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New Hampshire offers lovely scenery and New England charm throughout the state. Many opportunities for recreation and entertainment exist in the Granite State, whether cultural or natural.

New Hampshire boasts many cultural attractions. The state’s many museums offer a wide range of subjects to enjoy. The American Independence Museum in Exeter features Revolutionary War era exhibits and tours, educating visitors about the men and women who established the nation and pioneered freedom from Great Britain. At the Frost Place in Franconia, visitors can experience poet Robert Frost’s old homestead, which today contains a center for poetry and the arts. The Enfield Shaker Museum in Enfield educates the public about the cultural, religious, and economic history of New England as experienced through the Enfield Shaker settlement; the Museum offers collections, buildings, and the landscape itself to honor the land used by the Shakers. Ski buffs will enjoy the New England Ski Museum in Franconia, which preserves the history of skiing and features collections of skis, books, and other paraphernalia. Children and families will enjoy the Mount Washington Valley Children’s Museum in North Conway, featuring entertaining and educational exhibits for youngsters, and the Kaleidoscope Children’s Museum in Concord, which encourages hands-on activities with the goal of fostering creativity for younger children.

Performing arts aficionados have many venues to enjoy in the Granite State. Theatre fans will enjoy the Seacoast Repertory Theatre in Portsmouth, a non-profit professional theatre and school for the performing arts. The Majestic Theatre in Manchester offers performances to over 12,000 patrons annually and boasts a full production season of 15 performances. Opera lovers will enjoy the Granite State Opera, which provides high quality opera to audiences throughout New Hampshire. Orchestral music lovers can indulge in the New Hampshire Symphony Orchestra in Manchester or the Lakes Region Symphony Orchestra in Meredith.

New Hampshire’s historic heritage is preserved at several historic sites throughout the state. At the Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site in Cornish, visitors can explore the lovely home, studios, and gardens of one of the nation’s most famous sculptors, August Saint-Gaudens. The Northern Forest Heritage Park in Berlin preserves and celebrates the brave people who logged the Northern Forest and settled the North Country. Many historic sites are managed by the New Hampshire Division of Parks and Recreation in state parks. Notable examples include the Fort Constitution Historic Site in New Castle, dating from 1791; the Fort Stark Historic Site, another former military installation in New Castle; and the Franklin Pierce Homestead, preserving the boyhood home of the 14th President of the United States.

Science and nature lovers will enjoy the Squam Lakes Natural Science Center in Holderness, which interprets and celebrates the ecology of New Hampshire and its wildlife. Additionally, the Mount Washington Observatory Weather Discovery Center, operating from the Mount Washington Observatory, provides a hands-on, interactive museum showcasing atmospheric phenomena.

New Hampshire boasts many opportunities for outdoor recreation including hiking, kayaking, hunting and fishing. Many of these can be enjoyed within New Hampshire State Parks. Other locales of interest include the White Mountains and the White Mountain National Forest, Lake Winnipesaukee, and the beaches of coastal New Hampshire. The Appalachian National Scenic Trail passes through the state, on its 2,175 mile (3,500 kilometer) footpath through 14 eastern states. The state is also famous for skiing. Among the several ski resorts in the Granite State are Bretton Woods Mountain Resort, Attitash, Cannon, Cranmore Mountain Resort, Granite Gorge, Loon Mountain, and Wildcat Mountain.

With its splendid scenery and New England heritage, New Hampshire offers four seasons of recreational opportunities to suit anyone’s taste.

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