Opening for the 2026 season on May 21, this stately Georgian home– operated by the Portsmouth Historical Society– houses a rich and varied museum collection. Visitors can gather insight into Portsmouth’s past through finely crafted furniture, maritime history, local crafts, and portraits from some of the city’s most prominent families.

The house takes its name from Captain John Paul Jones, a prominent figure of the American Revolution who is often considered to be the founder of the U.S. Navy. He is believed to have boarded here in 1777 while his ship was being outfitted at the nearby naval yard—just one thread in the broader story of Portsmouth’s evolving role in American history.

Our rotating exhibition "Revolutionary Portsmouth" looks at the hard choices that residents had to make during the 1760s and 1770s. Patriot or Loyalists? Democracy or Monarchy? Learn more as America celebrates its 250th anniversary.