What do in new hampshire

By OXPdavidm. By AdventureatRiverwalk. There is a nice gift shop and terrace with a view to enjoy at the beginning or at the end with a hot chocolate or may By Getaway This a "must do" excursion in the White Mountains and the cog steam engine is a real part of history.

We loved this short and easy hike to gorgeous waterfall. Kancamagus Highway. Washington Auto Road. Pemigewasset Overlook. Hancock Overlook. White Mountain Trail. Franconia Notch. The Frost Place. Hampton Beach State Park. Cheshire Recreational Rail Trail. Gunstock Mountain Resort. Weirs Beach. Tuckerman's Ravine. Clark's Bears. Canobie Lake Park.

Santa's Village. Story Land. Logs of Fun. Spooky World. Ice Castles. Market Square. New Hampshire State House. Pemigewasset River. Loon Mountain Ministries. Riverwalk Covered Bridge. Mount Washington. White Mountain National Forest. Flume Gorge. For something a little more quirky, the Exeter UFO Festival was created in to commemorate the sighting of strange, low-lying lights in the town.

Today the festival draws UFO enthusiasts from around the country and features a range of extra-terrestrial themed talks and lectures. Or how about testing your pumpkin-decorating skills at the Goffstown Giant Pumpkin Regatta , which celebrates the humble but exceedingly versatile pumpkin?

The par features a huge range of slides, rides, pols and play areas, with something for every age and taste. Day tickets can be purchased at Viator. The route also makes for a popular coastal road trip , with drivers following the ocean from Seabrook Beach to Portsmouth, past the miles of sand of Hampton Beach to Fort Constitution, famous for being raided by Colonials back in The sandy shore in the small town of New Castle Photo: walter gaddis via Flickr.

There are also regular special events including the chance to dine in the company of famous animated characters. New Hampshire is awash with small but perfectly formed towns and villages and among the most popular is Hampton Beach.

Located a short coastal drive south of Portsmouth, the resort village boasts a long, wide, white sandy beach with a surf that varies from gentle to surfable. The atmosphere exudes family-friendly charm by day and a distinct party vibe by night, with most of the nocturnal action taking place along the shaded boardwalk opposite the beach where restaurants and bars fill up with revellers during peak season.

Further inland, another town that draws plenty of visitors is Exeter. The second floor is divided between the American gallery and an admirably varied collection of European paintings that include works by Constable, Monet, Corot, Tiepolo, and Lorenzo de Costa.

The first floor includes the double special exhibition gallery and the museum's collections of modern and contemporary art.

Also part of the museum, and accessible by tours originating here, is the Zimmerman House, by Frank Lloyd Wright. This outstanding example of Wright's Usonian homes is the only Wright-designed building in New England open to the public. The tours, which include the interior entirely furnished as Wright designed it, put the house and furnishings in their historical and artistic context.

Lake Winnipesaukee. Winnipesaukee is a beehive of summer activity, surrounded by water parks, beaches, fast food, and family-oriented attractions. The west side of the lake is the most developed, especially around kid-friendly Weirs Beach and more trendy Meredith , while the eastern resort town of Wolfeboro is quieter.

The Loon Center and Markus Wildlife Sanctuary in Moultonborough protects breeding waters of these treasured birds and offers visitors a chance to learn about them.

Nature and wildlife is also the focus of Squam Lakes Natural Science Center , which operates nature cruises on this well-protected lake that was the setting for On Golden Pond.

White Mountains, New Hampshire. New Hampshire is at its most beautiful in September and early October, when fall paints its maples shades of scarlet and orange and its birches a luminous yellow.

Almost any road you follow will bring views, whether it's a winding, tree-lined country lane or a highway that opens up sweeping mountain vistas. For its variety of views, follow the Connecticut River up the west side of the state, where routes 12, 12A, and 10 offer a changing series of views across valley farms to the mountains of Vermont.

Take side roads into villages along the way — picture-perfect Walpole is at the southern end — for white church spires and village greens surrounded by blazing maples. In the central Lakes Region, country roads north of scenic Squam Lake wind through pretty villages of Holderness, Sandwich, and Tamworth, with views to the White Mountains.

Route 16 leads north to one of the state's most iconic fall views as the distinctive cone of Mt. Chocorua is reflected in a forest-ringed lake. Few images of fall in New Hampshire are as iconic as a covered bridge framed in bright foliage, and while you'll find these bridges scattered across the state, nowhere are there so many so close together as in the town of Swanzey, in the state's southwest corner.

These are marked on the state highway map, so you can easily follow a route that includes six of them. Several options allow the driver a chance for "leaf-peeping" — cruises on Lake Winnipesaukee and Lake Sunapee , train rides into the mountains from North Conway , or various tramways to peaks in the White Mountains. Stepping through the igloo gatehouse of Santa's Village, kids feel as though they've entered into a Christmas wonderland where toys come to life, and all the favorite things about the holiday season are all around them.

An elevated monorail ride, the Skyway Sleigh, gives an aerial overview of the fun to come, as riders skim above the treetops. Rides and games all feature Christmas themes: a ride with spinning drums; a roller coaster for younger children called the Peppermint Twist; a penguin spin-out coaster; and the Chimney Drop, a bounce ride where kids feel like Santa dropping down a chimney.

They can get wet in the Yule Log Flume, or there's an entire section devoted to water rides and slides. The carousel has reindeer instead of horses, prancing to the tune of Christmas songs. At Sugar n' Spice Bake Shop, a giant gingerbread house, kids can dress their own gingerbread men and women with frosting clothes. Everything — all rides, shows, 3-D movies, live music, and entertainment, even the pet condo and strollers for little people, are included in the admission price, and the games and rides are well designed for various age groups, so kids from toddlers to teens will have fun here.

Lost River Gorge. During the last Ice Age, glaciers covered the White Mountains with a mile-high sheet of ice. When these melted and receded, the combination of meltwater and moving ice carved deep potholes into the granite and tore loose giant boulders, dropping them helter-skelter across the landscape.

It was a combination of these that created this natural wonder. Lost River disappears into caves formed by a tumble of glacial boulders, appearing again in cascades and long waterfalls and swirling in giant cauldron-shaped pot holes as it drops through the steep ravine.

You can explore all the caves and the narrow passages formed by the masses of broken granite ledge or bypass them to climb through on boardwalks and stairs. If you're claustrophobic, avoid the tightest of these passages, appropriately called "the lemon squeezer.

Combining local history Dover was the state's first permanent settlement with a wider range of natural sciences and cultural exhibits, the privately endowed Woodman Institute complex is a delightful trove of surprises. The Woodman House is filled with collections of minerals, birds, shells, mammals, Native American artifacts, and Civil War items that include Abraham Lincoln's saddle.

An entire room is devoted to the extensive doll collection of a local teacher; another to memorabilia from World War II. In the adjoining home of Senator John Parker Hale are furnished rooms, police and fire memorabilia, nautical items, needlework, antique toys, and decorative arts, plus a fascinating collection of early photographs used to document pre-labor-law practices in New England's mills, including child labor.

The Ice Castles , a frozen attraction in North Woodstock, is an incredible feat of human engineering and art. Built using hundreds of thousands of icicles by various artists, these castles have tunnels, ice thrones, sculptures, fountains, and more. A whole calendar of events happen here year-round. Not to mention, the location is fantastic! One of the best ways to take advantage of Prescott Park is catching a live concert during their summer Concert Series.

Lay out a blanket in the grass with loved ones and listen to your favorite band, with an ocean sunset and docking boats as the backdrop. This is where memories are made. This place has over games, classic arcade games, a bowling alley, cash bingo, mini-golf, and even its own tavern. If you can walk in and out of here in under an hour, you deserve a Guinness World Record yourself.

An awesome way to get up close and personal with these amazing mountain ranges is to find a unique Airbnb cabin stay. If you need some inspiration, check out our hand-picked list of 14 amazing cabins in the White Mountains.

Yes, NH actually has a good arts scene! While there are plenty of nice options, two institutions really stand out: the Currier Museum of Art , and the Hood Museum of Art. Both of them are beautiful museums with world-class collections. The Currier which made our list of best things to do in Manchester has a strong European and American collection. But with a collection of over 65, pieces ranging from European, Indigenous Australian, Asian, and African art, the Hood Museum offers a powerful diversity of perspectives.

The Fort at No. The Fort will give you a better understanding of the fascinating, messy history of European colonization in New England. Canobie really is a blast, and a great way to spend a summer day. Take a spin on the Xtreme Frisbee, if you dare! The Institute is located along wooded trails in Brookline, and from dawn to dusk you are free to walk the paths and view over 60 sculptures created by various contemporary artists. Officially designated an American Scenic Byway, this winding road cuts straight through the White Mountain National Forest and takes you over feet in elevation.

Go in the fall if you can — many people consider this highway the best location for leaf-peeping in the country! And if you ever want to impress a NH local, tell them you survived being chased by the Wolfman.

Works every time. NH has got some amazing peaks to shred too. And Loon Mountain Resort might just be one of the best places for it! Located in Lincoln, this resort covers three peaks and offers skiing and snowboarding lessons, rentals, and views for days. I love a nice wine tasting and was surprised to discover how many wineries and vineyards there are in NH. LaBelle Winery in Amherst has great food, fruity wines, and a beautiful vineyard. Averill House Vineyard in Brookline is rustic and family-owned, located in a restored barn from the s.