Mariposa Museum of World Cultures, Peterborough

Unique center with many speakers/programs for all ages. A membership also entitles you to free admission to many other museums across the country. We take our grandchildren often for hands-on experiences and enjoy the adult programs too. Exhibits change regularly, in addition to standing old favorites. I volunteer there.

An absolute hidden gem of a place here in NH. We had never even heard of it until it came up as part of an admission exchange program with the McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center (where we are members). We have 2 children, ages 4 and 7, who absolutely had a blast here. There is a music room on the 3rd floor packed with instruments from all over the world where we spent a good chunk of our time, and the activity room just off the side of the gift shop, where the children could dress up in costume, perform a puppet show, read children's books from various cultures and make a bead necklace were particular highlights. While we didn't have to pay admission for this particular visit, we did purchase several very cool items from the gift shop. We hope they're on the exchange program next year, but even if not, our children have been asking to go back, so we'll be sure to visit again!