new Dover location opens next week

The exhibit space has nearly tripled, the museum store has quadrupled, and the model train tables have multiplied from one to five. The former Children’s Museum of Portsmouth, which closed its doors at the end of May, has expanded so much during its relocation to Dover that when it reopens with a grand celebration on Saturday, July 26, it will have a new name: the Children’s Museum of New Hampshire.

Founded in Portsmouth in 1983, the Children’s Museum will soon be celebrating its 25th anniversary, in addition to its first year in a new location. After a decade-long search for a much needed larger space, the museum signed a 60-year lease in 2005 with the city of Dover for the Butterfield Building at 6 Washington St., formerly a community gym.

Located on the banks of the Cochecho River at the edge of Henry Law Park, the museum is expected to benefit from a family-friendly setting, with children’s programs in the adjacent Rotary Arts Pavilion and a nearby playground. It is also positioned to be the gateway to future downtown waterfront development in Dover.

The new name, along with more space, is an opportunity for the museum to broaden the scope of its exhibits, said Jane Bard, museum education director. The space now has decorations that depict portions of the state from the Seacoast to the White Mountains. It is one of the state’s most-visited cultural attractions, serving more than 90,000 visitors per year. That number will likely grow to about 125,000 in the next year with increased accessibility, said Bard.

New exhibits add to the age range to which the museum caters. It had been designed for children from toddlers to fourth graders, but the addition of more advanced concepts will serve children up to sixth grade. Primary Place, a space filled with colorful original murals by children’s illustrator Karen Holman, and hand-carved wooden play sculptures by Joshua Sargent provide more opportunities for younger children, even infants.

The new space is bright with natural light and walls in shades of pink, yellow and green. The recently refinished wooden floors are composed of a shiny, pale wood that was once a basketball court. “We wanted to make this space as colorful and lively as the old space,” Bard said.

At the center of the museum, a new exhibit called “Build It, Fly It” gives kids a chance to test their own flight designs while learning the concepts of aerodynamics, engineering and physics. Aircrafts can be built with foam and other soft materials, then cranked up to the top of a clerestory, where the craft flips and flies into a catch basin on the ground level. 

The museum’s signature Yellow Submarine has been completely redesigned and manufactured in-house by Roe Cole. The new sub simulates the experience of deep-sea diving, with computer animation on three large plasma screens and control systems created by students from Manchester Technical College. A Dino Dig also has an immersive environment, where children can climb into fossil dig areas and uncover replicas from the sand.

The Dover location has also inspired a new exhibit with a local connection. Cocheco System explores the natural and industrial environment of the Cochecho River, with beaver and osprey habitats and historic mills. Christopher Pothier’s murals form the display’s backdrop, and a hand-crafted trolley duplicates the mill worker experience. The trolley is being made by 83-year-old Don Bishop, who also built one at the museum’s former location.

But the museum also has far-reaching exhibits, including one on world culture where kids can wear costumes and feel like they are part of the celebration playing on a screen. Another display has masks from around the world. If this feels too far away, visitors can deliver mail throughout the museum from one of two post office windows to keep in touch.   

“Unlike traditional museums where the philosophy is to look and keep hands-off, children’s museums encourage kids to touch everything,” Bard said. “Children are encouraged to take the lead. It really empowers them. It’s created for them and everything is their size.”

The entire exhibit area is linked by an all-abilities ramp, where the walls will be a rotating gallery for local artist exhibits. People with mobility issues can accompany others up the ramp to second-floor exhibits, if they choose, instead of having to take the elevator. It feels wide open, allowing for views of the first floor from the second, and from the ramp that connects the two, but there are also cozy places where families can get away from the crowd.

Other visitor amenities include storage space for jackets and strollers, family restrooms on each floor, group orientation space, a snack area and an entry with a front desk. The snack area has a checkered floor and yellow, vinyl booths from a 1950s diner, while the entrance has the same brick walls as the former gym. There are also more options for parking closer to the building than at the previous location.

The museum is now better suited to supplement education by providing schools the assets to expand curriculum with alternatives to classroom learning. There is a large project area with tables and easels to conduct science and math experiments, as well as a classroom. The class space has an under-sea theme, with a sand-colored floor and murals that once hung on the walls of the old submarine. Bard said the museum plans to connect with more schools and organizations, now that groups do not have to be accommodated during off hours. 

While championing a $3.6 million capital campaign, the museum has completely renovated the 20,000-square-foot building, upgrading the structure and internal systems to secure LEED certification. The Museum is self-supporting, with 60 percent of operating revenue coming from admissions, sales, events and program fees. The balance comes from corporate partners, members, individual donors and foundations.

In February, The Children’s Museum of New Hampshire received a $300,000 challenge grant from The Kresge Foundation for the museum’s capital campaign. It will be awarded if the museum meets its fundraising goal by July 31, which it nearly has, but it is still seeking help.

For more information, visit www.childrens-museum.org or call 603-742-2002.