Canterbury Shaker Village, Inc., is an internationally-known non-profit museum founded in 1969 to preserve the heritage of the Canterbury Shakers. Designated as a National Historic Landmark for its architectural integrity and significance, the Village has 25 restored original Shaker buildings, 4 reconstructed Shaker buildings, and 694 acres of forests, fields, gardens, nature trails, and mill ponds under permanent conservation easement.
Canterbury Shaker Village is dedicated to preserving the 200-year legacy of the Canterbury Shakers and to providing a place for learning, reflection, and renewal of the human spirit.
Canterbury Shaker Village is one of the oldest, most typical, and best preserved of the Shaker communities. It boasts an intact, first-generation 18th-century Meetinghouse and Dwelling House, both on their original sites.
Many early-19th-century visitors were impressed by the density of buildings at the Canterbury Village. At one point during the 1820s, the community consisted of four organizational units, known as “families”: the Church family (so named because the Meetinghouse was located there) and the Second, North, and West Families. Each family had its own set of buildings; in all, the four families built approximately 100 structures for themselves. The location and layout of these buildings can be seen on a monumental, detailed map completed about 1848 by Henry Clay Blinn, a Canterbury Elder. By 1848, nearly 300 Shakers lived at the Canterbury village.
Canterbury’s size and layout were similar to many other Shaker communities. The Shakers constructed functional self-contained villages organized as urban streetscapes in rural areas. Three types of buildings formed the basis of every Shaker community. The Meetinghouse represented the center of religious activities, the Dwelling House embodied the center of Shaker home and social life, and the Trustees’ Office was where the Shakers conducted their business with the “world’s people.”
Visitors are encouraged to learn about the life, ideals, values, and history of the Canterbury Shakers through tours, programs, exhibits, research, and publications.
Located at 288 Shaker Road
Canterbury, NH 03224
For more information please contact:
Maisie Keith Daly
mkdaly@shakers.org
603-783-9077 x284
2010 Hours:
Exhibits and Tours
They are open daily May 15 – October 31 from 10am – 5pm. They will be open on December 4 and 11, 3 – 8pm for the Christmas at Canterbury program.
Greenwood’s at Canterbury Shaker Village
The new restaurant, formerly The Shaker Table, will open on May 15 and remain open year ’round. Greenwood’s will serve lunch daily with seatings at 11:30, 12:30, 1:30, and 2:30; due to limited seating, reservations are highly recommended. Please call 603-783-4238 for more information.
General admission includes all guided tours, exhibits, and self-guided areas. Tickets are good for two consecutive days, except on special event days.
Rates
Adults: $17
Youth: (ages 6-17): $8
Children (ages 5 & under): Free
Family (2 adults & 2 or more children, ages 6 to 17): $42
Adult Groups (20 or more adults): $13 per person with advance reservation.
Members: Free!
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