What is there to see and do at The Little Nature Museum?

• Visit the Museum for an informal tour with hands-on activities

• Walk the Ferns and Forest Trail (check calendar for scheduled walks) or Everything Has a Home Discovery Area for children in grades K -3.

• In the fall you may arrange an apple orchard "tour" from Gould Hill Orchards combined with a visit to The Little Nature Museum. Call Gould Hill Orchards at 746-3811 to arrange for an orchard tour and call 746-6121 to arrange a museum visit.

• Try four activities in the Museum listed on our activity sheet and win a prize!  Adults and children are eligible. There are several new activities to try!   

We invite you to explore the many things you can see and do at the museum by clicking and scrolling through the menus below. Exhibits How Fossils are Formed Trilobites Dinosaurs Insects, Economically in New England Wasps Arthropods The Art and Science of Mother of Pearl Echinoderms, the Spiny-skinned Animals Animals Prepare for Winter Beavers What did an owl have for Lunch? Lichens Fungi Desert Exhibit Metallic Ores That Effect Our Lives - new! Galls:  Small Homes for Tiny Creatures - new! Collections Fossils Rocks and Minerals Fluorescent Minerals Sands from Around the World Insects Shells and Sea Life Mounted Birds and Bird's Nests Mounted Mammals Galls Cones Indian Artifacts Activities Rock Puzzle Rock and Mineral Quiz Make a Sand Collection Make a Fossil or Animal Track rubbing to take home Catch the right insect Look Through the Compound Eyes of an Insect Chickadee Puzzle Mammal Fur Coats Guess How The Native Americans Used These Objects Insect metamorphosis puzzle

 
What do visitors tell us after they have visited the museum?
 
"Wonderful learning site"
" 'Eye candy' for kids & adults"
"Liked availability of hands on exhibits"
"Exceptional display"
"Must be one of the best museums in NH; very nice"
"The kids loved all the cool stuff!"
"Good for field trips"
"Wish this was around when I was a kid here!"
"Lots of fun and educational"
"Fantastic; we'll be back for a tour"
"Excellent displays and wonderful exhibits"

What is the admission charge to the museum?  

The Museum is open on weekends (see calendar).  We would appreciate a donation of $2 to help support the Museum. 

Group Visits:   If you wish to make an appointment for a 90-minute guided museum visit during a weekend or a weekday, admission is $2 per person (including chaperones), plus a group fee of $15.   One chaperone per five children is required.   No strollers are allowed in the museum during a group visit. During the busy apple harvest season, appointments can usually be made only on weekdays.  Payment in cash or by check (made out to The Little Nature Museum) is due at the beginning of the visit.

How long does it take to tour the museum?

Allow a minimum of one hour and 15 minutes or more for a museum visit. Allow 45 minutes to one hour for a guided Ferns and Forest Trail walk; allow 45 min. for the self-guided Everything Has a Home Discovery Area.

Who visits The Little Nature Museum?

Museum visitors include, among others, individuals, families, students, organized groups, homeschoolers, seniors, church groups, and preschools.

Is there a place to have a picnic?   

An individual, family, or small group is welcome to enjoy a picnic under the large Sugar Maple across from the barn. For larger groups, the Museum is located less than 4 miles from Elm Brook Park, a park run by the Army Corps of Engineers.  The park contains picnic tables, a beach, field for recreation, and opportunities for fishing and boating.  The park is open only during the summer months; there is an admission charge.   

Is the Museum handicap accessible?   

The Museum is handicap accessible, but it does not have toilet facilities which are accessible. There are handicap accessible bathrooms at Elm Brook Park during summer months, if you include a picnic there.  Elm Brook Park is less than 4 miles from the Museum; there is an admission charge to enter the park.

Is There a Gift Shop at The Little Nature Museum?

The Museum has a small nature shop which sells rocks, minerals, shells, a variety of handmade nature related items, nature Fundanas, museum T-shirts, nature novelty items, and mineral testing kits.   Proceeds benefit the Museum.

How many people can the Little Nature Museum accommodate?

· For safety reasons, it is recommended that no more than 15-20 people be in the Museum at one time. Larger groups can be accommodated by splitting the group in half so that half of the group is outside doing a nature activity while the other half is in the Museum.

· For children and youth groups, adequate chaperones (one for every 5 children) should be present.

How do I schedule a group appointment?

Call Sandra Martin, Museum Director, well in advance of your planned visit, at 603-746-6121 or e-mail the Museum at nature-museum@conknet.com

Group visits are by advance appointment only. The recommended minimum age for group visits is four years old.

If you are combining an orchard tour with the museum visit, call the orchard first at 746-3811 and mention that you are trying to schedule a museum visit. Then call 746-6121.

Where Did the Museum's Collections Come From? 

Throughout the Museum’s history, it has accepted and included discarded collections and unwanted specimens collected by individuals and institutions from throughout the world.  They have been  used as educational tools in the Museum as well as in outreach programs.  Because many of these objects have little data accompanying them, they can be handled by visitors.  Contact the Museum's Director if you have something you wish to donate or loan to the Museum.