Children's Museum of New Hampshire
4.6(1.0K)google
4.2(50)yelp
KidsIndoorInteractiveHands-OnEducationalScienceArt
Overview
Dover is a city in Strafford County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 32,741 at the 2020 census, making it the most populous city in the New Hampshire Seacoast region and the fifth most populous city in New Hampshire. It is the county seat of Strafford County, and home to Wentworth-Douglass Hospital, the Woodman Institute Museum, and the Children's Museum of New Hampshire.
Practical Info
MonClosed
Tue9:00 AM – 12:00 PM, 1:00 – 4:00 PM
Wed9:00AM – 12:00 PM, 1:00 – 4:00 PM
Thu9:00 AM – 12:00 PM, 1:00 – 4:00 PM
Fri9:00 AM – 12:00 PM, 1:00 – 4:00 PM
Sat9:00 AM – 12:00 PM, 1:00 – 4:00 PM
Sun9:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Suggested Duration3-5 hours
Best TimeBest visited on non-summer school-year weekdays after 1:30 PM when morning elementary school field trip groups begin to exit, granting child-led exploration without lines. Early hours on Friday afternoons let you pair your trip with natural sunset strolls across the adjacent waterfront Henry Law Park lawns.
Getting ThereLocated in the historic mill sector of Dover at 6 Washington Street. Drive via the Spaulding Turnpike (NH-16 N) to Exit 7 for Central Ave toward downtown. Follow Washington Street straight to the riverfront; extensive public metered surface spaces envelope the front plaza and adjacent parks.
Travel Tips
- The museum enforces distinct morning and afternoon ticketing sessions with a mid-day closure for sanitation; plan arrival around precise reservation windows.
- Adults without children and unaccompanied minors are legally denied entry; matching security wristbands are issued and mandatory for re-entry validation.
- No private parking lot exists; use municipal metered slots along Henry Law Avenue or head to downtown multi-story parking garages during mid-day crunch hours.
Reviews
Positive
- An absolute paradise for kids! Two floors packed with science, art, and nature-themed interactive play can entertain them all day.
- Security and safety management are top-notch with controlled entry/exit, and the padded structures give parents peace of mind.
- The staff is incredibly friendly, actively guiding kids to explore and experiment, and the facility is kept impeccably clean.
- The museum is adjacent to Henry Law Park, which has an excellent outdoor playground, offering a perfect indoor-outdoor mix.
Heads up
- They enforce strict timed-session entry; if you don't book tickets online in advance, you will often be turned away at the door.
- On weekends or rainy days, it gets packed and incredibly noisy, and popular exhibits like the water table require long waits.
- Tickets are charged per person (same price for adults and kids), which can add up to a pricey total for families with multiple children.
- The dedicated parking lot is tiny; most of the time you are forced to find metered street parking downtown, which is a hassle.