A Wolfeboro Museum Excursion

By: Emily Goulet, GSA Communications Director

It was another 90+ degree day…but that did not stop our GSAs from having a fun-filled day exploring the museums in Wolfeboro!  On the final day of our Lakes Region month, a group of our GSAs visited the Libby Museum of Natural History, the NH Boat Museum, and the Wright Museum of World War II. 

We started with the Libby Museum at 9 am.  The Libby Museum is across the street from Lake Winnipesauki, so our day started off with a beautiful view.  The museum offers a variety of collections from the natural world, included animals and skeletons.  There is also a section for exotic artifacts.  Since Dr. Henry Libby (1850-1933), the founder, was a dentist, there is a section of dental tools from his time period.  A favorite among the GSAs was a picture of him doing work on a patient, with his foot propped against the patient for leverage!  Yikes!  Although Dr. Libby’s profession was a dentist, he had a passion for nature.  He started collections for the Libby Museum in 1908, opening it to the public four years later.  His legacy lives on to this day.

Many of our GSAs in attendance had never been to the Libby Museum.  Another mentioned she had driven by for years and years and had never been able to stop.  At the end of our visit, we walked away with a new place to recommend guests.  Some mentioned it was the perfect rainy day activity for children.

Next up on our Wolfeboro Excursion…the Wright Museum!  We were greeted by Mike Culver, Executive Director, a wealth of knowledge on WWII history and the museum itself.  He gave us a quick overview of many of the exhibits, before we went off to explore on our own.  Mike explained to us that the mission of the museum is to honor the contributions and legacy of the WWII-era Americans.  The museum’s focus on the American homefront makes it a unique WWII museum.  It was founded in 1994 by David Wright.

The Time Tunnel was like a trip back in time for many of our GSAs, some of whom could remember Pearl Harbor and the WWII era.  One of the special exhibits was about WWI with a focus on the effects the war had on America.  When we were in the area with the large tanks and WWII vehicles, we came upon a maintenance person performing maintenance on the vehicles.  Several were to be taken out in the July 4th parade this upcoming weekend.  It is such an expansive museum that it definitely requires a second…or third trip!

Our last stop of the day was the Boat Museum.  Martha Cummings, Executive Director; Nancy Black, Board Member; and several other staff members met us at the entrance to give us a tour.  The museum is located in the former Allen “A” Resort theater and dance hall.  It was founded in 1992 by a group of antique and classic boating enthusiasts, and it received its current home in 2000.

The GSAs enjoyed viewing the vintage boats on display, the historical boating exhibits, and the NH rowing exhibit.  The NH rowing exhibit may have been a favorite!  The exhibit reviews the history of competitive rowing, including the participation of women and people of color in the sport.  There are several upcoming lectures on rowing at the museum this summer.

All in all, our Wolfeboro Museum Excursion was a success!  Our GSAs learned about 3 great museums in Wolfeboro to recommend to visitors!