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Excitedly Discover the Best & Fun Things To Do + Places To Visit in Concord, New Hampshire!

The State House takes the politics and Canterbury Shaker Village takes the whole of the religion out of it instead. Pierce Manse takes the presidency and the Mary Baker Eddy house out there takes the other one of them. The Discovery Center runs the space and the Historical Society runs the whole of the state itself out there. Winant Park takes the walking out there. Main Street.

After somewhere good for the next trip? Concord, New Hampshire is it. This charming city runs activities and attractions across the board, at any age and any interest. The long history behind the area through to the art and culture scene, Concord holds something for whoever turns up.

One of the reasons to come to Concord is the history sitting in the streets. The historic Main Street through to the Old North Cemetery, the landmarks are all within a walk. But Concord is more than a city held still. It runs a working art and culture scene, with plenty to sit inside of. Theater, music or visual arts, something here will catch you.

And no trip to Concord is complete without the country around it. Parks, farms and outdoor time put you right up against the New Hampshire scenery. And with the interactive learning places and the food and drink, the days do not run short. So start planning and go and take the city.

Key Takeaways

• Concord, New Hampshire offers a wide variety of activities and attractions for visitors of all ages and interests.
• Visitors can explore the rich history of the area, enjoy the vibrant art and culture scene, and experience the natural beauty of New Hampshire.
• With plenty of interactive learning experiences, delicious food and drink options, and outdoor activities to enjoy, there’s something for everyone in Concord.

Exploring the Rich History of Concord

History people have plenty in Concord, New Hampshire. Here are the historical places to put on the itinerary:

New Hampshire State House

The New Hampshire State House earns the stop for anybody interested in history or politics. The building was completed in 1819 and is the oldest state capitol in the country where the legislature still meets in its original chambers. It is a strong example of Greek Revival architecture and a National Historic Landmark.

Pierce Manse

The Pierce Manse was the home of the 14th President of the United States, Franklin Pierce. The house was built in 1804 and is a strong example of Federal-style architecture. It was restored to its original condition in the 1920s and works as a museum now, open to the public. A guided tour covers Franklin Pierce and his life in Concord.

Canterbury Shaker Village

Canterbury Shaker Village is a National Historic Landmark and the place to understand the Shaker religion. The village was founded in 1792 and held a Shaker community until 1992. It is a museum now, covering the Shaker way of life alongside the architecture and design. There are 25 restored buildings, the Meetinghouse among them, which is the largest Shaker worship space in the country.

Concord, New Hampshire carries a long history and the sites to walk it. Politics, architecture or religion, all three are covered. Put the walking shoes on and start.

Immersive Art and Culture Scene

Concord, New Hampshire runs an art and culture scene with real weight, and it works on every age. Strong theaters through to antique galleries, this charming city covers it.

Capitol Center for the Arts

The Capitol Center for the Arts is where the live performance happens in Concord. This venue runs theater productions, concerts and comedy shows across the calendar. The architecture and the acoustics are both serious, and the room holds a crowd properly.

Red River Theatres

Film people should not miss the Red River Theatres. This independent cinema runs a curated selection, the latest blockbusters through to the small releases nobody else screens. The room is cozy and the staff are friendly, which is most of why people go back.

Concord Antique Gallery

For history and culture under the same roof, head to the Concord Antique Gallery. This charming shop holds antique furniture, artwork and collectibles across a broad spread. Serious collector or somebody after a souvenir with character, it earns the stop.

Art, theater, music or culture, Concord runs it. The long history and the community around it make this the city to sit inside the arts in, and it opens New Hampshire up as you go.

Nature and Outdoor Activities

Concord, New Hampshire is where nature people end up. Hiking, canoeing or simply a slow walk, the outdoor options cover it.

Carter Hill Orchard

For a family afternoon, head to Carter Hill Orchard. This picturesque farm sits a short drive from downtown Concord and runs activities across the year. In the fall you pick your own apples and pumpkins, and in the summer there is live music and food at the weekly farm-to-table dinners. Check what is on before you go.

Winant Park

For something more rugged, head to Winant Park. This 75-acre park sits minutes from downtown Concord and runs miles of hiking trail through the New Hampshire countryside. Deer, foxes and birds all live in it, which makes it the spot for birdwatching and nature photography.

Contoocook River Canoe Company

For a different way into the Granite State’s country, rent a canoe or a kayak from the Contoocook River Canoe Company. This family-owned business has been fitting out paddlers and running guided tours for over 30 years. The Contoocook River is where people go, with calm water that suits beginners and families.

Whatever the interest, Concord runs enough outdoors to fill the days. The Merrimack River or a hike through the Lakes Region, the Granite State’s country is right there. Check the forecast before heading out, and take plenty of water and sunscreen.

Interactive Learning Experiences

For something interactive and educational in Concord, you are well served. The city runs museums and centers with exhibits and activities built for every age.

McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center

The busiest of them in Concord is the McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center. This museum is given over to space, with exhibits and activities across astronomy and space science.

The observatory at the McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center is the part people remember, where you look at the night sky through a serious telescope. The center also runs a planetarium, putting on shows and presentations across space and astronomy.

Beyond the observatory and the planetarium, the McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center runs interactive exhibits across the rest of it. The solar system, the history of space exploration and the physics of space travel all get covered.

New Hampshire Historical Society Museum

History people should take the New Hampshire Historical Society Museum in Concord. The museum runs exhibits and artifacts carrying New Hampshire’s past.

The busiest exhibit at the New Hampshire Historical Society Museum is Discovering New Hampshire, covering the state from the Native American era through to the present. Interactive displays and hands-on activities carry it, so the history lands rather than sits behind glass.

The other one to take at the New Hampshire Historical Society Museum is New Hampshire Innovators, showing what New Hampshire residents contributed to science, technology and the rest. Interactive displays and multimedia presentations carry the achievements.

Science, history or both, Concord runs the interactive end properly. Take the McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center and the New Hampshire Historical Society Museum for a day that teaches you something.

Give the State House a full morning, because the tour runs on the legislature’s own schedule. Canterbury Shaker Village needs most of a day and the drive out of the city as well. The Discovery Center wants a whole afternoon and the planetarium show gets booked well ahead of turning up. Main Street handles the lunch and the coffee between them. Park once and walk the rest.

Food and Drink in Concord

After the strongest places to eat and drink in Concord? Main Street Cafes and Concord Craft Brewing Co. are where to start.

Main Street Cafes

For a cozy cafe with proper food, Main Street Cafes is the answer. It sits in the heart of downtown Concord and runs breakfast and lunch across a broad menu. Classic eggs benedict through to creative omelets, and the coffee holds up against any of it.

Concord Craft Brewing Co.

Beer people should take Concord Craft Brewing Co. This local brewery runs a rotating selection of craft beers, IPAs and stouts and sours among them. The taproom is a good room to sit in with friends, and the staff will put a new one in front of you if you ask. And events and live music turn up at the weekends.

A proper meal or a cold beer, Concord has the options. Cozy cafes through to local breweries, this charming city covers it.

Strolling the Streets of Concord

For an easy way into Concord, New Hampshire, walk it. The city runs charming and historic streets that suit a slow pace. Here are the areas to take:

South Main Street

South Main Street is the one everybody names in Concord. Historic buildings, unique shops and good restaurants run the length of it. Take a sandwich at The Works Bakery Cafe or a coffee at True Brew Barista. And the shops include the Concord Antique Gallery and Gibson’s Bookstore.

Bicentennial Square

Bicentennial Square is the small park in the heart of downtown Concord. It works for sitting still and watching the city go past. Historic buildings ring it, the New Hampshire State House and the Eagle Hotel among them. And with luck a performance or an event is running in it.

Eagle Square

Eagle Square is the other historic spot in Concord. Eagle Hotel sits here, built in 1827 and a National Historic Landmark now. And the square hosts the annual Market Days Festival, with live music, food vendors and more besides.

Walking Concord, take the historic architecture and the atmosphere with it. South Main Street or Bicentennial Square, this city rewards a slow hour either way.

Visiting Concord’s Landmarks

Concord, New Hampshire holds landmarks worth the visit. Here are the two most notable:

Old North Cemetery

Old North Cemetery is one of the oldest cemeteries in Concord. It dates back to the 18th century. Many prominent figures in the history of New Hampshire are buried here, including soldiers who fought in the Revolutionary War. Some of the gravestones carry intricate carvings.

History people should visit Old North Cemetery. You can walk it at your own pace and look at the gravestones. A guided tour covers the history of the cemetery and the people buried there.

Mary Baker Eddy Historic House

The Mary Baker Eddy Historic House is the stop for anybody interested in the history of Christian Science. Mary Baker Eddy founded the Christian Science movement. She lived in this house in Concord in the late 19th century.

The house works as a museum now and is open to the public. It opens up the life of Mary Baker Eddy properly. You can walk the rooms where she lived and worked, and her life and her teachings are explained. The museum also runs exhibits on the history of Christian Science and its reach.

History, religion, or simply Concord’s notable landmarks, the Old North Cemetery and the Mary Baker Eddy Historic House both hold up.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are some iconic places to visit in Concord, New Hampshire?

Concord, NH runs a long history and the landmarks to match. New Hampshire State Capitol is the busiest of them, the heart of the state’s government and open to the public for tours. The Pierce Manse is the other, once the home of President Franklin Pierce. And the Canterbury Shaker Village opens up the way the Shaker community lived.

What are the best outdoor activities near Concord, NH?

Concord, NH has country on every side, which makes it the outdoor base it is. The Contoocook River takes the kayaking, the canoeing and the stand-up paddleboarding. Carter Hill Orchard is where the apple picking and the fall foliage are. And hikers should take the Winslow State Park for the views across the mountains.

What are some unique things to do in Concord, New Hampshire in the winter?

Winter in Concord, NH runs experiences you will not get in summer. The McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center covers space and science whatever the weather does. For something more active, Gunstock Mountain Resort runs skiing, snowboarding and snow tubing. And the Christa McAuliffe Planetarium puts the night sky in front of you.

What are some interesting facts about Concord, New Hampshire?

Concord, NH carries more history than its size suggests. The first free public library in the United States was founded here in 1833. The city also holds the oldest state house in the country, built in 1819. And the first presidential primary in the nation was held here in 1916.

Frequently asked questions about Concord, New Hampshire

How many of the buildings does the whole of Canterbury Shaker Village actually hold out there, then, really now, in the end?

A full 25 restored buildings out there, and the Meetinghouse is the largest one of the lot. It is the largest Shaker worship space anywhere in the whole of the country. The village ran from 1792 right the way through until 1992 as a community. Landmark.

How old exactly is the whole of the State House at Concord out there, then, really now, in the end?

Completed back in 1819, which makes it the oldest state capitol in the whole country. The legislature still meets inside the whole of the original chambers of it out there. Greek Revival right the way through it out there, and a National Historic Landmark as well. Politics.

How big exactly is the whole of Winant Park out at Concord, then, really now, in the end?

A full 75-acre park out there, and it sits minutes out of the whole of downtown Concord. Miles of hiking trail run right through the whole of the New Hampshire countryside on it. Deer and foxes and birds all live right out along the whole of it there. Photography.

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