Recreation
New Hampshire hosts a variety of outdoor and indoor recreation. Physical exercise helps to relieve stress, especially during exam periods. Hike in Franconia Notch in the fall during peak "leaf peeping" weeks. Hang out on the beach with a Contracts book in hand. When the snow falls, hit the slopes or go ice skating on White Park Pond.
This section contains all the information you'll need to find your favorite activity in the Concord area and in the Granite State.
New Hampshire State Tourism
Concord Chamber of Commerce
224-2508
www.concordnhchamber.com
Fairs and Festivals
New Hampshire cities and towns host a variety of annual fairs and festivals. The Keene Pumpkin Festival even put NH in the Guinness Book of World Records! www.pumpkinfestival.org
For a complete listing of these events please visit www.nhfairs.com/fairdates.htm
Fitness Centers
Planet Fitness: 89 Fort Eddy Plaza, 228-8680 Cheap student rates at the beginning of the academic year
Racquet Club of Concord: 10 Garvins Falls Rd., 224-7787
Complete athletic club for men and women. Indoor and outdoor tennis, racquetball, free weights, electronic bicycles, aerobics, indoor and outdoor swimming pools, indoor running tracks, gymnasium, whirlpools, saunas, private locker rooms, lounge, and babysitting. Open 7 days a week.
The Yoga Center: 28 S. Main St., 226-0680
Concord Family Y.M.C.A.: 15 North State St., 228-9622,
Leagues and Clubs
Concord has organized leagues in basketball, softball, rugby, and hockey for men and women. If you are interested in fitness classes separate from a gym membership, contact the YMCA, or Concord Hospital, or visit www.nhoutdoors.com/nh_clubs.htm
Hockey- Everett Ice Arena, 15 Loudon Rd., 228-2784
Tri-State Arena, 311 West River Rd., Hooksett, 485-1100
White Park Pond is groomed for ice skating daily in winter
Fieldhouse Sports: 226-4646
NH Outdoors information
Movie Theaters
The Pierce Law bookstore offers movie tickets at a discounted rate, limited supply available.
Red River Theatres: 11 South Main Street, 224-4600
Often features art and indie films.
Regal Concord 10: 282 Loudon Road 226-3800
Concord's largest movie theater housing 10 screens.
Sony Theatre: 192 Loudon Rd., 224-3600
Houses six movie theaters under one roof. Shows daily
Fine Art and Performing Art Center
Capitol Center for the Arts: 44 South Main St., 225-1111
Concord Community Music School: 23 Wall St., 228-1196,
Concord City Auditorium: 2 Prince St., 228-2793
Meadowbrook: 72 Meadowbrook Lane, Gilford, 293-4700
New London Barn Playhouse: 800-633-2276
Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom: Ocean Blvd., Hampton, 929-41
Fun Spots
Chuckster's: Chichester, NH. The world's longest miniature gold course--batting cages, too. Route 4/202, Chichester. 798-3555, www.chucksters.com
New Hampshire International Speedway: Loudon, NH
Located on Route 106, ten miles north of Concord. Offers NASCAR and Indy car races, and the Annual Loudon Classic—America's oldest motorcycle race.
Tee Off @ Mel's: Route 3A Litchfield,
This entertainment complex has batting cages, mini-golf, go karts, arcades, and a driving range.
Boutwell's Bowling Center: 152 N. State St., 224-0941
Has candlepin bowling, a New England tradition.
Vertical Dreams: Commercial St., Manchester, 625-6919
Indoor climbing gym.
Local Golf Courses
Beaver Meadow Golf Course:1 Beaver Meadow St., 225-7033
www.onconcord.com/golf/concordv2.asp
Concord Country Club: 228-0232
Plausawa Valley Country Club: 42 Whittemore Road, Pembroke, 224-6267
City Parks
Directly across from Pierce Law is Concord's own White Park, where students play volleyball, basketball and soccer. Ice skating and sledding are inviting during the winter months. The house off the pond has skate rentals for a dollar and hot cocoa to help keep you warm. Concord's Recreation Department office is located in White Park. Summer pool passes are available to Concord residents with a valid ID, or piece of mail with a Concord address.
Memorial Field: Fruit Street. Outdoor tennis courts as well as a track and several softball fields. This is also where Concord's own independent baseball team, The Quarry Dogs, play.
Other parks in town include Rollins Park on South Broadway; Keach Park off Loudon Road; Garrison Park in West Concord; Kimball Park on North State Street, and Rolfe Park in Penacook. For more information on recreation, tennis courts, etc., contact the Concord Department of Recreation and Parks at 225-8690
Nature Trails
Audubon Society of New Hampshire: 3 Silk Farm Road, 224-9909
Open all year, Monday–Saturday. Audubon Society has a nature center, gift shop,
library, exhibits, 15 acres of woods with trails, and adult and children's programs.
Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests: 54 Portsmouth Street, 224-9945
For a complete listing of Concord's hiking trails, visit the City of Concord's website
Granite Staters enjoy the use of the national and state forests for biking, camping, hiking and swimming.
New Hampshire State Parks: www.nhstateparks.org
White Mountain National Forest: www.fs.fed.us/r9/white o
Skiing
www.skinh.com has listings and links to the websites of all the Ski Resorts in NH. You can also purchase lift ticket packages online. Shop early for the best deals! Many resorts also offer student discounts.
For cross country skiing visit: www.xcskinh.com
Out of City Transportation
Concord Trailways: 1-800-639-3317, www.concordtrailways.com There is daily non-stop service to Manchester, Boston and Logan Airport from the Concord Transportation Center located off I-93, Exit 14 on 30 Stickney Avenue.
Manchester Boston Regional Airport: 624-6556
Check its website at www.flymanchester.com for more details and specific airline information
Manchester
Manchester, Mew Hampshire's "Queen City", is the largest city in the state, and offers a wide range of cultural and historical activities, shopping, dining, and sports. Affectionately known by locals as "Manchvegas," the city has grown by leaps and bounds over the past few years, due in large part to the addition of the Verizon Wireless Arena and three professional sports teams. While no one is quite sure where the "Manchvegas" term originated, many assume it was coined by one of Manchester's biggest celebrities, Adam Sandler.
Manchester is located about 20 minutes south of Concord on I-93. Manchester is well known for its discount factory stores, most of which are located on Canal and Willow Streets. Clothing, shoes, linens, and furniture are among the goods featured. For information about events happening in Manchester, including nightlife, museum exhibits, plays, concerts, restaurants, and other special events, check out The Hippo newspaper. The Hippo is considered the ultimate entertainment and cultural guide to Manchester, check it out online at
Points of Interest
Verizon Wireless Arena: Elm Street, 644-5000
Home to two of the state's favorite professional sports teams, The Manchester Monarchs and the Manchester Wolves, the Verizon Wireless Arena officially opened to the public in April of 2000. Since then, the Verizon has hosted numerous concerts, including Aerosmith, Bare Naked Ladies, Dave Matthews Band, Elton John, Green Day, Motley Crew, Rod Stewart, Sting, and many others. It has also been the site of several WWE pay-per-view events, and the famous "Best of New Hampshire" expo. The Verizon also enjoys a national reputation has being one of the most "sold-out" venues in the nation.
The Manchester Monarchs are a young, but thriving AHL hockey team, affiliated with the L.A. Kings. For game schedules and ticket information log on to www.monarchshockey.com. Plan ahead, however. This team is so popular that most weekend games sell out very quickly. For more hockey action in the state of New Hampshire, check out the nationally ranked UNH Wildcats or The Big Green of Dartmouth College.
For arena football, and the Manchester Wolves information and tickets, check out www.manchesterwolves.com .
New Hampshire Fisher Cats Ballpark, Singer Park, Commercial Street
For all you baseball fans out there, New Hampshire is proud to host its very own minor league team, the New Hampshire Fisher Cats. The Cats are affiliated with the Toronto Blue Jays, and ended their first year of play as the 2004 Eastern League Champions. The beautiful state-of-the-art ballpark is set along the banks of the Merrimack River.
Currier Museum of Art: 201 Myrtle Way, 669-6144
The Currier is an internationally renowned art museum located in Manchester. A 33,000 square foot expansion was completed in 2007 and now allows the Currier to display more or its European and American paintings, decorative arts, photographs and sculpture, including works by Picasso, Monet, O'Keeffe, and Wyeth, and feature exhibitions, tours, and performances year-round. The museum also owns Frank Lloyd Wright's Zimmerman House.
Manchester Historic Association: 129 Amherst Street, 622-7531
Founded in 1896, the Association's collection recalls the city's heritage—both recent and long-past. Features include books, manuscripts, maps, photographs, genealogical and business records, costumes, furniture, Indian artifacts, fine art, and antique fire fighting equipment. Walking tours with an open-air, brass band concert played with Civil War instruments are offered. Manchester also houses the following historical sights: John Stark House Site, Site of Stark Fort, Smyth and Neville Sites, Stark House, Stark Park and Graveyard, and the Weston Observatory.
Palace Theatre: 80 Hanover Street, 668-5588
The Palace Theatre is a beautifully restored 870-seat professional performing arts center. In an area that once had 22 theatres, this historic building is now the sole survivor. This theatre is home to local adult and youth performing groups and hosts national theatre tours, concerts, and other events.
South Willow Street
For almost anything you need, South Willow Street is the place to go. There you will find almost any restaurant you can think of, plenty of stores, a movie theater, and Starbucks Coffee at the Barnes & Noble cafe. Be warned, however. On weekends, you will also find a lot of traffic!
Mall of New Hampshire: 1500 South Willow Street, Manchester 669-0433
One of the largest malls in the state, featuring over 121 stores, including Best Buy, Macy's, Sears, JC Penney's, and Old Navy. Familiar chain restaurants abound.
Elm Street
One of the longest double dead-end streets in the world, Elm Street is where you go for night-life. This street is home to a variety of clubs and bars, from the low-key to the high-class. Many boast live music on the weekends
Portsmouth
Walking into downtown Portsmouth is like walking onto a movie set. You'll see the cobble stone streets, the fishing boats out in the harbor, and the brick and stone buildings that line the streets. Don't be fooled by the city's quaint appearance, however. Portsmouth is a vibrant city, rich in history and tradition and full of things to do, people to see, and places to eat, and just 45 minutes east of Concord
Points of Interest
Strawbery Banke: Hancock Street, 433-1100
If you like a little fresh air with your history, Strawbery Banke Museum is the place for you. Step back in time to the Portsmouth of 300 years ago, when the town was known as Strawbery Banke, thanks to the wild berries settlers found on the banks of the Piscataqua River. Enjoy the stroll, as you visit each of nine furnished houses and period gardens on the 10-acre site. Each house introduces a different era in American history for you to explore. Exhibit houses also show tools, building methods and archeology.
Prescott Park: 105 Marcy Street, 436-2848,
Located at the edge of the Piscataqua River and across from Strawbery Banke Museum, Prescott Park was donated around the turn of the century to city of Portsmouth by two sisters, Josie and Sarah Prescott. The popular waterfront park features extensive flower gardens, including large demonstration beds where many varieties of flowers are shown each summer. The park is also the site of one of New England's most popular outdoor summer events, the Prescott Park Arts Festival . The festival presents a musical and dozens of performances by musicians and theater groups during July and part of August.
Portsmouth Music Hall: 28 Chestnut Street, 436-2400
www.themusichall.org
If you are looking for a relaxing evening of jazz music or perhaps would like to view an independent film, you may want to visit the Portsmouth Music Hall. The Music Hall opened its doors on January 29, 1878. Over the years it has gone through many ups and downs, even shutting its doors at certain points. However, since 1987 the Music Hall has served as Portsmouth's premier spot for live entertainment and film. Today, the Music Hall is an educational and charitable organization presenting live and cinematic arts in a landmark 900-seat opera house.
Isles of Shoals Steamship Company: 315 Market Street, 431-5500
It's full steam ahead on this wonderful cruise through Portsmouth Harbor and out to the historic Isles of Shoals. You'll learn all about the pirates that once roamed these waters, along with a few ghost stories, and tales of buried treasure. Once out to the Isles, spend a relaxing afternoon along the shore, before cruising back to land
Downtown Portsmouth
It's hard to believe this once small, coastal village has so much to offer! For shoppers, you will love browsing the small shops, which offer everything from antiques, to crafts, to homemade jewelry. Restaurants are fabulous, with many featuring fresh catch. Plus, if you like beer, this is your town. Portsmouth is the place for delicious microbrews, which can be found at the Portsmouth Brewery www.portsmouthbrewery.com or the Smuttynose Brewing Company at www.smuttynose.com. The Red Hook brewery is also open if you like tours and beer tasting. Find out tour times at www.redhook.com/brew_portsmouth.html.
What night would be complete without visiting some of Portsmouth's fun and definitely unique night spots? Visit www.portsmouthnh.com to find out what's happening.
Beaches
New Hampshire may only boast a 17-mile coastline, but there is still a lot of fun in the sun and the sand to be had. If the weather is not perfect for a day at the beach, you may enjoy taking a scenic drive along Route 1A; where you will catch a fabulous view of the water and some very large mansions
Hampton, New Hampshire
Hampton Beach is where the action is. If you are looking for sun, sand and a great place to people watch, look no further. Hampton is the most popular beach in the region; it has been drawing visitors by the hundreds of thousands since the turn of the century. You'll find tons of activities, including weekly concerts, fireworks, sand castle contests. Bring plenty of change if you plan to park along the streets since the meters are strictly enforced. The other option is to park in a private lot. Plan to spend between $15 - $25 for an entire day. The rates do go up when big events, like September's Seafood Festival, are going on.
For a quieter time at the beach, visit:
Rye, New Hampshire
Wallis Sands State Beach, about 15 minutes south of Portsmouth, is a beautiful, sandy curving beach that can best be seen looking south on Route 1A.
North Hampton, New Hampshire
North Hampton State Beach is a wide sandy beach with a small parking lot in the heart of the short New Hampshire Seacoast.
Seabrook, New Hampshire
Just down the road from Hampton Beach, Seabrook Beach offers a quieter setting and an expanse of sand dunes.
