The Woodman Museum was a very pleasant surprise. It contains a wide variety of exhibits and items/specimens. People working there are pleasant and helpful. Parking is on street we grabbed a spot on Summer St next to the museum). There are three buildings total to walk through. There are stairs involved once you are in the museum. Plan to spend a couple of hours there. It's a hidden gem in Dover, NH. read more

The last time I went to the Woodman Museum, I was in utero. But I found out today that they have a teacher discount, so I should have gone again much sooner! There were several highlights but I'll just share a few. First was the room dedicated to our nation's 250th anniversary. This historical tribute renewed my respect in the values upon which the United States was founded. Thomas Jefferson writes about King George: "He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States: for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners: refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither..." Jefferson reminded me that like the Woodman Museum, the country was built on a foundation of open arms. I have to mention the bronze statues of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles mounted on granite in a special exhibit dedicated to these lovable heroes. It was an impressive and whimsical display. If there is a movement to make a grand-scale version in a public park in town, sign me up to campaign for that! This would be so cool with a splash pad in the center of it for kiddos. Finally, I have to say how impressed I was with the staff who were friendly, helpful, and incredibly well-versed in the history of the grounds. They answered all my questions with ease in a welcoming Dover style. It was totally gnarly, dude. read more

The Woodman Museum was the best place we visited when we were in Dover, and blew the rest of the places we went too out of the water, this spot is Incredible!! So many artifacts, so much to see, floors on floors of amazing finds, from so many different time periods, you can spend hours in here looking at everything that has been so carefully curated. The guides here also are the most passionate people we've seen, they truly love what they do and enjoy talking about the artifacts they have on display. Learned so much history from this place, and would highly recommend for those that are visiting Dover! read more

See all

If you are interested in: NH history, American history, geology, fossils, archaeology, natural history, entomology, OR just have a day to kill, this is THE place to go. Having lived in the area my entire life, I was amazed at how little I knew about it!! We basically had a private guided tour of the museum and grounds and I can't wait to go back! read more

My boyfriend and I visited during our trip to Dover this weekend. I must say, I was not expecting so much! The workers there were so accommodating, friendly and knowledgable. Everything from civil war, WWII,taxidermy, fossils and the oldest garrison home in NH, this place is chock full of great things! It took us almost 3 hours to get through, which it was not expecting. I thought it was simply a small museum in an old home. It was way more than that. We are interested in all sorts of history and museums in general so this was a great stop! read more

This is a fantastic little museum with a lot of interesting artifacts with local ties. My favorite is the preserved garrison which is worth the admission price alone. Our tour guide was knowledgeable, funny, and was always willing to answer questions. We spent around 4 hours here and I want to go back because I missed out on a lot of the exhibits. If it's a rainy day or you are looking for something fun to do, I highly recommend spending the day at the Woodman. read more

As a local I had driven past this museum many times and never stopped in.....until recently! I literally wandered in, expecting the polar bear to be the highlight and go home.....was I wrong. Three hours later, I left this experience with a much greater appreciation of local history. I was exposed to an eclectic range of artifacts offering something for everyone. This included an original garrison, fully outfitted, which took me back to the 1600s.....totally unexpected. As you stroll amongst 4 different buildings, expertly guided, you are not fighting your way through crowds or dragged along at someone else's pace. Plan on a morning or afternoon and if you are local, buy the more than reasonably priced family membership, to come back throughout the year; A great place to share with out of town guests. The Woodman is a professionally presented gem in our own backyard! read more

Don't miss the Garrison House! Built in 1675 and well-preserved, it is amazing! It's 1 of 4 buildings on site, so if you're short on time, see this one first. The guide was great and gave us all kinds of information about it and that era. My husband and I are retired and are avid travelers and have traveled all over the country. We love historic museums and historic homes and have been to a countless number of them. We were so impressed by this one we both agree it is the best one we have ever seen! The museum in the Woodman home was spectacular. There is such a diverse collection. You definitely get your money's worth for the admission fee charged. read more

We didn't expect much when we visited the museum, but it was really an enjoyable experience with lots of various things to look at. For the admission fee of $8, we had a personal tour guide for almost all of the 3.5 hours that we were there (we like to look at everything). The 17th-century garrison was the best part, but all of the exhibits were pretty neat. There are a lot of great artifacts and information from Dover's history (the bulk of the museum), plus other displays of minerals, taxidermy, and other historical artifacts. read more