Enfield Shaker Museum

The Shakers, formally the United Society of Believers, established their Enfield community in the 1790s, one of a number of such villages across the Northeast. Like their fellow believers, they lived communally, held property in common, practiced celibacy, worshiped with the dancing that gave them their name, and treated men and women as spiritual equals.

They chose the lakeside site for both its beauty and its resources, farming the surrounding land, running mills, and producing goods to sell to the outside world. For decades the community thrived, its members ordering their days around the conviction that honest labor was itself a form of worship.

Completed in 1841, the Great Stone Dwelling is the museum's defining structure and one of the most impressive buildings the Shakers ever created anywhere. Built of granite quarried nearby and rising several full stories, it was designed to house dozens of members in the Shakers' characteristic order, with separate stairs and living quarters for the sexes and rooms of remarkable light and proportion.

It was, at the time, the tallest building of its kind in the country north of the cities, a bold statement of permanence and craft from a people usually associated with modesty. That it still stands, and can be entered and explored, makes Enfield a singular place to grasp the ambition behind Shaker simplicity.

As with Shaker communities everywhere, Enfield's membership eventually dwindled, and the Shakers sold the property in the early twentieth century. The site passed through other hands and other uses over the decades, including a period as a Catholic religious community, layers of history that are part of the story the museum tells today.

Now preserved as a nonprofit museum, the village invites visitors to tour its buildings, view its collections of Shaker furniture and craft, walk the lakeside grounds and gardens, and reflect on a community that pursued heaven on earth through order, equality, and beautifully made things.

The closest Boutel™ stays, so you can turn this stop into an overnight. Each is a place we chose through independent editorial review, never a paid placement.

The Enfield Shaker Museum, in Enfield in the Upper Valley region of New Hampshire, preserves a historic village once home to a community of Shakers, members of a religious group known for their simple living, fine craftsmanship, and distinctive way of life. Set on the shore of a lake amid beautiful countryside, the museum's centerpiece is the Great Stone Dwelling, the largest Shaker dwelling house ever built, along with other preserved buildings, gardens, and exhibits that tell the story of the Shakers who lived, worshiped, and worked here. A serene and fascinating window into a unique American religious community, it offers a meaningful destination. With its Shaker village and history, the Enfield Shaker Museum offers a fascinating destination in New Hampshire.

The Shakers were members of a religious community, formally a Christian sect, known for their communal living, celibacy, equality, simplicity, hard work, and remarkable craftsmanship, who established villages across parts of the country including New Hampshire. Famous for their plain, elegant furniture, architecture, and inventions, and for their distinctive worship that gave them their name, the Shakers lived apart in self-sufficient communities devoted to their faith and ideals. Their numbers have dwindled greatly over time, making sites like Enfield important to preserving their heritage. Understanding the Shakers enriches a visit to the Enfield Shaker Museum in New Hampshire.

You can tour the historic Shaker buildings, most notably the impressive Great Stone Dwelling, the largest Shaker dwelling ever built, explore exhibits and preserved rooms that share the Shakers' life, faith, and craftsmanship, stroll the gardens and lakeside grounds, and learn about this unique religious community. The Great Stone Dwelling, the Shaker history and craftsmanship, and the peaceful lakeside setting are the highlights, offering a serene and educational experience. Approaching this site of a religious community with respect is appreciated. With its Shaker buildings and history, the Enfield Shaker Museum offers a meaningful experience in New Hampshire.

The museum is most fully open in the warm months of spring through fall, when the buildings, exhibits, gardens, and lakeside grounds are at their best and the countryside is beautiful, with fall foliage especially lovely, while some indoor programming may extend into other seasons. Because hours can be seasonal, checking the current schedule before you go is wise. The peaceful setting is serene in any mild season. For the fullest experience with the gardens and grounds, aim for spring through fall at the Enfield Shaker Museum in New Hampshire.

The Enfield Shaker Museum is in Enfield in the Upper Valley region of New Hampshire, within reach of Hanover with the Hood Museum of Art at Dartmouth, the Montshire Museum of Science, Saint-Gaudens National Historical Park in Cornish, Mount Sunapee State Park, and the Upper Valley towns. That makes the Enfield Shaker Museum a fascinating stop to combine with the Hood Museum of Art, Mount Sunapee State Park, and the other attractions of the Upper Valley region on a visit to New Hampshire.