Things the Merrimack Valley Region of NH

The Merrimack Valley area of New Hampshire is home to the state capital of Concord New Hampshire  It is also home to NH's three largest cities, Manchester, Nashua and Concord New Hampshire.

 

New Hampshire Sports

Sports are the heart of New Hampshire's Merrimack Valley region.  The Manchester Monarchs is the AHL hockey team, The Manchester Wolves are the football team, The NH Fisher Cars are the baseball team and Loudon, NH is the home of 2 NASCAR races each year at NH Motor Speedway.

 

The Verizon Wireless Arena is the best venue to see the Manchester Monarchs hockey, family shows such as Disney on Ice, sporting events, concerts, wrestling, trade shows and conventions.

 

The JFK Coliseum in Manchester hosts high school hockey games and recreational ice skating.

 

New Hampshire Agriculture

Agriculture is booming in New Hampshire's Merrimack Valley area. One place to get fresh veggies in the summer is Gould Hill Apple Orchards.  Each year, they have 86 varieties of peaches.  They also have the best corn on the cob, tomatoes and cucumbers.  Gould Hill Apple Orchards is located in Contoocook NH.  The Peters Brothers Farm in offers the best in tomatoes, pumpkins, strawberries and squash.

 

New Hampshire Arts

The Merrimack Valley area is rich in arts, history and culture.

 

The Adams Memorial Opera House, located in Derry NH, hosts musicals, plays, dance, children’s theater, fine arts shows and concerts.

 

The Capitol Center for the Arts in Concord NH is the #1 venue for performing arts.  This is where you can see great plays such as The Nutcracker.  The Concord City Auditorium is your home for the best and most affordable theater shows.  Located in Manchester, The Currier Museum of Art showcases great works from top artists such as Picasso, Monet and Matisse.  The museum has recently been expanded to include a winter garden café and museum shop.

 

The Kimball Jenkins Estate in Concord hosts exhibitions of regional and national art that also has historical significance.

 

NH Museums and Historical Places

The Kaleidoscope Children’s Museum in Concord is a great place to take the kids.  They offer a creative environment where kids can learn hands-on.

 

The Manchester Historic Association and Millyard Museum is a great place to enjoy permanent and changing exhibits on the history of Manchester, NH’s largest city.

 

The Museum of NH History in Concord NH features exhibits exploring the Granite State’s past.

 

Americas Stonehenge is located in North Salem NH and is a man-made trail of chambers, walls and ceremonial places.  Americas Stonehenge dates back more than 4,000 years.

 

The Canterbury Shaker Village is located in Canterbury, NH and is a National Historic Landmark.  The village features 25 restored as well as four reconstructed Shaker buildings.  The village sets on 694 acres of gardens, fields, ponds and forests.  In addition, the Shaker Village offers tours, exhibits, workshops, shopping and great food.

 

New Hampshire Attractions

If attractions and entertainment are more your style, then the Merrimack Valley area is the hot spot for you.

 

The Anheuser Busch Brewery and Gift Shop, located in Merrimack, is a great place to get free tours and visit the world famous Clydesdale horses.

 

At Canobie Lake Park in Salem is where families can go just to have fun.  They have over 85 rides, games, live shows and attractions.

 

If you like sweets, Granite State Candies in Concord NH is a must see.  They have been in business since 1927 and make their own chocolate wonders.  In addition to gourmet chocolates, Granite State Candy also sells roasted nuts, handmade confections and super homemade ice cream.

 

The Massabesic Audubon Center in Manchester is a nature center centered in Lake Massabesic with live animal exhibits, walking trails and environmental education programs.

 

The McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center is New England’s largest air and space museum.

 

The See Science Center hosts exhibits on light, electricity, forces and sound.

 

NH Outdoors

Biking is a big thing in the Merrimack Valley area.  The Manchester Lawrence Recreational Rail Trail in Londonderry offers paved trails for great off-road bike and horseback riding.

 

NH Campgrounds

In the summertime, New Hampshire's campgrounds are a booming business.  Autumn Hills in Weare offers large, shady sites for your RV or tent.  The campground offers general store, large swimming pool and children’s playground.  Blake’s Brook Campground, located in Epsom, offers special themed weekends, onsite fireplaces and basketball courts.  Circle 9 Ranch Campground in Epsom offers great fun for the whole family.  Located on 21 acres, Circle 9 Ranch offers 2 ponds for swimming, over 120 campsites and country-western entertainment.  Friendly Beaver Campground in New Boston offers four swimming pools, two recreation halls and Saturday night entertainment.

 

NH Hunting

Hunting is a huge phenomenon in the fall and fishing is the thing to do in the spring and summer as well as ice fishing in the winter.  Hoit Road Marsh in Concord is spread over 216 acres that contains a wide range of upland species, numerous wetland species and a limited warm water fishery.  Perkins Pond is 307 acres and consists of emergent and shrub wetland habitat.

 

NH Golf Courses

Golf courses are plentiful in the Merrimack Valley area.  The Amherst Country Club in Amherst NH is an 18-hole golf course for both experienced and new players alike.

 

The Country Side Golf Course in Dunbarton, NH is a 9-hole golf course that lies on 3,000 yards for a par of 36.

 

The Derryfield Country Club in Manchester, NH lays on 6,117 yards of golf for a par of 70.  The course is an 18-hole course.

 

The Ponemah Green Family Golf Center in Amherst, NH is fun for the entire family.  The 9-hole golf course has an Executive golf course, a lighted driving range, putting and chipping green and practice sand bunker.

 

NH B & B's

The Merrimack valley has some of the best B&B’s and country inns in NH.  Ash Street Inn in Manchester offers bedrooms with a private bath, complimentary wireless DSL internet service and in-room phones.  Colby Hill Inn, located in Henniker NH offers great special packages including the Gourmet Getaway which includes two nights lodging, breakfast each morning and dinner for two by candlelight.  Henniker House B&B in Henniker offers a lot of history.  The house was built in 1859 on the bank of the Contoocook River and was a birthing house in the 1920’s house and later was used as a residence WW II veterans attending college.  The Meadow Farm B&B in Northwood and sites on 60 acres of woods and fields. 

 

See More Things to do in New Hampshire!