Twilight Tour - Friday, August 11, 2023

4pm to 8pm at more than 7 historic sites in downtown Portsmouth

Advance tickets: $20 for adults, $10 for children. $25 for adults, $10 for children day of

Purchase online: https://fareharbor.com/embeds/book/gundalow/items/398481/availability/1197884564/book/?full-items=yes

 

The Portsmouth Historic Sites Association will hold its popular Twilight Tour this year, on Friday, A August 11, from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Ten sites are included on the tour.  Please note this is a completely self-guided tour. For more details on how to purchase tickets please call the Warner House at 603-436-5909 or email manager@warnerhouse.org.​​

 

In celebration of the City of Portsmouth celebrating its 400th anniversary of its settlement, this year’s Twilight Tour features special exhibits and objects of PHSA sites with local provenance, including those highlighted in the Portsmouth NH 400s legacy project, A History of Portsmouth NH in 101 Objects.

​

Highlights of the evening include:

​

• Portsmouth Athenaeum, 9 Market Square
  The circa 1817 Sawtelle Reading Room on the first floor of the Portsmouth Athenaeum is open for tours where visitors will get to see the incredible room behind the Athenaeum’s iconic arched doors.
  Historic New England’s Langdon House, 143 Pleasant Street

• Visit the Rococo reception halls where Governor John Langdon welcomed guests to his home, hear the stories of Cyrus Bruce and Ona Judge, and imagine an elegant turn-of-the-century feast.

• The Gundalow Company, Prescott Park on Water Street
  Enjoy a relaxing cruise alongside the forts, lighthouses, and shipyard as the crew guides you along the river with stories about the region's maritime heritage from the deck of an 1880s reproduction of the historic Gundalow. Twilight Tour ticket holders receive 40% off admission aboard the Gundalow on August 11, 2023 only.

• Strawbery Banke Museum’s Goodwin Mansion, 14 Hancock Street
  View special collections from the Portsmouth Possessions: Objects that Shaped the City exhibit in the former home of Governor Ichabod Goodwin and his wife, Sarah Parker Rice, including a wedding dress by their granddaughter in 1884.

• Portsmouth Historical Society’s John Paul Jones House, 43 Middle Street
  See the objects that have defined multiple eras of Portsmouth's history, from its indigenous past to the present day, in a home that was witness to many of the changes in the city's history.

• Black Heritage Trail of New Hampshire, 222 Court Street
  Learn about local and oral histories in a video presentation at the Black Heritage Trail of New Hampshire. Provide feedback on the BHTNH’s Portsmouth NH 400 events and enjoy refreshments in the conference room.

• Moffatt-Ladd House & Garden, 154 Market Street
  Tour a 1763 mansion with an intriguing history and learn about Portsmouth's history through the lives and possessions of the inhabitants of the house, both free and enslaved.

• Warner House, 150 Daniel Street
  Tour the first floor of the Warner House and explore the newly opened Carriage House, which features a recently donated extensive collection of period ceramics.

• Wentworth-Coolidge Mansion, 375 Little Harbor Road
  Explore the Wentworth-Coolidge Mansion, including a special exhibit on Benning Wentworth, a Portsmouth merchant, and New Hampshire’s first royal governor.

• Wentworth-Gardner House, 50 Mechanic Street
  View the interior of one of the most splendid examples of Georgian architecture in America, including exceptionally fine hand-crafted moldings, rare hand-blocked French wallpaper from the 1700s, and more. 

​

Each Twilight Tour ticket is valid for one admission to the many participating sites on the night of the Twilight Tour. Tickets are valid for the balance of the 2023 season for admission to most of the sites if visitors are unable to tour the night of the event. The Twilight Tour is self-guided, and sites may be visited in any order. While most sites are within walking distance of each other in downtown Portsmouth, ticket holders are responsible for their transportation and parking. 

​

Proceeds benefit the member sites of the Portsmouth Historic Sites Associates, which is celebrating its 76th year of joint programming.