Family Friendly - American Independence Museum

Join AIM’s Ghosts of Winter Street Cemetery Tour

by ion | Oct 8, 2021 | Events, Family Friendly, For Adults, For Kids, Programming, Tours

On Saturday, October 23, the American Independence Museum will host Ghosts of Winter Street Cemetery, a popular family-friendly event that takes visitors on a tour through history.

“Our colonial guide meets you at Winter Street Cemetery and walks you through it while showing you the graves of some of Exeter’s most famous and infamous revolutionary residents,” said the museum’s Sarah Jaworski.

Primarily used from the 1740’s to 1870’s, Winter Street Cemetery is the final resting place of many prominent members of Exeter, including governors, Revolutionary and Civil War veterans, politicians and others.

Ghosts of Winter Street Cemetery takes place every 30 minutes, 4:00 p.m. through 5:30 p.m., at Winter Street Cemetery on Saturday, October 23. There is a 3 p.m. tour designed especially for families with elementary school aged children, who are invited to wear their Halloween costume while discovering stories of the past and tasting a colonial treat.

All tours will last approximately 45 minutes with guests encouraged to bring flashlights for the last two tours. The cost is $10 for non-members and $7 for non-member children, ages 6-18. Members are $5 and members’ children, ages 6-18, are $3. All children under 6 are free.

Ticket price includes the cemetery tour and a return pass to visit the museum. To purchase tickets, click here.

About the American Independence Museum
The American Independence Museum is a history museum in Exeter, NH that features a collection of 3,000 historic artifacts that shed light on the American Revolution. Many of our programs touch on civics and the fight for independence, while we incorporate inclusivity and diversity into the experiences we create on-site and in digital formats. We feature a variety of things to do for people of all ages, including festivals, an historic tavern, guided tours and our annual American Independence Festival.

AIM to offer Homeschool Days

by ion | Oct 4, 2021 | Events, Family Friendly, For Kids, Homeschool, Programming

On Friday, October 15 and 22, the American Independence Museum in Exeter will host Homeschool Days, a program geared to kids, ages 6 to 11. During the 90-minute program, kids will grapple with the “tricky decision” regarding their stance on the Revolutionary War.

“Would they be a patriot, loyalist, neutral, or something else?” noted museum Executive Director Emma Stratton. “It was not an easy decision for British citizens in the 1770s.”

According to Stratton, a deeper objective behind the program is to spark curiosity in both students and parents.

“Political debates are often reduced to two sides, which oversimplifies the reality of human experience,” she said. “We hope to encourage participants to think about how some of the challenges faced by people in the 1770s have a direct connection to events taking place today.”

Homeschool Days will take place on Friday, October 15 and 22 from 10:00 am to 11:30 am and 1:00 pm to 2:30 pm at the museum’s Folsom Tavern in downtown Exeter.

“Four sessions of this program are offered twice on each Friday, so families have multiple opportunities to access it based on their schedules,” added Stratton.

The cost for the program is $5 for adults, $8 for students over 6, and free for children under 6 years of age. The program fee includes a pass to visit the museum after the program or another day.

Weather permitting, the program will take place under a tent outside Folsom Tavern. Masks will be required indoors, and parents must accompany the program with their child(ren).

To register online, or learn more about the museum, visit Homeschool Days Events.

About the American Independence Museum
The American Independence Museum is a history museum in Exeter, NH that features a collection of 3,000 historic artifacts that shed light on the American Revolution. Many of our programs touch on civics and the fight for independence, while we incorporate inclusivity and diversity into the experiences we create on-site and in digital formats. We feature a variety of things to do for people of all ages, including festivals, an historic tavern, guided tours and our annual American Independence Festival.

Newburyport Bank sponsors overnight Family Camp Out

by ion | Jul 19, 2021 | Events, Family Friendly, Festival, Living History, Programming

The final event of the 2021 American Independence Festival, the Family Camp Out, is made possible thanks to Newburyport Bank.

The Family Camp Out will begin on Saturday, July 24 at 7 p.m. and extend overnight until 9 a.m. on Sunday, July 25. The Acton Minutemen, a patriot reenactment group, will accompany families overnight and lead various family friendly activities.

Event highlights will include a lantern tour of the Folsom Tavern, 18th century campfire cooking demonstrations, a morning muster with the Acton Minutemen, and camping out under the stars. This popular event has already sold out.

“We’re so extremely proud to support the American Independence Museum’s Family Camp Out,” noted Newburyport Bank President & CEO Lloyd L. Hamm. “It’s quintessential Americana with families getting together under the stars to play games, sing songs, make crafts, and so much more to celebrate our proud history. It’s one of those memories that lasts a lifetime and we’re so happy to play a small part in making it happen.”

Celebrating the arrival of the Declaration of Independence in Exeter on July 16, 1776, the American Independence Festival features a variety of entertainment, including music, military demonstrations, traditional artisan working village, and more. Sponsored by the New Hampshire State Council on the Arts, this year’s festival includes in-person events spanning the month of July.

To learn more, visit independencemuseum.org.

About the American Independence Museum
The American Independence Museum is a history museum in Exeter, NH that features a collection of 3,000 historic artifacts that shed light on the American Revolution. Many of our programs touch on civics and the fight for independence, while we incorporate inclusivity and diversity into the experiences we create on-site and in digital formats. We feature a variety of things to do for people of all ages, including festivals, an historic tavern, guided tours and our annual American Independence Festival.

Kennebunk Savings sponsors Declaration of Independence reading in Exeter

by ion | Jul 13, 2021 | Events, Family Friendly, Festival

Kennebunk Savings will sponsor one of the American Independence Festival’s enduring traditions, the public reading of the Declaration of Independence.

On July 10, 17, and 24, at 2:00 pm the Declaration of Independence will be read aloud as part of the Festival’s in-person events. A virtual reading will also air on the museum’s website on July 16.

The declaration will be read by Greg Gilman. He is the direct descendant of John Taylor Gilman, who read the Declaration of Independence to the townspeople of Exeter on July 16, 1776. A copy of the Dunlap Broadside, the Declaration of Independence’s first printing, will be on display in Folsom Tavern and is one of the festival’s highlights.

“What is so special about the American Independence Museum and this festival in particular is that it illuminates a pivotal chapter in our nation’s history,” said Carlos Maldonado, Retail Experience Manager at Kennebunk Savings. “Seeing the words on a page is one thing, but hearing and seeing it recited this way truly brings history to life.”

Celebrating the arrival of the Declaration of Independence in Exeter on July 16, 1776, the American Independence Festival features a variety of entertainment, including music, military demonstrations, traditional artisan working village, and more. Sponsored by the New Hampshire State Council on the Arts, this year’s festival includes in-person events spanning the month of July.

To learn more, or purchase tickets, visit independencemuseum.org.

About the American Independence Museum
The American Independence Museum is a history museum in Exeter, NH that features a collection of 3,000 historic artifacts that shed light on the American Revolution. Many of our programs touch on civics and the fight for independence, while we incorporate inclusivity and diversity into the experiences we create on-site and in digital formats. We feature a variety of things to do for people of all ages, including festivals, an historic tavern, guided tours and our annual American Independence Festival.

RiverWoods Exeter to present concert with Theo Martey & The Akwaaba Ensemble

by ion | Jul 7, 2021 | Events, Family Friendly, For Adults, For Kids, Free

On Saturday, July 10 the American Independence Festival will cap off an exciting day with an outdoor concert featuring Theo Martey & The Akwaaba Ensemble, presented by RiverWoods Exeter.

Theophilus Nii Martey, originally from Ghana, is a master of West African drumming and dance. Martey founded the Akwaaba Ensemble in Manchester, NH. Their energetic and engaging performances are a reflection of their name, which means ‘welcome’ in the Twi language of Ghana. The Ensemble’s music evokes the life and culture of their West African ancestors, who were among those living free and enslaved in New Hampshire during the Revolutionary era.

This outdoor concert takes place from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m. and is free of charge thanks to generous support from RiverWoods Exeter. Guests are encouraged to bring chairs, blankets, and picnics.

“The RiverWoods Exeter community is more than just a local business, we are neighbors!” said RiverWoods Exeter Executive Director, Deb Riddell. “Our residents and staff are big fans of the Exeter area and eager supporters whenever and wherever possible. We’re excited to be able to sponsor this concert, allowing it to be a free community event.”

Celebrating the arrival of the Declaration of Independence in Exeter on July 16, 1776, the American Independence Festival features a variety of entertainment, including music, military demonstrations, traditional artisan working village, and more. Sponsored by the New Hampshire State Council on the Arts, this year’s festival includes in-person events spanning the month of July.

To learn more, or purchase tickets, visit independencemuseum.org.

For more information about RiverWoods Exeter, part of the largest family of non-profit Continuing Care Retirement Communities in Northern New England, visit RiverWoodsExeter.org.

About the American Independence Museum
The American Independence Museum is a history museum in Exeter, NH that features a collection of 3,000 historic artifacts that shed light on the American Revolution. Many of our programs touch on civics and the fight for independence, while we incorporate inclusivity and diversity into the experiences we create on-site and in digital formats. We feature a variety of things to do for people of all ages, including festivals, an historic tavern, guided tours and our annual American Independence Festival.

2021 American Independence Festival: July 3-24

by ion | Jun 22, 2021 | Family Friendly, Festival, For Adults, For Kids, Living History, Programming, Tours

Saturday, July 3 will kick off the 31st American Independence Festival, a modified in-person event that will run through July 24 on the grounds of the American Independence Museum.

Presented by New Hampshire State Council of the Arts with additional support from Kennebunk Savings, Newburyport Bank, and RiverWoods Exeter, the Festival will feature a traditional artisan working village, entertainment, reenactments with military drills, and more.

The theme of this year’s Festival is diversity and inclusivity, which underscore that ‘liberty and freedom for all’ has not been experienced in the same way for many in the nation to this day.

“While the Festival celebrates American independence, it also provides a forum for discussion and reflection. We hope it can serve to bring people of all backgrounds and ages together,” noted Executive Director Emma Stratton.

This year’s in-person Festival will be held Saturday July 10, 17 and 24 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Highlights include a concert by Theo Martey & The Akwaaba Ensemble on July 10, a British and French military reenactment on July 17, and a Family Camp Out on July 24.

“For this year’s Festival, we are offering something for everyone with our variety of events and features. We hope everyone will discover something they connect with or learn from,” added Emma Scheinmann, Program Assistant and Festival Coordinator.

This year’s Festival also marks the 300th anniversary of the Ladd-Gilman House, which served as the state treasury during the American Revolutionary War. One of the state’s first brick houses, but clapboarded three decades later, the home was birthplace to Nicholas Gilman, Jr., a signer of the United States Constitution and U.S. senator.

Built in 1775 by Samuel Folsom, Folsom Tavern is also located on the grounds of the museum. Site to the founding of the Society of the Cincinnati in the State of New Hampshire in 1783, Folsom Tavern was visited by George Washington in 1789.

“The Society owns the buildings and collection today, so the museum reveals so much about our past and its connection to the present,” noted Stratton. “The Festival will be a terrific time to get a sense for all this history.”

Taking place July 3- 24, the 2021 American Independence Festival will feature entertainment, historic military reenactments, traditional artisan working village, and more. Tickets are $5 for adults, $3 for children ages 4 to 18, and free to museum members. Virtual series, online community readings, and additional programming will go live throughout the festival. To learn more, or for a full schedule of events, visit independencemuseum.org.

About the American Independence Museum
The American Independence Museum is a history museum in Exeter, NH that features a collection of 3,000 historic artifacts that shed light on the American Revolution. Many of our programs touch on civics and the fight for independence, while we incorporate inclusivity and diversity into the experiences we create on-site and in digital formats. We feature a variety of things to do for people of all ages, including festivals, an historic tavern, guided tours and our annual American Independence Festival.