That all changed, though, as soon as we stepped inside. Below is a view from the stage. The vintage boats in this place are amazing. And there are many interesting displays about boating as well.
The museum was founded in 1992. It is "an educational organization focused on boating heritage and life in the lakes and river of New Hampshire." Located near Wolfeboro and Lake Winnipesaukee, they display their impressive collection of vintage boats and related artifacts on a rotating basis.
Below is a rare 1929 Chris-Craft Closed-Cabin Limousine Sedan, one of only five in existence. At a cost of $5,850 at the time (equivalent to about $82,000 today), it is 28' and was advertised as accommodating 11 people. It was designed to ferry commuters or party guests safely in the enclosed cabin. It was purchased in 1984 by Dr. Dwight K. Stowell, Jr., and restored to its former glory. He and his family used the boat as an island commuter at their summer retreat, Camp Gray Rock, on Lake Sunapee, NH.
The fine craftsmanship of these vintage Chris-Craft boats is just beautiful.
Four generations of the Robert Lawrence family used this 14' 10" MFG "Erie" Fiberglass and Wood Boat. The original purchase price in 1959 was $565. The second and third photos are of another MFG Fiberglass and Wood Boat. Eventually, the company manufactured only fiberglass hulls.
An unrestored 1928 Boyd-Martin Step Hydroplane boat is shown below. The company built racing and family pleasure boats between 1925 and 1930. It was the fastest hydro of the era due to the innovative design.
The 1951 Penn Yan CZT Swift was a popular racing outboard and family runabout. This is the D51 12' model. It also has its rare original 1950 Mercury KG9 motor.
This rare 1922 Maxwell Touring Car was purchased by Frank Harris and driven until 1957. It had various owners over the years with the last owner purchasing it in 1984 (who fully restored it).
The Fred Clausen Toy Boat Collection is awesome. It is exhibited in multiple displays in the Museum. Also shown are boat model kits that were popular in the 1950s-60s.
I loved this kid's peddle boat!
The Old Boat Shop is an exhibit that displays artificers related to the repair, building, maintenance of boats (including motors).
There are multiple fun family activities here. Shown below two of the interactive education quizzes about boats and nautical rules.
The model boats on display were so interesting. Iceboating goes back to the 1700s when the Dutch modified sailboats. Below is a model of a Stern-Steerer (c 1880) 40' iceboat that could reach speeds of 100 mph. Also shown are models of boats used on nearby Lake Winnipesaukee.
This model of a "horseboat" illustrates the design of boats that used horses to power flat-bottom, cargo boats. I had never heard of these before!
The SS Mt. Washington was a luxury cruise ship built in 1872, By 1900 is carried 60,000 passengers per year on Lake Winnipesaukee.
Because I am a big fan of postcards (for collecting and keeping in touch with family and friends while we travel), I really liked this map. When you look through the "holes" in this map, you can see the views that commonly appeared on vintage postcards.
Did I say, we loved this museum? It really has some very unique vintage boats and so much more. It was really very interesting and we spent more time here than I had originally expected. So the rainy weather turned out to be a positive as I am not sure if we would have visited here otherwise. I highly recommend to visitors to the lakes region of NH.
The NH Boat Museum also sponsors tours (adults $22/per) on the Mille B., a vintage 28' mahogany Hacker-Craft boat, on Lake Winnipesaukee (depending on weather). For reservations on Millie B tours, hours of operation, admission fees ($5/seniors), and other information about the museum, click here www.nhbm.org.
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