Portsmouth Athenæum

A non-profit membership library, gallery, and archive, incorporated in 1817 and located in the heart of historic Portsmouth, New Hampshire.

On Saturday, June 14, the Athenaeum is closed to the public for Market Square Day.

The third-floor Shaw Research Library and Randall Gallery are open to the public from 1 to 4 p.m. Tuesday thru Saturday. For elevator access, please call (603) 431-2538.

We have temporarily suspended tours of the Sawtelle Reading Room and 1805 Building.

UPCOMING EVENT

HOURS

 

Shaw Research Library &

Randall Gallery

 

Tuesday through Saturday
1 to 4 p.m.

 

 

Reading Room Tours

Unavailable at this time. Check back soon.

EXPLORE THE ARCHIVES

The Athenæum houses an outstanding collection of documents and artifacts relating to local history. It also preserves what is undoubtedly the finest collection in the state of materials relating to the history of New Hampshire’s only major seaport.

New Books in May

New Books in May

A budding reading habit this spring? We can help.   Proprietors and Subscribers, click on the link below to discover the new books now available in the library. Not a Proprietor or a Subscriber? Find out how you can become a member and support the Athenaeum. Click the...

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May 2025 Book List: April Showers Bring May Flowers!

May 2025 Book List: April Showers Bring May Flowers!

By Research Librarian Jessica McClain This oft-quoted proverb dates back to a 16th century work by English poet and Farmer Thomas Tusser. The lines appear in a sonnet included in the piece “A Hundreth Good Pointes of Husbandrie” as “And Aprill his stormes, to be good...

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