Four Thanksgivings in One Afternoon: Strawbery Banke's Harvest Celebrations Tours

Regular self-guided admission at Strawbery Banke Museum has ended for the season, but the Portsmouth museum is not going quiet for November. Instead, it is opening its doors for a run of guided Thanksgiving tours on weekends through the end of the month.

The tour

The program is called Harvest Celebrations: A History of Thanksgiving Guided Tours. According to the museum's event page, it is a 90-minute guided walk through four historic houses. Each stop looks at how the holiday was experienced in a different year:

• 1777
• 1870
• 1919
• 1943

The museum describes it as a look at three centuries of Thanksgiving traditions and how they changed over time. If you have ever wondered how your own family's table compares with one from the Revolutionary era or the Second World War home front, this is a straightforward way to find out without leaving the Seacoast.

Dates and times

Tours run on these 2026 dates:

• November 7 and 8
• November 14 and 15
• November 21 and 22
• November 27, 28 and 29

Tours are offered from 10 AM to 2 PM. The museum recommends advance reservations.

That last weekend lines up with the Thanksgiving holiday itself. If you have family in town on Friday, November 27, a 90-minute tour is a good way to get everyone out of the house after the big meal.

Tickets

• Members: $20
• Nonmembers: $25

Getting there and parking

Strawbery Banke Museum is at 14 Hancock Street in Portsmouth. The museum says on-site parking is limited, with additional parking at nearby city garages. Its event page also notes that there is no on-site parking for special events, so plan to use a garage and walk over.

Questions and booking help

The museum's box office phone hours are Wednesday to Sunday, 10 AM to 2 PM. The number is 603-433-1100, and the general email is info@sbmuseum.org.

Making a day of it

Because tours run only until 2 PM, a morning tour leaves plenty of the day for downtown Portsmouth. Restaurant Week Portsmouth and the Seacoast runs November 5 to 14, 2026, according to Go Portsmouth, so the first two tour weekends overlap with prix fixe menus at more than 30 restaurants. That makes the weekend of November 7 and 8 an easy pick if you want history in the morning and a three-course dinner at night.

Sources

• Strawbery Banke Museum, "Thanksgiving Guided Tours" event page (dates, times, tour description, tickets, parking, box office hours, seasonal hours): https://www.strawberybanke.org/events-collection/thanksgiving-guided-tours-1-5ypgz-lg7y2-xr8j6-6fkl4-rw88e-yr68g-n7azs
• Go Portsmouth, "Fresh Tables for Fall: New(ish) Spots, New Menus & Around the Seacoast," October 6, 2026 (Restaurant Week dates): https://www.goportsmouthnh.com/fresh-tables-for-fall-new-restaurants-portsmouth-nh/