial period of Dover’s history. Lived in for nearly 200 years by The Damm, Drew, Nute, and Hayes families of Dover, it remains the only example of Dover’s garrison houses and one of just a few to remain anywhere. To Mrs. Ellen (Peavey) Rounds belongs the credit of restoring and preserving this very interesting, historic house – the oldest house in Dover. Mrs. Rounds not only kept the house from going to ruin but, as the years went by, she collected valuable historic artifacts and has arranged them in the garrison for exhibition.

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The Keefe House & Carriage Barn

Built in 1825 for Asa Tufts, owner of Tufts Apothecary. In 1847, his son Charles took over the shop as Asa became involved in banking and insurance until his death in 1884. The house was purchased in 1917 by F. Clyde Keefe, a local attorney and twice mayor of Dover from 1934-35 and again from 1942-47. The home remained in the Keefe family for three generations. The Museum acquired the Keefe House in 2004 through a fundraising campaign and used half of the over $500,000 raised for major restorations to the home throughout several years.

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Visit Us

182 Central Ave., Dover, NH 03820

April-November Hours of Operation (Beginning April 1, 2026)
Wednesday – Sunday, 10am – 5pm.
Closed on Easter Day, Independence Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day.
Watch announcements and social media for hours and closure updates throughout the season.

Docent led tours are available at 11 a.m., 1 p.m., and 3 p.m.

Please contact us in advance to arrange group visits of 10 or more people.

Members: Free
Adults: $18
Adult Students/Teachers/Seniors/Military $16
Child/Students ages 4 – 17: $12
EBT Card Families $5 for up to 4 people in the household
Children (3 and under): Free

The Thom Hindle Gallery at the Keefe House at the Woodman – 15 Summer Street, Dover, NH is open for special exhibitions.

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Events at the Woodman Museum

23 October 2026

1st Annual Woodman Museum Golf Tournament!

  WOODMAN MUSEUM CURATOR'S CUP CHARITY GOLF TOURNAMENT PLEASE JOIN US FOR THE 1ST ANNUAL CURATOR'S CUP GOLF TOURNAMENT  Your registration for the Curator’s Cup Golf Tournament supports the Woodman […]

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Rochester Country Club, 94 Church Street
Rochester, NH 03867 United States
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24 October 2026

2nd Annual Trunk or Treat

Come spend an evening of Spooktacular fun at the Woodman Museum during a free and open to the public, family-friendly event! Meet with local organizations and businesses as you walk […]

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Woodman Museum, 182 Central Avenue
Dover, NH 03820 United States
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04 December 2026

Woodman Museum Holiday Train Show

The First Annual Woodman Museum Holiday Train Show   Create history. Share your creativity. Help build the Woodman Museum's first community Holiday Train Village. The Woodman Museum Holiday Train Show […]

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Woodman Museum, 182 Central Avenue
Dover, NH 03820 United States
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Partnerships and Awards

 

Absolutely THE best experience with my grandsons. Mark, our tour guide was fantastic. He tuned into my 10 and 12-Year-old grandsons and connected with them in a way his mother or I could not.

I’ve been here many times over the years, my latest excursion was for the middle school art show. My daughter had some pieces in it. This is a great spot to see the oldest house in New Hampshire, some unique ephemera and pieces from the area, as well as learning about the great local history.

Excellent collection of artifacts covering many centuries of Colonial history. Loved the garrison home… a real snapshot in time. A must-see for any avid historian.

Never heard of this museum until I got the NH museum passport. What a sight to see! They have so many different exhibits and things about Dover and America from years ago. I would highly recommend this museum! By far one of the best I’ve been to over the years and the tour guide they had was excellent.

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Hale House Continued...

Born in nearby Rochester NH, John Parker Hale is best known as the first avowed Abolitionist Senator in the United States. It is an odd irony that, in the two decades Hale was in the Senate, Dover profited from the manufacture of cotton products that were produced by Southern slave labor. Living in William’s own house, Hale took a solid stand against slavery - a position that earned him enmity from Southern leaders, even a death threat on the Senate floor from a colleague. It also earned Hale a statue in 1892 on the lawn of the state capitol in Concord, NH, where his figure now stands with Daniel Webster, President Franklin Pierce and John Stark.

Today, the collections throughout two of the three floors of the Hale House are arranged into galleries displaying Hale Family artifacts, local and regional history, New England period furniture, fine and decorative arts and more.

Woodman House Continued...

The younger Charles Woodman inherited the estate from his mother. A successful financier and manager of the Strafford Savings Bank, he resided here throughout his life. He married twice: his first wife, Hannah (Coffin) Woodman, died in 1854 and in 1856 he married Annie (Allen) Woodman. When she died in January 1915, Annie Woodman left the sum of $100,000 “for the establishment …of an institution for the promotion of education in science and art and the increase and dissemination of general and especially historical knowledge.” The trustees of the estate acquired the Woodman house and the adjoining Hale House, which by chance came on the market that same year. The renovation of the interior was directed by local architect J. Edward Richardson, and the Institute opened in July, 1916.

Today, the collections throughout the three floors of the Woodman House are arranged into galleries displaying natural science (mounted specimens, rocks and minerals, fossils, seashells), Native American culture, military history, “childhood” history (schools, Scouting, toys, games and dolls), seasonal themed exhibits and more.

Damm Garrison House Continued...

In 1915, Col. Daniel Hall (the founding Head Trustee of the Woodman Museum) had an interview with Mrs. Rounds and broached the matter of having the garrison and its contents removed to the grounds of the Woodman Museum. The proposition proved to be acceptable to her; in due time she made a formal gift of the Damm garrison to the Museum. Daniel Chesley was entrusted with the task of removing the house to its new home; it took him one week, using wooden rollers and a horse, to move the garrison to the grounds. Local architect J. Edward Richardson directed the construction of the protective outer “colonnade” building that surronds and protects the garrison currently.

Today, the collections throughout the two floors of the William Damm Garrison House are arranged into galleries displaying local Colonial and Early American history.

Keefe House & Carriage Barn Continued...

Today, the first floor of the Keefe House (the Thom Hindle Gallery) features rotating artist and artisan exhibitions throughout the year. The second floor of the Keefe House (the Robert Whitehouse Library) serves as administrative offices and a climate controlled archive. The attached two story Carriage Barn houses local and regional transportation, trades, farm, and household collections.

Keefe House & Carriage Barn Continued...

Today, the first floor of the Keefe House (the Thom Hindle Gallery) features rotating artist and artisan exhibitions throughout the year. The second floor of the Keefe House (the Robert Whitehouse Library) serves as administrative offices and a climate controlled archive. The attached two story Carriage Barn houses local and regional transportation, trades, farm, and household collections.