Arts and Culture in the Merrimack Valley: Museums, Galleries and Theaters

The Merrimack Valley is where most of New Hampshire lives and works. It runs along the Merrimack River from Canterbury south to the Massachusetts line and takes in the state's three largest population centers along the way: Concord, Manchester and Nashua. Because it is so busy, visitors sometimes treat it as a place to pass through. But the valley and its hill towns hold a surprisingly varied set of cultural stops, from an outdoor sculpture park to a museum devoted to the telephone. This guide covers five museums, galleries and theaters in the Merrimack Valley NH that are worth building a day around, all from our directory.

Andres Institute of Art, Brookline

The Andres Institute of Art in Brookline is the largest sculpture park in New England, and it is one of the most unusual places to see art in the state. Founded in 1996, it holds more than 100 metal and stone sculptures spread across 140 acres of Potanipo Hill, a former ski area. Our hero image shows the hill.

The sculptures sit along more than ten miles of trails that wind through the woods and over the old slopes, so a visit is as much a hike as a gallery tour. The park is open from dawn to dusk and is free to visit, and visitors can also join guided tours of the collection. That makes it an easy choice for families and for anyone who wants art and fresh air in the same outing. Wear good shoes and plan for some climbing.

Since 1998 the institute has hosted an international sculpture symposium, inviting sculptors from around the world to create new work on site. That is how the collection has grown, piece by piece, into what you see today. The institute also has a performance space, the Big Bear Lodge.

Brookline itself is a small town of 5,639 people at the 2020 census, about 12 miles west of Nashua. It was first part of Dunstable, Massachusetts, was granted in 1769 as "Raby," and was renamed in 1798 at the suggestion of a resident originally from Brookline, Massachusetts.

Mount Kearsarge Indian Museum, Warner

The Mount Kearsarge Indian Museum in Warner was founded in 1991. Its collections cover Indigenous peoples from across North America, and the museum uses them to teach about Native cultures, crafts and ways of life. Outside, the museum offers a guide to its Medicine Woods, a landscape of native plants that adds a quiet walk to an indoor visit. Fall is a fine time to go, when the woods around Warner are at their most colorful.

New Hampshire Telephone Museum, Warner

Just down the road in the same town, the New Hampshire Telephone Museum was established in 2005. It holds more than 1,000 telephone-related artifacts that trace the history of telephone communication. The displays include switchboards, candlestick telephones, wooden wall-mount phones, a large collection of rotary phones, phone booths, princess phones, flip phones and smart devices. It is a good stop for anyone curious about how communication technology changed daily life, and it works well for families with older children who have never seen a rotary dial. The museum is ADA compliant.

Making a day of Warner

Two museums in one small town make Warner an easy half-day destination. Warner was incorporated in 1774 and lies about 19 miles by road northwest of Concord, served by Interstate 89 and Route 103. Mount Kearsarge, at 2,937 feet the highest point in Merrimack County, rises in the far north of town. Rollins State Park and the Mount Kearsarge State Forest are both in Warner, and a paved road climbs from Rollins State Park to within half a mile of the bare, rocky summit, so you can pair a museum visit with a short hike to big views. The peak is also the high point of the 75-mile Sunapee-Ragged-Kearsarge Greenway.

The Pierce Manse, Concord

In the capital, the Pierce Manse is a historic house museum that was the home of Franklin Pierce, the 14th president of the United States, who lived there with his wife Jane from 1842 to 1848, not long before his presidency. During those years Pierce resumed his law practice in Concord and served as district attorney. In 1846, at the outbreak of the Mexican-American War, he enlisted as a private and was soon promoted to brigadier general.

The house nearly disappeared. In 1971 it was threatened with demolition as part of an urban renewal project. Local residents formed the Pierce Brigade to raise money, buy the home and save it, and the building was moved from Montgomery Street to its present site on Horseshoe Pond Lane. It opened to the public in 1974, and the Pierce Brigade still operates it. Tours are guided and seasonal, so check the museum's website before you plan a visit around it.

Actorsingers, Nashua

For live performance, Actorsingers has been making community theater in Nashua since 1955. The company stages two mainstage productions a year, and since 2015 it has also run smaller Fringe productions. A summer musical for teens gives younger performers a stage of their own.

Nashua had 91,322 residents at the 2020 census, the second-largest population in northern New England after nearby Manchester, and it is the natural place to end a day in the southern valley with dinner and a show. Check the company's website for its current season.

Planning a Merrimack Valley arts day

The valley is long, so it helps to group stops by area:

• Southern valley. Combine the Andres Institute in Brookline with an evening in Nashua. Walk the sculpture trails by day, then see a show or have dinner downtown.
• Central and northern valley. Pair the Pierce Manse in Concord with the two Warner museums, about 19 miles apart by road. Add a walk at Rollins State Park if the weather is good.
• Rainy day. The Telephone Museum and the Indian Museum are indoor visits, which makes Warner a good plan when the weather turns.

Tips for visiting

• Check before you go. Several of these are small nonprofits with seasonal schedules. Confirm open days on each website.
• Dress for the outdoors. The Andres Institute is a woodland park on a hill. Bring layers, water and sturdy shoes, and allow a couple of hours.
• Support the small ones. Many of these places depend on members, volunteers and donations. Buying something in a museum shop or becoming a member helps keep them open.
• Bring the kids. The sculpture trails and the Telephone Museum are especially good with children.

FAQ

What is the largest sculpture park in New England?

The Andres Institute of Art in Brookline, with more than 100 sculptures on 140 acres.

Is the Andres Institute free?

Yes. The park is free and open from dawn to dusk.

Which towns are in the Merrimack Valley?

The region runs from Canterbury to the Massachusetts line and includes Concord, Manchester and Nashua, along with smaller towns such as Warner and Brookline.

Where did Franklin Pierce live in Concord?

At the Pierce Manse, his home from 1842 to 1848, now a house museum run by the Pierce Brigade.

Are there two museums in Warner, NH?

Yes. The Mount Kearsarge Indian Museum and the New Hampshire Telephone Museum are both in Warner.

Sources

• Merrimack Valley (New Hampshire), Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merrimack_Valley_(New_Hampshire)
• Andres Institute of Art, Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andres_Institute_of_Art
• Andres Institute of Art official website (see directory listing)
• Brookline, New Hampshire, Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brookline,_New_Hampshire
• Mount Kearsarge Indian Museum official website: https://indianmuseum.org
• New Hampshire Telephone Museum, Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Hampshire_Telephone_Museum
• Warner, New Hampshire, Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warner,_New_Hampshire
• Pierce Manse, Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pierce_Manse
• Actorsingers official website (see directory listing)
• Nashua, New Hampshire, Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nashua,_New_Hampshire
• Hero image: Wikimedia Commons, File:Potanipo Hill Andres Institute 2007.jpg