OK, so it's a very big nutshell. It contains so much local history - mainly in the form of original documents and artifacts - that have been collected or passed through families to them, that it ends up being a treasure trove of past history for researchers, genealogists, small tour groups, and those just wanting to sit and read books... More

Very interesting place and very helpful staff/volunteers.

This should not be on the tourist trail, this is a research library that contains New England genealogy and rare books and some artifacts. Currently only part of one floor was available for public viewing. The first floor is closed due to a locked door and key failure and so one must go around to third-floor it in which one... More

We climbed the two flights of stair to the Athenaeum not sure what to expect but were well rewarded. We are history buffs so this place was right up our alley. They also get extra points for being about the only historic site in Portsmouth open on a January weekend. The staff were great, very friendly and knowledgeable and we... More