New Hampshire has fewer recurring 'free day' programs than its larger neighbors, but the two that matter are worth building a trip around. The Currier Museum of Art in Manchester — the state's premier art museum, with works by Monet, O'Keeffe, and Wyeth and a Frank Lloyd Wright-designed house nearby — normally charges $20, but New Hampshire residents get in free on the second Saturday of every month, complete with free art-making in the Creative Studio. Bank of America and Merrill cardholders can also visit free the first full weekend of every month through the Museums on Us program.
Up in the Upper Valley, Dartmouth College's Hood Museum of Art is one of New England's great free museums — admission is always free to its collection of more than 65,000 objects spanning six continents. Beyond those two, New Hampshire's no-cost museum-going leans on always-free civic and college galleries: the State House in Concord, the League of NH Craftsmen's gallery, Phillips Exeter's Lamont Gallery, Keene State's Thorne-Sagendorph gallery, and the 140-acre Andres Institute sculpture park in Brookline. Many paid museums also offer free admission to active-duty military families each summer through the Blue Star Museums program, and reduced 'Museums for All' rates with a SNAP/EBT card.
Prefer somewhere free every single day? Jump to the 8 always-free museums ↓
Manchester
Currier Museum of Art
Regularly $20 adults / $15 seniors & students / $5 youth 13-17 / Free under 13The Currier is New Hampshire's premier art museum, with European and American masters — Monet, O'Keeffe, Wyeth, Calder — plus the nearby Zimmerman House, the only Frank Lloyd Wright-designed home in New England open to the public. General admission is $20, but New Hampshire residents get in completely free on the second Saturday of each month, when free art-making fills the Creative Studio. Bank of America cardholders also visit free the first full weekend of every month, and active-duty military and veterans' families are always free.
🌐 Check current dates →Hanover & the Upper Valley
Hood Museum of Art
Regularly FreeDartmouth College's Hood Museum of Art is one of the oldest and largest college art museums in the country, with a collection of more than 65,000 objects representing six continents — from Assyrian reliefs and a celebrated José Clemente Orozco mural cycle to Native American, African, and contemporary art. Admission is free for everyone, every day it's open (Wednesday through Saturday), making it one of the best no-cost cultural stops in northern New England.
🌐 Check current dates →Always Free in New Hampshire
Skip the calendar — these never charge admission, any day you show up.
Gear up for your museum day
A few inexpensive things that make a day of museum-hopping easier — and a couple of ways to bring the art home.
Bring the museum home
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