Must-see attractions in New Hampshire

  • USA, New Hampshire, Hanover, Dartmouth, aerial view, autumn

    Dartmouth College Green

    New Hampshire

    The green is the focal point of the Dartmouth College campus, both physically and historically. Along the east side of the green, picturesque Dartmouth…

  • Castle in the Clouds

    New Hampshire

    Perched on high like a king surveying his territory, the arts-and-crafts-style Castle in the Clouds wows with its stone walls and exposed-timber beams,…

  • Mt Monadnock State Park

    New Hampshire

    Visible from 50 miles in any direction, the commanding 3165ft peak of Mt Monadnock is southwestern New Hampshire’s spiritual vortex. The surrounding state…

  • Baker-Berry Library

    New Hampshire

    On the north side of the green is Dartmouth College's central Baker-Berry Library. The reserve corridor on the lower level houses an impressive mural…

  • Hood Museum of Art

    New Hampshire

    Shortly after the college's founding in 1769, Dartmouth began to acquire artifacts of artistic or historical interest. Since then the collection has…

  • Squam Lakes Natural Science Center

    New Hampshire

    To get up close and personal with the wildlife in the Lakes Region, visit the Squam Lakes Natural Science Center. Four nature paths weave through the…

  • Enfield Shaker Museum

    New Hampshire

    Set in a valley overlooking Mascoma Lake (11 miles southeast of Dartmouth), the Enfield Shaker site dates back to the late 18th century and grew into a…

  • Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site

    New Hampshire

    In the summer of 1885, the sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens rented an old inn near the town of Cornish and came to this beautiful spot in the Connecticut…

  • Rhododendron State Park

    New Hampshire

    The 16-acre rhododendron grove in this serene park is the largest in New England. It makes for a nice stroll in mid-July, when thick stands of the giant…

  • Canterbury Shaker Village

    New Hampshire

    A traditional Shaker community from 1792, Canterbury Shaker Village maintains the Shaker heritage as a living-history museum. Interpreters demonstrate the…

  • Miller State Park

    New Hampshire

    New Hampshire's oldest state park, Miller revolves around Pack Monadnock, a 2290ft peak not to be confused with its better-known neighbor, Mt Monadnock…

  • McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center

    New Hampshire

    This science center is named after two New Hampshire astronauts. Christa McAuliffe was the schoolteacher chosen to be America's first teacher-astronaut –…

  • State House

    New Hampshire

    The handsome 1819 New Hampshire state capitol is the oldest such building in the US, and the state legislature still meets in the original chambers. Self…

  • American Independence Museum

    New Hampshire

    Celebrating Exeter’s early history, this museum maintains the town’s historic collections inside the 18th-century Ladd-Gilman House. Among the highlights…

  • Odiorne Point State Park

    New Hampshire

    Walk the woodsy coastal trails, explore the Seacoast Science Center or simply sit by the rocky coast and enjoy the view and the breeze. Stop by the…

  • Thorne-Sagendorph Art Gallery

    New Hampshire

    Housed at Keene State College, the Thorne-Sagendorph Art Gallery plays a crucial role in supporting the arts in this rural region. Its spacious sky-lit…

  • Jaffrey Meetinghouse

    New Hampshire

    Built in 1775, this striking white building doubled as a church and a community meeting hall until the mid-1800s. It was later used for town business,…

  • Old Burying Ground

    New Hampshire

    For a deeper look at Jaffrey history, wander the cemetery behind the meetinghouse. Willa Cather, a frequent area visitor who wrote portions of her novels…

  • Mariposa Museum

    New Hampshire

    This museum, which exhibits folk art and folklore from around the world, implores visitors to 'please touch.' It's a wonderful place for kids, who are…

  • Sanborn Library

    New Hampshire

    Named for Professor Edwin Sanborn, who taught for almost 50 years in Dartmouth's English department, the Sanborn Library features ornate woodwork, plush…

  • Fort at No 4

    New Hampshire

    Named for a 1700s land grant, the original fort here was built in the 1740s to protect pioneer farmers from the French and Native Americans, but was no…

  • Dartmouth College

    New Hampshire

    Hanover is all about Dartmouth College, so hit the campus. Join a free student-guided campus walking tour or just pick up a map at the admissions office…

  • Wright Museum

    New Hampshire

    For a Rosie-the-riveter and baked-apple-pie look at WWII, visit this museum's interactive exhibitions that feature music, documentary clips, posters and…

  • Libby Museum

    New Hampshire

    At the age of 40, Dr Henry Forrest Libby, a local dentist, began collecting things. In 1912 he built a home for his collections, which later became the…

  • New Hampshire Historical Society

    New Hampshire

    The White Mountains in the Parlor exhibit is our favorite 'indoor space' in the entire Granite State. In this small gallery, vast 19th-century landscape…

  • Millyard Museum

    New Hampshire

    A highlight in the Amoskeag Millyard Historic District, this well-executed museum spotlights the various communities that have lived and worked near…

  • Wentworth State Park

    New Hampshire

    If your lodging or campsite does not have access to the lake, head to this small beach on the serene Wentworth Lake. Much smaller but much less developed…

  • Hampton Beach State Park

    New Hampshire

    The beach actually begins south of the state line, on the north bank of the Merrimack River at Salisbury Beach State Reservation in Massachusetts. Take I…

  • Melville Academy Museum

    New Hampshire

    Housed in Jaffrey's first high school, which opened in 1833, this museum spotlights local luminaries like novelist Willa Cather. You'll also find a…

  • Currier Museum of Art

    New Hampshire

    Housing works by John Singer Sargent, Georgia O'Keeffe, Monet, Matisse and Picasso (among many others), this fine-arts museum is Manchester's greatest…

  • White Lake State Park

    New Hampshire

    Twenty-two miles northeast of Meredith off NH 16, you'll find some of New Hampshire's finest swimming in White Lake, a pristine glacial lake whose origins…

  • Amoskeag Millyard Historic District

    New Hampshire

    These former textile mills, impressive brick buildings with hundreds of tall windows, stretch along Commercial St on the Merrimack riverbank for almost 1…

  • Mount Sunapee State Park

    New Hampshire

    Lake Sunapee is a worthwhile detour any time of year, but especially in summer when you can enjoy the wide sandy beach and pleasant grassy lawns of Mount…

  • Children's Museum of New Hampshire

    New Hampshire

    Just 12 miles north of Portsmouth, this children's museum teaches and entertains, with interactive exhibits like the Dino Detective (where kids can be a…

  • Wallis Sands State Park

    New Hampshire

    This popular beach – it has 500 parking spots – has a wide sandy coastline with views of the Isles of Shoals. Besides the bathhouses and a snack shop,…

  • Jenness Beach State Park

    New Hampshire

    This pretty beach is a prime spot for picnicking, swimming or just relaxing on the sand. You can also watch the surfers, who ride the waves on longboards…

  • Markus Wildlife Sanctuary

    New Hampshire

    This 200-acre sanctuary is home to the Loon Nest Trail, a haven for birds. The 1.7-mile partial loop path winds through the forest and past a marsh to the…

  • Ellacoya State Park

    New Hampshire

    Many lakeshore lodgings have water access, but if your place does not, head for Ellacoya State Park, which has a 600ft-wide beach with lovely views across…

  • Clark House Museum Complex

    New Hampshire

    Wolfeboro's eclectic historical museum comprises three historic buildings: the 1778 Clark family farmhouse, an 1805 one-room schoolhouse and a replica of…

  • Monadnock Berries

    New Hampshire

    Pick-your-own places are one of the great joys of any summer visit to New Hampshire, and this pretty farm has everything you could wish for: sun-warmed…

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