Saint-Gaudens Historic Site

The home, studios and gardens of the 19th-century American sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens, preserved by the National Park Service, are on full display for your enjoyment in Cornish, New Hampshire. Best known for his monuments commemorating Civil War heroes (like the Robert Gould Shaw Memorial on Boston Commons), Saint-Gaudens was originally born in Dublin, Ireland, in 1848 and passed away at his home in Cornish in 1907. Over 100 pieces of Saint-Gaudens’ sculpture are exhibited throughout the site’s galleries and on the park grounds, and Aspet, his home, contains three rooms of original furnishings. The site’s Picture Gallery features changing exhibitions of contemporary art.

Canterbury Shaker Village

There’s always lots going on at the Canterbury Shaker Village in Canterbury, New Hampshire, and visitors are encouraged to allow at least two to three hours to take in all that this National Historic Landmark has to offer. The 25 original restored 19th-century Shaker buildings include homes, workshops, and even an infirmary, in a setting of 694 acres of “forests, fields, gardens, nature trails, and mill ponds” that are protected under a permanent conservation easement. Watch as re-enactors do everything from broom-making to letterpress printing to weaving and tinsmithing, or buy some fresh produce at the farmstand in the summer and fall months.

Things are in full swing at the Village from May to October, with guided tours available on weekends in November. Special events like Christmas at Canterbury allow visitors to experience the charms of a 19th-century Christmas firsthand.

Robert Frost Farm

This farm in Derry, New Hampshire, owned by Robert Frost and his family from 1900 to 1911, is preserved as a monument to Frost’s life and work, and an educational opportunity for those interested in learning more about the four-time Pulitzer Prize-winning American poet. Restored in 1974 by the State of New Hampshire, the main house features meticulous original details such as period wallpaper, bright red wood plank floors (which Frost’s wife thought served as a lovely backdrop for their annual Christmas tree) and the kitchen’s original woodstove. Lectures examining and celebrating Frost’s work, along with poetry readings and literary events, are regularly held at the Derry Farm’s “theater barn” throughout the summer months.

Check the website for specifics on when tours and visiting times are available, and for any upcoming events.

Franklin Pierce Homestead State Historic Site

This sprawling Federal-style country house in Hillsborough, New Hampshire, was the boyhood home of Franklin Pierce, the nation’s fourteenth president. Built by Pierce’s father in 1804, this stately structure even has a ballroom. It remained in the Pierce family until 1925, when it was donated to the state of New Hampshire. It underwent restoration and renovation in the 1940s and ‘60s, and is now operated by the Hillsborough Historical Society. The site primarily operates during the tourist-heavy summer months, but it is available for private and large group tours throughout the year.

John Paul Jones House

This former boarding house is the only known American structure associated with Scottish-born Revolutionary War naval hero John Paul Jones, who lived in the house from 1781-82 while overseeing the building of the Navy vessel America nearby. It’s been meticulously maintained and operated by the Portsmouth Historical Society since 1919, and regularly hosts exhibits and other historical society events. It’s open seven days a week from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. during the summer months, and on select weekends in November.