15 Ways to Explore the Seacoast Science Center in New Hampshire

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On a recent weekend in Portsmouth, New Hampshire we had the opportunity to explore the Seacoast Science Center, a marine science nonprofit with a beautiful, hands-on museum  located inside Odirone Point State Park, in Rye, New Hampshire. Opened in 1992, the center offers several, hands on indoor exhibits featuring maritime life, conservation programs, and the history of the area, as well as numerous programs and special events on (and in!) the water that the whole family will enjoy.

entrance to Seacoast Science Center in Portsmouth, NH

Travel Tips:

  • The Center is open everyday from 10am-4pm from late June though mid September; with Tuesday- Sunday and Wednesday through Sunday 10am-4pm hours during fall, winter, and spring season. There is also a special 9am-10am Sunday Sensory Friendly Hour. Check here for up to date information on hours and fees here.
  • A large parking lot is located inside Odirone Point State Park, which has a parking fee (free for cars registered in New Hampshire).
  • Restrooms and a gift shop are located near the admission desk.
  • The Center is handicap accessible and sensory bags are available- more info here.
  • No dining facilities on site, but plenty of options nearby- see a good index here. Visitors are welcome to bring a picnic lunch to enjoy outside (lots of picnic tables and open spaces throughout the park).
  • Have kids pick up a scavenger hunt from the admission desk to complete.
  • The Center offers several indoor and outdoor special events and programs each month; popular events include Kayak Tours and Explore the Rocky Shore. See the full calendar here.  
  • Plan on 75-90 minutes to explore all exhibits; see the center map here. Leave time to walk the trails at Odiorne Point State Park and let kids play on the Carol Ann Lincoln Playground.
gift shop inside Seacoast Science Center

15 Ways to Explore the Seacoast Science Center:

  1. See a five pound cotton candy lobster (a one in a MILLION lobster) in the Our Dynamic Gulf of Maine exhibit.
  2. Step into the Kids Nook for up close views of hermit crabs in the Our Dynamic Gulf of Maine exhibit.
  3. Learn about water temperatures, “orphaned marine life” that become stranded and cannot survive during the cold winter temperatures, and coastal invaders like green crabs in the Our Dynamic Gulf of Maine exhibit.
  4. Look up at the 32 foot long skeleton of “Tofu”, a two and a half year old juvenile humpback whale who weighed over 20,000 pounds and had 148 bones, hanging over the Main Lobby.
  5. Compare the sizes and lifestyle characteristics of a humpback whale, pilot whale, and harbor purpose in the Main Lobby.
  6. Play the A Hurricane Hits Home game to search for debris in the water after famous hurricanes in New Hampshire, New York, and New Jersey.
  7. Let the toddler crew use their imagination and ingenuity in the Jumpin Jay’s Discovery Zone.
  8. (Gently) touch oysters, perwinkles, green crabs, mussels, and stay fish in the Touch Tanks in the Edge of the Sea exhibit. Be sure to ask Center educators about the habits and likes/dislikes of marine life. 
Seacoast Science Center in Portsmouth, NH

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Jumpin Jay's exhibit at Seacoast Science Center in Portsmouth, NH
  1. Play in a sand pit and compare the sand composition of various local beaches in the New Hampshire Beach exhibit. 
  2. Listen and watch a video about the physics of tidal cycles in the New Hampshire Beach exhibit. 
  3. Use the binoculars to search for over a dozen types of birds that fly through the Odiorne Point State Park area in the Science of Seabirds exhibit. 
  4. Determine what food is the appropriate size and then pretend to feed the baby chicks in the Science of Seabirds exhibit. 
  5. Measure the size of oysters and learn about their life cycle in the New Hampshire Beach exhibit. 
  6. Learn how to help save the rain forests in the New Hampshire Beach exhibit. 
  7. Hike some of the five miles of trails throughout the Odiorne Park State Park, a 330+ acre park that is home to the Seacoast Science Center. The trails offer beautiful views of the Isle of Shoals, the Piscataque River, and Maine’s southern coast. The park includes picnic areas, a large playground, freshwater and salt ponds, woodlands, and remnants of Fort Dearborn, which was built during World War II to defend Portsmouth’s Harbor. 
tidal exhibit at Seacoast Science Center in Portsmouth, NH
  • exhibit at Seacoast Science Center in Portsmouth, NH

Looking for more adventures in Portsmouth? See our feature of the Strawbery Banke Museum and the USS Albacore. And follow along on our adventures on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest. 

Disclosure: We were given a media pass to explore the Center; all opinions expressed are my own. 

New England based, part high school English teacher, part non profit founder, part road tripper who LOVES hopping in the family SUV to explore America. Our bucket list includes National Parks, MLB stadiums, presidential libraries, and eating wherever the locals eat!

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