Portsmouth was a significant colonial seaport, prized for its deep harbor and convenient access to an endless supply of tall, straight pine trees for Royal Navy masts. Portsmouth's lengthy and colorful history is the basis of many of its current attractions.

There aren't many sites with that much of their past remaining preserved. The 10-acre Strawbery Banke Museum, which bears the name of the first village that was here in 1623, should be visited first. The historic port neighborhood's restored and preserved homes and buildings, which include a 1770 tavern, wealthy merchants' homes, and a local market filled with World War II-era foods, represent four centuries of the neighborhood's history. You can observe the construction of traditional boats, watch cooking demonstrations to use an open hearth and a woodstove, and visit herb gardens from the colonial era and a World War II Victory Garden.

Portsmouth's compact downtown is full of historic homes, all of which are close to Market Square. The plaza, which is overlooked by North Church's tall steeple, is where four streets that make up the center of downtown Portsmouth come together. Market Street, which is bustling and dotted with little specialty shops, is very appealing to shoppers. Follow it through the shops to find the elegant Moffatt-Ladd House, built in 1763, with its original furniture and beautiful period gardens.

For those who are less interested in history, Portsmouth offers a lot more activities. Attend a live or simulcast performance at The Music Hall, or take a boat to see the lighthouses and Fort Constitution in Portsmouth Harbor. Instead, take a longer cruise to the Isles of Shoals, a group of islands shared by Maine and New Hampshire. Portsmouth is regarded as having the best dining options in the state, so don't leave without trying some of its restaurants.

Concord, one of the smallest capital cities in the country, is more focused on the arts than on politics. Although the State House, with its gleaming gold dome, stands over the city's center, most of the government buildings blend in with the colorfully painted mercantile structures that run both sides of Main Street.

While strolling through downtown Concord, you'll notice sculptures and other works of street art in addition to the well-preserved architectural details on the buildings. The decorative ironwork that frames the entrance to a tiny square across from the State House is particularly impressive. The street level is filled with specialty stores, cafes, restaurants, and boutiques that provide everything from vintage vinyl to the crafts of local artists and craftspeople. The Capital Center for the Arts, which hosts live concerts on a regular basis, is located at the far end of the downtown shops. The new Bank of New Hampshire Stage's retractable seating allows the venue to hold events in a variety of settings, from a fixed-seat concert hall to a dance floor.

Additionally, keep an eye out for jazz jam sessions, professional performances, student recitals, and free public lunch concerts on the Concord Community Music School's schedule. Red River Theatres, a small movie theater on Main Street, also shows first-run foreign, classic, and independent films in addition to on-screen art displays.

The Monadnock Region, named after the mountain that serves as the backdrop to numerous views of southern New Hampshire, is where Keene is located. The following rural communities are located close to Keene: Fitzwilliam, Jaffrey Center, Harrisville (stop at Harrisville Designs for dreamy knitting yarns), Hancock (The Hancock Inn is the state's oldest continuously operating inn), and Walpole (home of Burdick's Chocolates).

The stores and restaurants that give downtown Keene its busy atmosphere are located on the street floors of elegant brick commercial buildings that are maintained in excellent condition. An Industrial Heritage Trail, a bike and walking trail with signs highlighting the city's manufacturing history, runs through the center of Keene. After passing one of Swanzey's five covered bridges, the trail continues in a north-south direction for several miles. You can find murals depicting significant events and people in local history on the sides of buildings near the trail and in other parts of the downtown.

The Horatio Colony House Museum on Main Street preserves the 1806 Federal home of a well-traveled collector. This museum is more entertaining than the classic old museum because of Colony's eccentric nature and his quirky collections. Visit the Wyman Tavern, which is located further down Main Street and is still furnished as it was in 1775 when Minutemen gathered there to march to the Battle of Lexington. The Keene State College campus is located behind the Tavern, adding to the already busy calendar of musical events in the area.

Known as the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution, Manchester is one of the most dynamic and cosmopolitan cities in the UK, with a unique character all of its own. Manchester welcomes visitors with its fine traditions of culture, music, sport and top-class events.

From Paleolithic Native Americans to the large mills that produced millions of yards of fabric and the immigrants who labored in the mills, the Millyard Museum brings 1,000 years at Manchester's Amoskeag Falls to life. The cosmopolitan dining scene in Manchester, which includes Nepalese, Brazilian, Franco-Canadian, Hungarian, Greek, and other restaurants, best exemplifies the city's dynamic cultural diversity today. The Currier Museum of Art and the New Hampshire Symphony Orchestra are two prominent cultural institutions in Manchester. Harry Houdini and Bob Hope both "played the Palace," Manchester's Palace Theatre from 1915, where the program still includes everything from grand opera to children's theater.

The Currier's collections contain more than 11,000 works, including more contemporary pieces by Picasso, Matisse, and O'Keeffe as well as works by Constable, Monet, Corot, and Tiepolo. The White Mountain School of painters, who portrayed mountain landscapes in the 19th century, is also well represented here.

The commercial center of New Hampshire’s White Mountains is the small but very well-equipped town of North Conway. Nestled along the banks of the Saco River in a beautiful valley surrounded by mountains, there is one long swath of outlet shops and motels with a trim little village core at its heart.

Even though they are all in the same town, North Conway is the one that garners the majority of media attention due to its vibrant ski scene in the winter (it is frequently ranked as New England's top ski town) and its location as the entry point to all the attractions and outdoor activities that have drawn visitors to the White Mountains since the early 19th century. Due to the absence of sales tax, it has recently developed into the center of outlet shopping.

One of New England's first ski resorts, Cranmore Mountain, which views North Conway, is now a year-round destination with an Aerial Adventure Park and Mountain Coaster. Rock and ice climbers favor the wide valley's opposite side, where the 700-foot Cathedral Ledge and White Horse Ledge are popular destinations for more adventurous visitors. The White Mountains can be seen from the top of the path or from the beach at Echo Lake State Park.

Hanover was a college town in 1765 when it received a charter for that purpose. Hanover is the ideal college town, the home of Dartmouth College. This Ivy League school has a campus befitting its prestige. View the matching Georgian brick buildings and manicured green as you stroll across the campus.

With a map from the college information office on the green, you may tour the campus and view the beautiful historic mansions that now make up the fraternity district as well as the powerful floor-to-ceiling murals in the Baker-Berry Library that Jose Clemente Orozco painted in the 1920s. The Hopkins Center for the Arts, also known as "The Hop", is located in front of the campus and hosts a variety of national acts in its 900-seat concert hall in addition to dance and theater performances in its smaller Moore Theater.

The magnificent Hood Museum of Art is located behind the Hopkins Center, almost hidden away and set back from the street. This recently renovated museum, which has nearly doubled its gallery space, is reason enough to stay in Hanover. The collections contain more than 65,000 pieces, with a focus on African and Native American art as well as American landscapes from the 19th century

Laconia, the only lakefront city in New Hampshire, has a good spot on Lake Winnipesaukee's western side. With a boardwalk, amusements, and one of the state's top beaches—the 450-foot sand beach at Endicott Rock Park—the area known as Weirs Beach is a hive of summer activity.

The US Mailboat M/V Sophie C., the M/S Mount Washington, and the brand-new Winnipesaukee Spirit, which will debut in 2021, are the three cruise options for picturesque cruises of the enormous lake, and they can all be boarded at Weirs Beach. Additionally, this is where visitors can board the Winnipesaukee Scenic Railroad. The Winnipesaukee River, which was used to power Belknap Mill, the first hosiery factory in New England and where Laconia's downtown is located, was founded in 1823. The on-site hosiery, museum shows the operation of the mill demonstrating the still-working historic machines; in the gift shop, you can buy socks made there.

There are more places to visit in Laconia besides Weirs Beach. Gunstock Mountain is a year-round outdoor sports center in the nearby town of Gilford, to the south of the city. The mountain, which has 55 trails and 90% snowmaking coverage, is one of New Hampshire's best ski destinations when it snows. The rest of the year, it is an adventure park with hiking trails, a mountain coaster, treetop tours, and 1.6 miles of ziplines.

Dover, the first permanent settlement in New Hampshire, was a center for shipbuilding, with the Cocheco River navigable from Great Bay all the way to the falls. Dover's center-city roaring falls made it an ideal location for mills, and as early as 1814, the Cocheco Manufacturing Co. began using them to power one of New England's biggest mill complexes. Even if some of the buildings are gone, those that are still standing continue to dominate the downtown.

In addition to exploring the history of these mills and their significance to the labor and women's movements, the Woodman Institute is an excellent museum complex that houses one of New Hampshire's most valuable historic landmarks. The William Damm Garrison, the last surviving fortified colonial garrison home, was constructed in Dover in 1675, and you can visit it to see everything from early colonial New England. Natural history exhibits, exquisite antiques, a sizable doll collection, ornamental arts, and Native American artifacts can be found in other locations throughout the museum's three buildings.

The Children's Museum of NH, located next to a sizable park in the heart of the city, offers views of the Cocheco River below the falls and houses exhibits on the river's geography, history, and ecosystem. Climb the 76-foot Garrison Hill Tower for a spectacular view of Dover, the northern highlands, and the Isles of Shoals on a clear day.