Exhibits
Woven In Time: 11,000 Years at Amoskeag Falls
A Permanent Exhibit at the Millyard Museum
Tuesday-Saturday, 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.
Included with museum admission
See the stone tools of the Paleo-Indians who fished at Amoskeag Falls thousands of years ago, learn how raw cotton was made into cloth during the Industrial Revolution, and stroll under the lighted arches of Elm Street during its heyday. Learn how the Amoskeag Manufacturing Company developed its famous “mile of mills” and how it shaped Manchester into the largest planned city in New England. Discover what life was like for the people who came here from many different countries to start new lives. The city’s stories are told through creative and colorful displays of original artifacts, documents and photographs, as well as murals and multi-media presentations.
Features of the exhibit include the Ashland No. 1 Amoskeag Steam Fire Engine, manufactured by the Amoskeag Manufacturing Company in 1871, the Manchester Wall of Fame, an interactive panel that showcases 48 individuals from Manchester, and the "March of Time" film that tells the story of the city's resiliency and renewal after Amoskeag closed in 1936.
Special Exhibit: Pandora by Design: Sweaters from the Millyard
In the Henry M. Fuller State Theatre Gallery in the Millyard Museum
In 1940 Pandora Industries relocated to Manchester from New York City, and for
the next several decades became one of the major employers of the Queen City with as many as 1,000 people working for the company. Pandora maintained itself as a major sweater and sportswear maker, making as many as 60,000 sweaters per week, and was one of the last textile manufacturers to operate in Manchester's Millyard.
The newest exhibit at the Millyard Museum showcases a recently acquired collection of Pandora sweaters and designs as well as part of the iconic sign that stood atop the Pandora Mill building for approximately 50 years.
"Pandora by Design: Sweaters from the Millyard" will be on display in the Millyard Museum's State Theater Gallery through August 31, 2021
Special Exhibit: Manchester's Urban Ponds: Past, Present, and Future
Although ponds may not be the first thing one thinks about in Manchester, the Queen City has several ponds that have played an important role in the area’s history. More recently, the Manchester Urban Ponds Restoration Program, established in 2000, has led cleanup efforts to help return the city’s ponds to their historic uses. This exhibit looks at the history of several of Manchester’s urban ponds, including Crystal Lake, Dorrs Pond, Maxwell Pond, Nutts Pond, Pine Island Pond, and Stevens Pond and celebrates the accomplishments of the Urban Ponds Restoration Program over the last 20 years.
Sponsored by City of Manchester, Department of Public Works, Environmental Protection Division
COMING EXHIBITS:
Special Exhibit: New Hampshire 2020: A Look at Life in NH
At the Millyard Museum's Henry M. Fuller State Theatre Gallery, Oct 2021 to January 2022
Contemporary life in New Hampshire is the subject of a photographic exhibit created by the New Hampshire Society of Photographic Artists, and the Millyard Museum will be one of the sites for exhibits that will be shared at galleries throughout the state, in conjunction with the New Hampshire Historical Society.
Special Exhibit: Queen City Athletic Hall of Fame
At the Millyard Museum's Discovery Gallery, Oct 2021 to January 2022
The Millyard Museum will celebrate the enduring legacy of the Queen City Athletic Hall of Fame with an original photo exhibit honoring many of the 240 inductees, along with trophies, artifacts and memorabilia from the organization that was an annual highlight for the city’s sporting community from 1989-2009.
Special Exhibit: The People's Sculptor: The Life and Works of John Rogers
At the Millyard Museum's Henry M. Fuller State Theatre Gallery, Spring 2022
John Rogers (1829 – 1904) was a well-known sculptor whose statuary "groups" were popular in the late nineteenth century. Called “The People’s Sculptor”, he was the first American sculptor to mass produce his work and worked mostly in plaster to make his sculptures more affordable. He sold as many as 80,000 sculptures during his lifetime and effectively brought the art of sculpture to the American middle class. Born in Salem, Massachusetts, his business was centered in New York City and he retired to New Canaan, Connecticut. It was in Manchester, New Hampshire, however, that he got his start as a sculptor. While working as a mechanic in the machine shop of the Amoskeag Manufacturing Company from 1850 to 1856, he began modeling with clay that he found near the Merrimack River in Hooksett, which led to his career as a sculptor. Towards the end of his career, he gave one of his finest works, a seated statue of Abraham Lincoln, to the City of Manchester as a gift. This exhibit celebrates Rogers and his art, and looks at the importance influence Manchester had in his life.
EXHIBIT VIDEOS
The Special Exhibit, Manchester and the Great War, closed on January 5, 2019. This exhibit took an in-depth look at the ways in which Manchester was affected by World War I. Click here to see a video tour of the exhibit, led by Daniel Peters, MHA Research and Facilities Manager.
The Special Exhibit, Doctor's Orders: Public Health in Manchester, closed on July 8, 2017. The exhibit explored the history of public health in Manchester, from smallpox to polio to the current issues facing the city. Click here to see a video of a tour of the exhibit, led by MHA Executive Director John Clayton.
The Special Exhibit, It's Showtime! A History of Manchester's Theaters, closed on January 14, 2017. The exhibit showcased the many iconic theaters from Manchester's past and present, including the Palace, State, Strand, Lyric, Modern, and many others. Click here to see a video of a tour of the exhibit, led by MHA Executive Director John Clayton.
Exhibit Catalogs from two past exhibits can be viewed by clicking on the links below:
People You Should Know...Portraits from the Collection - PDF of exhibit handout
Featuring fifteen portraits of men and women from Manchester by artists including Edward L. Custer, Burris Jenkins, Jr., Henry W. Herrick, Sidney Dickerson, George Soule, and Omer T. Lassonde.
New Hampshire Landscapes - Paintings from the Permanent Collection - PDF of exhibit handout
Featuring ten landscape paintings depicting scenes of Manchester and other areas of New Hampshire. Among the locations represented are Lake Massabesic, the Uncanoonuc Mountains, Rock Rimmon, and the Presidential Range. Several paintings also depict some of Manchester’s historical buildings, including the P. C. Cheney Paper Mill, the Smyth Mansion, the City Farm, and the Amoskeag Train Station. Local artists whose works are represented in the exhibit include Edward L. Custer, Henry W. Herrick, Omer T. Lassonde, Arch McDonnell, Frank French, and L. Luthy.
Visitor Orientation Center For the Amoskeag Millyard Scenic & Cultural Byway
Open most days during business hours
Free and open to the public (museum admission not required)
The Visitor Orientation Center features artifacts from the MHA collection, giant photo murals of the millyard at its height, and maps. The center introduces visitors to Manchester, the historic Amoskeag Millyard and the New Hampshire Scenic and Cultural Byway System.
Please note: The Manchester Historic Association is closed on some national holidays. Please call (603) 622-7531 with any questions.
