Things to do in New Hampshire
with kids.
We live on the New Hampshire seacoast, right on the Maine border, so this is the state we explore most with our two girls. Kailah grew up here. Our New Hampshire runs from Prescott Park in Portsmouth to the lake views on top of Mount Major, the ice tunnels in North Woodstock and Story Land in North Conway. This page is the whole state, region by region, with only the things we actually do.
New Hampshire things to do with kids,
at a glance.
New Hampshire is small enough to sort by region. The seacoast is an easy day. The Lakes Region and the mountains are where we stay over.
| Region | What we do there | From Boston | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| The seacoast | Portsmouth, Wallis Sands and Hampton beaches, two museums | About 1 hour | A day trip, any season |
| The Lakes Region | Hiking Mount Major, skiing at Gunstock | About 2 hours | A first summit, first ski days |
| White Mountains, west side | Ice Castles, the Cog Railway, Woodstock Inn Brewery | About 2.5 hours | Winter, and big views |
| North Conway | Story Land, the village and outlets, two family breweries | About 2.5 to 3 hours | An overnight with young kids |
| Fall, statewide | Country fairs, cider donuts, farm days | Varies | September and October weekends |
Drive times are from Boston, since that's where most readers start, and are rough estimates in normal traffic. Hours, admission and parking fees change by season, so check each place's own site before you go.
What is New Hampshire known for?
Mountains, mostly. The White Mountains fill the north of the state, and Mount Washington, at 6,288 feet, is the highest peak in the Northeast. Around it you get the things families come for: fall foliage, Lake Winnipesaukee and the Lakes Region, and ski hills of every size.
The coast surprises people. New Hampshire has only about 18 miles of Atlantic shoreline, but it packs in Portsmouth, the Rye state beaches and Hampton Beach. And there is no sales tax, which you will notice at the North Conway outlets.
Portsmouth and the beaches: our home turf.
Portsmouth is the town we visit most, and the day has a set shape: Prescott Park on the river first, then Market Square and the downtown shops. If it rains, we drive to the Children's Museum of New Hampshire in Dover, about 15 minutes away, or the Seacoast Science Center at Odiorne Point in Rye. The full day, stop by stop, is in our things to do in Portsmouth, NH with kids guide.
For a beach day we go to Wallis Sands State Park in Rye. It is about as easy as a beach gets with kids: bathrooms, a small convenience store, and a parking spot you can reserve for the day. The posted fee has been about $15 per car, but check the New Hampshire State Parks site for this year's rate.
Hampton Beach is the other option, and it feels like a different day: a big, busy beach with the boardwalk strip behind it. Pick Rye for calm and Hampton if the kids want arcades and fried dough.
Mount Major and Gunstock: where our girls started.
Mount Major is the hike we send families to first. Both of our girls have climbed it, and the reward is a real summit with wide views over Lake Winnipesaukee. It is short enough that young kids finish it without it turning into a march. Summer and fall weekends get busy at the trailhead, so an early start helps.
Gunstock Mountain Resort in Gilford, a few minutes from the same lake, is where we ski as a family. It is smaller and less intimidating than the big resorts farther north, which is exactly what you want in a first ski season.
A geography note: both are in the Lakes Region, south of the White Mountains proper. Plenty of lists lump them in with the mountains. They are close enough to fold into the same trip, but they are their own region.
Fun places to go in New Hampshire in winter.
Ice Castles in North Woodstock is the winter trip we would build everything else around: a walk-through maze of lit ice tunnels and sculptures, rebuilt each winter. We have taken the girls, and it lives up to the photos. Go at dusk for the lighting, and dress everyone warmer than seems necessary. It is all outdoors.
The Mount Washington Cog Railway is the other one. We have ridden it with the kids, and the steep climb is a thrill for a child before the views even start. It runs a shorter route in winter than its full summer trip to the summit.
Between the two, we eat at Woodstock Inn Brewery, our standing pick in the area. The room is loud enough that a table of two chatty kids blends right in. Our full White Mountains with kids guide has the hikes, the skiing and where to stay.
North Conway: the best place to visit in New Hampshire for an overnight.
When we go up to the mountains with the girls, we usually drive to North Conway and stay over. The village is quaint and fun to walk, and the outlets are right there. We took both girls to Story Land when they were under 6. It is a theme park built for younger kids.
For dinner, we go to Tuckerman Brewing or Moat Mountain Brewing Company. Both are kid-friendly. Our most recent stay was the White Mountain Hotel and Resort, just outside the village, and we loved it. We have also stayed at one of the motels right in town.
Not on our list yet: the Conway Scenic Railroad, Echo Lake and Cathedral Ledge are all close by and popular with families, but we haven't done them with the girls, so we can't vouch for them firsthand.
Things to do with family in New Hampshire in the fall.
Fall is when the whole state is worth a drive. Kailah grew up going to New Hampshire's fall events, and now we take the girls: fair days, Ferris wheels and cider donuts. Apple picking and pumpkin patches fill the other weekends.
Our New Hampshire fall events list has ten real, dated events with admission prices, from the Deerfield Fair to Dover's Apple Harvest Day. For winter, the New Hampshire winter and holiday events list covers Ice Castles, Vintage Christmas in Portsmouth and more.
When is the best time to visit New Hampshire with kids?
We go year-round, and each season has its own reason. Summer is beaches and lakes. Fall is foliage and fairs. Winter is Ice Castles and ski days at Gunstock.
The one stretch we plan around is mud season in spring, when many hiking trails are soft and some are closed to protect them. For foliage timing by region, see our fall in New England with kids guide.
What families ask us.
What are fun things to do in New Hampshire with kids?
The ones we do with our own girls: a Portsmouth day and a beach day at Wallis Sands or Hampton on the seacoast, hiking Mount Major in the Lakes Region, Ice Castles and the Mount Washington Cog Railway in winter, and Story Land in North Conway when the kids are young. In fall, add a country fair.
What is New Hampshire known for?
Mountains first: the White Mountains and Mount Washington, the highest peak in the Northeast at 6,288 feet. Then fall foliage, Lake Winnipesaukee and the Lakes Region, a short but busy stretch of Atlantic coast, and no sales tax, which families notice in the outlet stores.
What are the best places to visit in New Hampshire with a family?
Portsmouth and the Rye and Hampton beaches for an easy day, about an hour from Boston. The Lakes Region for a first family hike and first ski days. North Conway and the White Mountains, about 2.5 to 3 hours from Boston, when you want to stay over.
What can you do in New Hampshire with kids on a rainy day?
On the seacoast, our two indoor picks are the Children's Museum of New Hampshire in Dover and the Seacoast Science Center in Rye. Both are regular stops for us with the girls. In the mountains, our family-friendly brewery picks, Woodstock Inn Brewery, Tuckerman Brewing and Moat Mountain, are good places to sit out a shower.
When is the best time to visit New Hampshire with kids?
There is no bad season, which is why we go all year. Summer is for the beaches and the lakes, fall is for foliage and country fairs, and winter is Ice Castles and skiing. Mud season in spring is the one stretch we would plan around, since many trails are soft and some are closed.
How far are the White Mountains from Boston?
About 2.5 hours to the western side around Lincoln and North Woodstock, and about 2.5 to 3 hours to North Conway on the eastern side, in normal traffic. Fall weekends and Friday afternoons add time, so leave early.
Keep exploring.
North Conway, the White Mountains, Portsmouth, Vermont and the Maine coast, ranked by drive time.
Portsmouth, Rye and Hampton, Ogunquit and Kennebunkport, and fall farm days.
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