THE ADVENTURE COLLECTIVE® · Independent discovery and booking for outdoor travel
Walk Exeter’s streets with Sankofa Scholar Barbara Rimkunas to uncover the town’s connections to the Atlantic slave trade and the African American stories that shaped its civic life. This 90-minute, small-group tour blends archival evidence with street-level interpretation for a thoughtful, community-focused experience.
Walk Exeter’s streets with Sankofa Scholar Barbara Rimkunas to uncover the town’s connections to the Atlantic slave trade and the African American stories that shaped its civic life. This 90-minute, small-group tour blends archival evidence with street-level interpretation for a thoughtful, community-focused experience.
Book with Black Heritage Trail of New Hampshire
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Operated by Black Heritage Trail of New Hampshire · Exeter, New Hampshire
Exeter's Racial History Tour (90 minutes) invites visitors to walk the streets of Exeter, New Hampshire, and confront the town's layered past. Led by Sankofa Scholar & Tour Guide Barbara Rimkunas, the guided 90-minute walk moves through Exeter's town center, pausing at historic houses, interpretive markers, and civic spaces that reveal ties to the Atlantic slave trade and the lives of African Americans who shaped the community. The tour starts from the tour office at 2pm; arrive ten minutes early and note that if you don't arrive five minutes before departure your spot may be given away. Tours operate rain or shine; all ticket sales are final unless the organizer cancels for unsafe weather or illness.
On the route you’ll encounter colonial-era architecture — clapboard facades, brick foundations, and narrow streets — that frame stories about merchant wealth, contested memory, and community resistance. The narrative emphasizes documented links between local maritime commerce and transatlantic slavery, then shifts to personal stories of Black residents, abolitionist activity, and municipal decisions that continue to influence Exeter’s civic life. The tour balances archival detail with street-level observation: plaques, gravestones, and preserved façades act as anchors for conversations about power, displacement, and restitution.
What makes this experience stand out is the program’s explicit focus on civic dialogue. Rather than a simple stroll through pretty landmarks, this is a listening exercise that encourages questions and community-minded reflection. The Sankofa framing and Rimkunas’s scholarship keep the tour grounded in historical sources while inviting participants to consider how past policies reverberate in present-day planning, schooling, and public commemoration.
Practicalities are straightforward. Groups are capped at 20 people, which keeps the conversation intimate and responsive. Expect moderate walking on paved sidewalks and some uneven historic stone; comfortable shoes are recommended. Language access and detailed pricing were not supplied; check the booking link for current availability. Because the itinerary is focused on correct interpretation rather than speed, the guide pauses frequently to read documents, point out archival markers, and answer questions.
This tour is ideal for curious history travelers, educators, families with older children, and community members seeking a deeper, documented account of Exeter’s racial past. It’s a local experience that links material evidence to civic memory, giving visitors the context they need to participate in future conversations about preservation, justice, and shared public space.
Bring a notebook or phone for notes; guides reference primary documents you may want to record. Photography is welcome, but be respectful at private properties and funerary sites. If you're an educator, ask about follow-up classroom resources and supplementary reading suggested by the guide. Book through the provided FareHarbor link to confirm dates and capacity — small group size means tours can sell out quickly.
The tour runs 90 minutes and moves at a steady interpretive pace with frequent stops to read records and discuss sites.
The tour leaves from the tour office at 2pm; please arrive at least ten minutes prior to departure. If you do not arrive five minutes before departure your spot may be given to another participant.
Tours operate rain or shine. If the operator cancels for unsafe weather or guide illness, they will attempt to reschedule or provide a full refund if rebooking isn’t possible.
Families with older children are welcome; the content includes complex historical material, so consider the ages and maturity of younger participants.
Accessibility details were not supplied in the listing. Contact the operator via the booking link for up-to-date accessibility information.
Group size is capped at 20 participants to keep the conversation intimate and allow time for questions.
Black Heritage Trail of New Hampshire preserves and presents the state’s African American history through guided walking and bus tours based in Portsmouth and extending to Manchester, Milford, Dover, Warner, and other New Hampshire towns. The organization offers a diverse program of tours that examine enslaved and free Black residents, abolitionists, wartime service, literary pioneers, Black entrepreneurship, and the networks that sustained communities during segregation. Tours include explorations of Ona Judge’s escape from slavery, Harriet E. Wilson’s life and legacy, Prince Whipple’s activism, Portsmouth’s soldiers from the Revolution to Vietnam, the Green Book sites that offered refuge, and local efforts toward economic autonomy. Each itinerary follows historic streets and landmark sites, combining on-site interpretation with mapped routes to connect visitors to archival stories and physical places. The approach foregrounds primary stories from the 18th century through the Civil Rights era and into contemporary memory, highlighting resilience, resistance, and community-building. Travelers can choose shorter walking routes in Portsmouth or longer bus tours to Manchester and Milford to match interest and accessibility needs. Black Heritage Trail of New Hampshire serves students, historians, families, and visitors seeking informed, place-based learning about Black history in New England. By focusing on documented local narratives and on-the-ground interpretation, the organization provides reliable, research-informed experiences that make complex histories accessible and memorable. Tours suit students, researchers, family groups, and visitors seeking guided historical interpretation of Black lives in New Hampshire, and can serve as educational experiences for school groups and community programs interested in regional Black heritage.
Book with Black Heritage Trail of New Hampshire