Port of Portsmouth
Cruising and Travel

One of the oldest cities in the United States, the City of Portsmouth is an historic seaport full of old and new attractions. The Port of Portsmouth is easily walk-able, and it offers a relaxed and quaint atmosphere. It is also the heart of a relatively crime-free fast-growing metropolitan region that is known for a high quality of life. Visitors find old-fashioned barbershops next door to upscale coffee shops and flashy seafood restaurants. The best way to see the Port of Portsmouth is to explore the town on foot, where you can relax and take it all in.

Perhaps the most outstanding attraction in the Port of Portsmouth is the Strawbery Banke Museum, an historic area containing 42 buildings from the 17th and 18th Centuries that have been faithfully preserved. Visitors stroll through the grounds and visit residents in period costumes who explain the way of life at a particular point in time. Some of the buildings are used for special exhibits. The grounds also include gardens and artisans plying their traditional trades. The museum operates an archaeology field school where adults and young adults can participate in real archaeological excavations alongside professionals in the fields of archaeology, preservation, and history. The Strawbery Banke Museum is definitely a must-do for any visitor to the Port of Portsmouth.

Another popular Port of Portsmouth attraction is the John Paul Jones House where Jones rented a room in 1777 when the Ranger was being built and again in 1871-82 while the America was under construction. Today, the home is a museum focusing on the American hero's life and the era of the American Revolution. Tours are available from mid-May through mid-October.

The Albacore Museum and Park holds the USS Albacore, a US submarine that was built in the Port of Portsmouth and operated from 1953 until 1972. Today, the sub is dry-docked in the park and open for tours.

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