Woodman Institute Museum

The Woodman Institute Museum is a complex of three brick buildings in Federal style in Dover that houses collections of natural history objects, military artifacts, and items related to the region's past. The site also includes a garrison house from 1675 and offers broad coverage of natural sciences, military history, and local heritage.

Annie E. Woodman established the museum in 1915 through a substantial bequest intended to create an educational space devoted to history, science, and the arts. The 1675 garrison house was originally built as a defensive position during the colonial period.

The collections display objects from different periods of the region's past, including colonial-era furnishings and equipment that let visitors experience the everyday history of this area. The way these items are presented gives a direct sense of how people lived and worked here over time.

The museum sits on Central Avenue in Dover and is walkable to explore, with its different buildings offering views into separate collection areas. Visitors should allow time to appreciate the grounds and outdoor setting that surround the complex.

The grounds hold one of only ten surviving bronze Napoleon cannons from 1863 dating to the Civil War, a rare artifact from that conflict period. The complex also cares for one of the oldest American sycamore trees in the county, which has grown on the property for centuries.

Location: Dover

Architectural style: Federal architecture

GPS coordinates: 43.18970,-70.87420

Latest update: December 12, 2025 09:06