Top Things to do in New Hampshire
Top Hotels in New Hampshire
- 1. The Glen House
- 2. Hampton Inn & Suites Portsmouth Downtown
- 3. White Mountain Hotel and Resort
- 4. Comfort Inn & Suites
- 5. La Quinta Inn & Suites by Wyndham Manchester
- 6. Ashworth by the Sea
- 7. Hampton Inn & Suites North Conway
- 8. Hampton Inn & Suites Tilton
- 9. Port Inn And Suites Portsmouth, Ascend Hotel Collection
- 10. Top Notch Inn
What to do and see in New Hampshire, United States: The Best History Museums
If you are looking for diversity, you will certainly find it in New Hampshire. From lakes to beaches, waterfalls to woods and mountains to sea coast, the state has huge potential for outdoor vacations, including downhill or cross-country skiing in winter. With no less than seventy-five state parks that offer natural areas, hiking trails, beaches and historic sites, New Hampshire caters for a variety of tastes. Crawford Notch State Park in Harts Location has picturesque waterfalls, wonderful mountain views and opportunities for viewing wildlife. You can go hiking and fishing there as well as pay a visit to the historic Willey House. Monadnock State Park, unlike some other state parks, is open all year round for hiking. Want to go swimming? You will find five state park beaches along the coast of New Hampshire, such as Wallis Sands with its view of the rocky Isles of Shoals. On North Hampton State Beach and Jenness Beach you can have a picnic as well as a swim. When you've finally had your fill of fresh air, head for the Museum of New Hampshire History in Concord with exhibits focusing on heritage and traditions; children should enjoy them just as much as adults.
Restaurants in New Hampshire
1. Tuck Museum
2. Wright Museum of WWII
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 310 reviews
This Museum's purpose is to educate, entertain and inspire visitors with the story of WWII-era Americans often called "the greatest generation". The Wright Museum is open seasonally from May 1st to October 31st.
Reviewed By Maurene_K - Dover, United States
The Wright Museum of WW II always has wonderful exhibits that keep me returning at least once, if not twice, each year. This year’s primary opening exhibit was “Memories of World War II – Photographs from the Associated Press Archives.” There were about 50 black and white photos. Several photos caught my attention. One photo showed German Army soldiers marching into Paris under the Champs-Elysees. Others showed the liberation of German concentration camps and the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Copies of two famous photos were in the collection --- raising the American flag at Iwo Jima and a sailor kissing a nurse in Times Square in NYC. Once again, the museum had more works by Private Charles J. Miller in the exhibit “WW II Paintings from the South Pacific.” Several of his watercolor paintings portrayed combat scenes from the Battle of Kwajalein Atoll in the Republic of the Marshall Islands in January 1944. Others showed scenes of American soldiers engaged in activities such as laundry, watching a movie, and playing a sport. This exhibit was scheduled to end on June 17th; but, due to popular demand, it is being held over until August 12th. I also enjoy revisiting the Time Tunnel, the displays of military vehicles and tanks - especially the Sherman tank named Alice, and the vignettes of WW II life on the homefront with an ice cream parlor, a kitchen, a living room, and a gas station, plus many cases of period jewelry, old cameras telephones, plus other objects. This year, the victory garden near the back of the parking lot was more developed. I rate both exhibits and the museum’s permanent exhibits at 5.0. I highly recommend visiting this museum. If you found this review helpful, please click THANK below.
3. Portsmouth Historical Society
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 28 reviews
Founded in 1917, the Portsmouth Historical Society is a nonprofit devoted to the history, arts, and culture of the Portsmouth region, through acquisitions, preservation, museum exhibitions, programs, and publications. It operates the Discover Portsmouth Welcome Center and the 1758 John Paul Jones Historic House Museum and Garden, a national historic landmark. The Society also serves as the home of the Portsmouth Advocates for Historic Preservation, and the Portsmouth Marine Society Press.
Reviewed By Maurene_K - Dover, United States
After visiting the Discover Portsmouth Welcome Center, I went into the attached Portsmouth Historical Society building to see the 2021 art exhibits. The one on the first floor was titled: Twilight of American Impressionism. The featured artists were Alice Ruggles Sohier and Frederick A. Bosley. Alice Ruggles Sohier was born in Massachusetts. She had an extensive education in art. Among her instructors for advanced studies at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston were Edmund C. Tarbell and Frank Weston Benson. I liked most of her work shown in the exhibit. The oil painting titled Dahlias was my favorite. The yellow dahlias looked so delicate. I also liked the painting titled Yellow Day Lilies. Frederick A. Bosley was from Lebanon, New Hampshire. He also studied at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts with Edmund C. Tarbell and Frank Weston Benson. Works in this exhibit included portraits and landscapes. Most of his palette was in subdued darker shades, except for the portrait of a woman in a red kimono titled “Elizabeth in Red” which I liked. Bosley's palette was on display in a case. The exhibit upstairs was titled: Don Gorvett: Working Waterfronts. He is a contemporary artist. He does woodcuts and then makes colorized prints from them. The waterfronts were mostly Portsmouth and Ogunquit. There was also a video in which Don Gorvett demonstrated how he does the woodcuts and made his prints. He combines the traditional process with a few procedures he created. I found both exhibits worthwhile. I really liked the Impressionist exhibit. I always find every exhibit that the Portsmouth Historical Society displays to be first-rate. I rate the Portsmouth Historical Society, its John Paul Jones House, its tours, its publications, and these exhibits at 5.0. I highly recommend anything the Society does. If you found this review helpful, please click THANK below.
4. The Colonel Paul Wentworth House
5. New England Ski Museum Eastern Slope Branch
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 9 reviews
The New Eastern Slope Branch of the New England Ski Museum is located in the former North Conway Community Center that was created by Harvey Dow Gibson, a giant in the history of skiing.
Reviewed By Maurene_K - Dover, United States
On a trip to North Conway, I made it a point to visit the North Conway branch of the New England Ski Museum. It’d been on my List of Places to Go for quite awhile. Admission was free; however, there was a donation box at the front desk. Although small, this branch of the Franconia Notch-based museum had very good exhibits. I thought that there was a well-balanced mix of photographs, ski clothing, ski gear, rescue equipment, and videos. One video was about a man who was a climber and an expert skier. He’d climbed to the top of a high, steep, ragged mountain with a lot of exposed, jagged rock. On the way down, he fell and lost his backpack. He watched it go over a precipice and tumble down the mountain hundreds and hundreds of feet. I was thinking that he’d never see that again. But, incredibly, he later managed to retrieve it. I was amazed that someone else was with him to film it all. The videographer must also have been a skilled climber and skier. I particularly liked the display of the red two-person gondola from the mid-1950’s used at Wildcat Mountain. It was compact by today’s standards. I also liked the display of skis from over the years. I didn’t see anything like my metal-edged Fiberglas Salomons from about 30 years ago. The four-seater chair lift used as a couch for video viewing left an impression on me. In my years of skiing, I never rode one of those. The bunny hills I skied used old-fashioned tow ropes, T-Bars, and J-Bars as lift equipment. The gift shop was small but had a number of interesting items. I enjoyed my visit to the New England Ski Museum. I rate it at 5.0. I recommend a visit to anyone with an interest in skiing. If you found this review helpful, please click THANK below.
6. Littleton Area Historical Museum
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 7 reviews
Reviewed By BearTraveler69 - Santiago, Chile
This museum presents the history of the area through donated memorabilia that represents the people, industry and life of Littleton. There is little signage, you mostly wander from area to area. However the docents and the curator will regale you with stories about any area you are in and if you want you can spend hours there. A highlight is the section on Bette Davis’ connection to Littleton, but beyond that there is everything from a recreated old time barber shop to farm equipment to turn of the century period clothing to World War 1 artifacts to old children’s toys. There are sections devoted to area businesses that achieved national or international reputations. There are also one of a kind artifacts not found anywhere else.
7. USS Albacore Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 594 reviews
The USS Albacore is a research submarine, designed by the U.S. Navy to test experimental features used in modern submarines. The Navy tested top-secret features that led to the high-speed silent operation used on modern U.S. submarines. Today, Albacore has been preserved and is opened to the public Every visitor can go inside and explore this remarkable submarine. You will be able to look through the periscope, explore the control room, engineering spaces, and bunkrooms, and hear crew members tell of things that happened when they were at sea. Tours through Albacore are self-guided. As you walk through the ship, a series of audio stations highlight Albacore's unique features. Recordings by former crew members tell about daily life and some hair-raising incidents aboard the sub. The Visitor Center is your starting point for the tour. The Gift Shop offers souvenirs of your visit. The Memorial Garden preserves the memory of those who have served on Albacore and other U.S. submarines.
Reviewed By PartyTheNightAway - New Jersey, United States
Excellent trip! We arrived at approximately 1 pm and made our way inside to buy our tickets. There were several docents positioned outside that provided useful information about the submarine and its history. There were also several informational plaques located throughout the outside museum and inside the submarine that contained buttons with the actual voices of crew members that worked on the submarine. These voices gave us detailed information about what we were seeing and how life was like on the submarine. We actually got to go inside of the submarine, and we saw the bunks that the crew members slept on, the kitchen, the dining area, the bathrooms and showers, the control room and the engineering aspect. I gained a lot of knowledge doing this tour and thought it was pretty neat that we got to step inside of an actual submarine. The self guided tour was very detailed and I left without having any additional questions. TIP: I recommend spending 1 hour here if you truly want to see everything.
8. Strawbery Banke Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,103 reviews
Museum houses open in December only for Candlelight Stroll: Saturdays Dec 12 and 19, 5-9 pm and Sundays, December 13 and 20, 4-8 pm. Guided Holiday House Tours offered Dec 26-31, 10 am to 2 pm with last tour starting at 2 pm. Labrie Family Skate outdoor ice rink at the museum is open daily 9 am to 9 pm (except for occasional private rentals).
Reviewed By aneczypor - Seattle, United States
This historic park is fabulous. From the first video to all the various houses, it is non stop entertaining and beautiful. The structures range from very old homes, to stores and churches transporting you back to another world and time. The buildings are often staffed by volunteers dressed in vintage clothing who act out the person who lived or worked there. The gardens are beautiful and the garden tour is worth taking if you are a Gardner. Do not go to Portsmouth and miss this magical place.
9. Millyard Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 104 reviews
Museum dedicated to history and influence of the mills in Manchester.
Reviewed By mousebooks - Brookline, United States
Excellent museum covering Manchester's industrial history, located in an historic mill building. Well worth a visit -- great for kids as well as adults.
10. Warren Historical Museum
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