Montshire Museum of Science

The Montshire built its reputation on exhibits that reward hands and curiosity. Visitors raise giant bubbles, redirect flowing water, spin gears, test light and sound, and watch live animals, with each station inviting experiment rather than simply presenting a fact. That design philosophy, learning by doing, has made it a model that other science museums study.

Because the exhibits are open-ended, they hold the attention of a toddler and a physicist alike, which is a large part of why families return again and again. The museum grew from a collection connected to nearby Dartmouth College into an independent institution with its own purpose-built home on the river.

One of the Montshire's signatures is that it does not stop at the walls. The surrounding woods hold an outdoor Science Park, where a long water feature lets visitors dam, channel, and play with moving water, alongside a maze, a sundial and other oversized instruments, and installations that explore sound, motion, and the natural world.

Trails wind through the museum's riverside acreage along the Connecticut, blending exhibits with the actual forest, wetlands, and river they help explain. On a warm day, the outdoor park can be as big a draw as anything indoors.

The Connecticut River is the great fact of this landscape, the longest river in New England and the boundary between Vermont and New Hampshire. The Upper Valley is the string of river towns on both banks around Hanover, Lebanon, Norwich, and White River Junction, tied together by bridges, Dartmouth College, and a shared sense of place that ignores the state line.

Right across the river, Hanover offers the Dartmouth Green, the Hood Museum of Art, and the Orozco murals, making it easy to combine a morning of hands-on science with an afternoon of art and a river walk.

Summer is the museum at its fullest, when the outdoor Science Park and water exhibits are open and the riverside trails are green.

Fall brings foliage to the river valley and cooler days perfect for combining indoor exhibits with a walk along the Connecticut.

Winter shifts the focus indoors, where the hands-on galleries make a warm, absorbing refuge from the cold.

Spring reopens the outdoor spaces as the weather warms and the river runs high with snowmelt.

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 Montshire Museum of Science, in the Upper Valley just across the Connecticut River from Hanover, New Hampshire, in Norwich, Vermont, is a superb hands-on science museum beloved by families throughout the region. The museum features scores of interactive indoor exhibits exploring science, nature, and technology, along with a large outdoor science park with water features, trails, and exhibits set in the woods along the river. Serving both sides of the river in the Upper Valley, the Montshire blends indoor discovery with outdoor exploration, engaging curious minds of all ages. With its interactive exhibits and outdoor science park, the Montshire Museum of Science is a wonderful destination for New Hampshire's Upper Valley.

You can explore dozens of hands-on indoor exhibits on science, nature, and technology, play and learn in the large outdoor science park with its water features, trails, and exhibits, watch demonstrations, and enjoy the beautiful woodland setting along the Connecticut River. The interactive indoor exhibits, the outdoor science park with its popular water play, and the natural setting are the highlights, engaging children and adults alike. It blends indoor and outdoor discovery. With its exhibits and science park, the Montshire Museum of Science offers a rewarding experience in the Upper Valley near Hanover, New Hampshire.

Yes, the Montshire Museum of Science is one of the best family destinations in the Upper Valley, built around hands-on, interactive exhibits that let children explore science through play, plus a large outdoor science park with water features and trails that kids especially love in the warm months. Children of many ages find plenty to engage them indoors and out, while the natural setting adds appeal. Checking current hours before you go is wise. With its interactive exhibits and outdoor science park, the Montshire Museum of Science makes an excellent family destination near Hanover, New Hampshire.

As an indoor museum with a large outdoor science park, the Montshire is enjoyable year-round, with the indoor exhibits great in any weather and the outdoor science park and its water features best in the warm months of late spring through early fall, when children can fully enjoy the outdoor play. It can be busier on weekends and school breaks. Checking current hours before you go is wise. For the full indoor and outdoor experience aim for the warm months, or visit the indoor exhibits any time of year, at the Montshire Museum of Science near Hanover, New Hampshire.

The Montshire Museum of Science is in the Upper Valley just across the Connecticut River from Hanover, New Hampshire, within reach of Dartmouth College with the Hood Museum of Art, Saint-Gaudens National Historical Park in Cornish, and the Upper Valley towns on both sides of the river. That makes the Montshire Museum of Science a fun stop to combine with the Hood Museum of Art, Saint-Gaudens National Historical Park, and the other attractions of the Upper Valley on a visit to New Hampshire.