Odiorne Point State Park is a New Hampshire state park located on the seacoast in Rye near Portsmouth. The point got its name from the Odiorne family, who settled on the land in the mid-1660s. Among the park's features are the Seacoast Science Center and the remains of the World War II Fort Dearborn.The park is the site of the former Pannaway Plantation, the location of the first European settlement in New Hampshire, and is commemorated by a memorial in the park.Near Odiorne Point is one of the Sunken Forests of New Hampshire.Seacoast Science CenterThe Seacoast Science Center is the primary facility in Odiorne Point State Park. It offers exhibits including aquariums and mockup whale skeletons, along with a variety of indoor and outdoor programs on marine life. Programs are offered for school groups, families, adults, children, and other groups. Environmental day camps up to 8th grade are available. The Science Center includes a marine mammal rescue center. In summer, weddings and special events at an outdoor tent can be booked.Fort DearbornPrior to 1942, the site of the park was private, expensive oceanfront land. In 1942, during World War II, the site was condemned and purchased by the United States government for the construction of Fort Dearborn as part of an across-the-board modernization of US coast defenses. In 1961 the site was ceded to the state of New Hampshire; the previous owners were not given the opportunity to re-purchase the land.
