Tucked away in the charming heart of Portsmouth, New Hampshire lies a living timeline of American history known as the Strawbery Banke Museum. With its well-preserved colonial homes, cobblestone paths, and meticulously recreated gardens, this immersive open-air museum whisks visitors back in time to life as it once was from the 17th through the 20th century. Whether you’re a history enthusiast, a time-traveling tourist, or a ghost hunter chasing whispers from the past, Strawbery Banke offers a unique, multidimensional experience unlike any other.
But imagine standing in a centuries-old kitchen, candlelight flickering against hand-hewn beams while a gentle chill runs down your spine—was that a draft… or something else? Paranormal tales are woven into the very bricks and timbers of this historic neighborhood, and those adventurous enough to look a little deeper may encounter more than antique furnishings and historical reenactments.
The History
Where the Name “Strawbery Banke” Came From
Before there were colonies, before the Revolutionary War, before the United States itself, there was a small, rugged settlement nestled alongside the Piscataqua River. This place, settled in 1623, would come to be known as Strawbery Banke—an homage to the wild strawberries that grew along the riverbank. It was one of the earliest permanent European settlements in North America and the first in what would become New Hampshire.
This original fishing village laid the foundation for the port city of Portsmouth, which would grow into a shipbuilding hub and later a vital center for trade and economic life in New England. Unlike many early settlements, parts of Strawbery Banke have survived nearly 400 years of development, war, and change. And that’s where the museum comes in.
The Birth of the Museum
By the 1950s, what remained of the original settlement was at risk of being lost to time and urban modernization. Preservationists and visionary locals stepped in to save this historic neighborhood from demolition. In 1958, the Strawbery Banke Museum was officially born. Rather than create a static museum behind glass, they embraced the “living history” approach: restoring original buildings, populating them with costumed interpreters, and allowing visitors to walk and interact with history in its original environment.
Today, Strawbery Banke spans over 10 acres and includes more than 30 restored buildings, each telling human stories from differing centuries, classes, and cultural backgrounds. From Georgian-style mansions to modest colonial dwellings, this open-air museum is a walkable archive of daily life across generations.
Multicultural America on Display
One of the most fascinating aspects of Strawbery Banke is the diversity of the people whose lives unfolded here. Immigrants from around the world—England, Ireland, Germany, Canada, and Eastern Europe—each left their mark in the alleyways and gardens of this neighborhood. The museum reflects this rich diversity through homes and exhibits like the 1919-era Russian Jewish immigrant household and the 1940s grocery store run by French Canadian proprietors.
Every structure holds memories, some fond and others tragic, echoing stories of early tradespeople, industrious housewives, revolutionary patriots, and those who faced hardship during wartime. It’s this complex narrative that makes a walk through Strawbery Banke feel like entering a time warp—and a potential hotbed for paranormal energy.
The Haunt
Spirits Among the Living
Just as the historic core of Strawbery Banke has remained rooted in the past, so too may some of its former residents. Reports of ghostly phenomena at Strawbery Banke have intrigued paranormal researchers, local historians, and thrill-seeking visitors alike for decades. This isn’t your typical staged haunted house. These eerie encounters are whispered about by staff, volunteers, and guests. And in many cases, the occurrences are eerily consistent.
The Goodwin Mansion
Perhaps the most notoriously haunted building on the property is the grand Goodwin Mansion, an elegant 19th-century home once occupied by Ichabod Goodwin, the governor of New Hampshire during the Civil War. Visitors and staff members have reported hearing disembodied footsteps, voices echoing from empty rooms, and seeing figures peering from windows when no one was inside.
Paranormal investigators who have explored the mansion with EMF detectors and spirit boxes have captured strange temperature fluctuations, unexplained shadows, and faint recordings of voices—particularly male voices, possibly belonging to Governor Goodwin himself or one of the many servants who once maintained the home.
Shadow Figures and Strange Sounds at the Shapley-Drisco House
The Shapley-Drisco House, a building that tells the story of early 20th-century housing, has its own haunted reputation. Reports here include apparitions seen in the upper windows and shadow figures moving down the staircases long after the museum is closed. One former tour guide states they once saw a woman in a long white dress standing silently in the corner of the parlor—and when they turned the light on, she was gone.
Others report hearing footsteps above them or items in the kitchen seemingly moving on their own. Paranormal investigators have described the house as a “perfect energy trap” due to its tightly confined spaces and layered history, which includes multiple generations of inhabitants and perhaps residual energy from some unspoken tragedies.
Spirit of the Hough House
The Hough House, a structure dating back to the 1790s, is associated with one of the more chilling tales. Staff who’ve worked after dark in the home claim to hear lullabies being sung from a child’s room, though no living children are present. Cold spots are often detected in that same upstairs bedroom—even in the summer months. Could this be the lingering presence of a mother and child from the past?
Friendly, but Forever
While no specific entity at Strawbery Banke is considered dangerous, the sheer number of reports makes this museum a magnet for paranormal curiosity. From EVP recordings of muffled conversations and tapping on windows, to sudden lights flicking off during tours, the line between past and present grows thin at night.
The museum even hosts flashlight tours and special haunted history nights during October, inviting thrill-seekers and ghost hunters to explore the ethereal residents of this historic village.
Conclusion: A Haunt Worth Exploring
Whether you’re drawn by the promise of living history or the tantalizing allure of the paranormal, Strawbery Banke Museum delivers an experience that resonates on many levels. By day, it’s a fascinating window into America’s past, where costumed interpreters demonstrate colonial crafts and you can step into kitchens from centuries gone by. But by night—or during those quiet, in-between moments—it takes on a different tone. Voices seem to echo a little louder. Shadows linger a little longer.
For the adventurous ghost hunter, Strawbery Banke is not to be missed. Bring your equipment: your EMF detectors, infrared cameras, dowsing rods, and an open mind. Each creaky floorboard, each flickering light may be more than just atmosphere—they may be a call from the past.
So pack your gear and make your way to Portsmouth, where history and hauntings walk hand in hand. Whether you’re tracing genealogies or spectral entities, you’ll find that Strawbery Banke Museum has stories—seen and unseen—just waiting to be told.