Things to do near Portsmouth New Hampshire?

[monkeybug]

We are leaving on Monday and will be staying in Portsmouth for 2 weeks while my husband works. The kids and I are traveling with him because we have friends in the area that we would like to visit.
Can anybody recommend some things to do? Good restaurants?(we want to get lobster while we are in the area)
I'm willing to drive a little too, so they don't have to be right in Portsmouth, just within day trip distance.
Thanks!

 

[OKW Lover]

Well, Portsmouth is within an hour or so drive of Portland ME and Boston MA, each of which have lots to do. There is also a huge group of factory outlet stores just across the river from Portsmouth in Kittery, ME.

 

[monkeybug]

Well, Portsmouth is within an hour or so drive of Portland ME and Boston MA, each of which have lots to do. There is also a huge group of factory outlet stores just across the river from Portsmouth in Kittery, NH.

Thanks!
We do plan to spend a day in Boston, but I haven't figured out what we are doing there just yet. I should probably do that!
Kittery is where our friends live and I am definitively ditching the kids with my husband and going to those outlets!
I didn't realize there was a lot to do in Portland! Or that it was that close! I saw that there was a little Polar Express train there when I was looking for Christmas events in the area, but I didn't look to see what else was there.

 

[OKW Lover]

Also, just beyond Portland is Freeport ME, home to ll bean (and some more outlet stores).

In Boston, plan on more than one visit. You can spend a full day doing the typical touristy things like the Freedom Trail and Fanuiel Hall/Quincy Marketplace. There are also a bunch of really good museums. Children especially like the Aquarium and the Museum of Science.

 

[wiigirl]

Also, just beyond Portland is Freeport ME, home to ll bean (and some more outlet stores).

In Boston, plan on more than one visit. You can spend a full day doing the typical touristy things like the Freedom Trail and Fanuiel Hall/Quincy Marketplace. There are also a bunch of really good museums. Children especially like the Aquarium and the Museum of Science.

 

[kkandaj]

I love visiting Portsmouth but have always gone in the summer or fall. Most of the places we visited were outdoor activities so I am not much help in that regards. (York Wild Kingdom, York Beach, Rye, many of the restaurants on the water, Strawberry Banke, the gardens downtown). I have co-workers there that go into the White Moutains but I don't know how far away they are from the area.

The Blue Mermaid is a restaurant in Downtown Portsmouth that Rachel Ray visited and did a review on several years ago. There are many restaurants downtown that are delicious. Yumm...I love fresh seafood.

There is a children's museum in Dover that my DH took our kids to one day while I was working that they loved. We also took a harbour cruise, but it may be too cold for that. And Kittery for the outlets is a great idea!

Have fun! It's such a cute place!

 

[mamacatnv]

Newicks was always our favorite lobster restaurant in the Portsmouth area.

Love the Boston Museum of Science.

 

[CPT Tripss]

Well, Portsmouth is within an hour or so drive of Portland ME and Boston MA, each of which have lots to do. There is also a huge group of factory outlet stores just across the river from Portsmouth in Kittery, NH.

Just an FYI . . . Kittery is Maine, and they have sales tax on everything. IIRC, NH has no sales tax.

 

[mickeyboat]

Seacoast Science Center is fun.

http://www.seacoastsciencecenter.org/

 

[OKW Lover]

Just an FYI . . . Kittery is Maine, and they have sales tax on everything. IIRC, NH has no sales tax.

Yes, you are correct. I knew that! I've fixed my post saying Kittery was in NH. Appreciate you pointing it out.

 

[Axel]

Hey, that's my neck of the woods! I live 15 minutes from Portsmouth.

Unfortunately, it seems as you'll be hitting our usually wonderful seacoast at it's lowest point in the season. We're between the wonderful fall foliage and the beautiful looks of snow (but maybe some will arrive just before you do!).

That said, there's plenty to do in the Portsmouth area. The Kittery outlets are right across the border, but then you're paying sales tax (ick! I love my sales tax free NH). Keep in mind, though, that where NH lacks in sales tax, we make up for in meals and rooms tax (9% on non-pre-packaged food and drink, so what you buy in a restaurant will have a tax, but what you get in a grocery store will not).

In Portsmouth itself, the downtown area, you'll find absolutely no shortage of shops and restaurants. Easily a full day or two just exploring those venues.

Your best bet for lobster might just be Newick's seafood, down the road about 8 minutes in Newington. Go around sunset--the view out the windows onto the bay is wonderful! There's Flatbread Pizza in Portsmouth, too. They have some really amazing flatbread-style pizzas (duh!) made with locally sourced, organic ingredients and they are YUMMY! MoJo's BBQ is also in town and offers some of the best BBQ I've ever had in New England. If you're looking for a bar with music, try the Press Room. If you want a bar with a lot of beer, try the Thirsty Moose (over 100 beers on tap! [it's required by state law that you include how many beers are on tap whenever you mention the Thirsty Moose ]). There's the Holy Grail in Epping (just down the road, a 20 minute drive or so) which is a great Irish restaurant/bar set in an old church. Coffee is a controversial topic, but I'm partial to Breaking New Grounds in Market Square.

Strawberry Banke is open through December and is a pretty cool historic spot. It's a bit like the Mystic Seaport museum in CT--real, authentic buildings and accoutrements dating back 375 years--and offers a really neat look at what life has been like in this same spot over the years. They do candlelight strolls on weekends in December as well so if you don't mind bundling up, that's a ton of fun.

There's the Seacoast Science Center and the Children's Museum of New Hampshire in nearby Dover. Both are hugely entertaining for kids. There's a few other museums in Manchester, which is about 45 minutes away.

If you don't mind a bit of a drive (about 2 hours), take a trip up to the White Mountains (my other home) and check out the outlets (sales tax free!) that are in North Conway as well as some absolutely awesome mountains. You might consider taking a trip up Mount Washington (the tallest mountain in New England, home to one of the world's most popular skiing sites, home of the world's worst weather, the site of the fastest wind speed on Earth ever recorded by man [still bitter about the robot-recorded wind speed in AUS beating us out a few years back] and exclusive training site for the ONLY successful US Everest Expedition) via the SnowCat (the mountain is inaccessible by car from October-May and by foot only by VERY experienced climbers. The Cog does not run in winter except on rare occasions).

Slightly farther north is Santa's Village (a small, simple amusement park) which is open on Weekends. It's pretty cool if you've got younger kids. Though, I usually go about once a year myself!

In Boston, definitely hit up the New England Aquarium. Walk some (but probably not all!) of the Freedom Trail. The MFA is also pretty cool to check out. Faneuil Hall offers some good food and a historic venue. And even though it's winter, the Boston Common is still nice to walk through.

Take a drive up to Freeport and see the home of LL Bean.

There's tons to do!

 

[mtemm]

I love Portsmouth! its a great city, lots of good info already on this thread. I went to UNH so spent a lot of time there and still like to get up there several times a year.

one thing you might want to do is check out Kennebunkport's Christmas prelude which is the next 2 weekends I believe. such a cute town, not very far away in maine. check out nubble light on the drive up (aka cape neddick). also along the way is fort mcclary, one of my kids favorite stops. and if you like stonewall kitchen products, the stonewall kitchen store in York is fantastic! lots of product, and lots you can taste test first.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

First, hearing where you are coming from might be helpful to know what would be "different" for you.

There is a poster here named dcg0317 who is from the area and almost daily, posts beautiful pictures from around there.

Too bad Yokens is gone now, I loved the gift shop.

There are some naval activities around the Portsmouth Ship Yard that might be neat. There is a submarine you can tour.

I'm sure there are lots of holiday activities right around Portsmouth, too.

Boston would be a fun trip. Go during the week if you want to avoid large crowds and traffic as much as possible. (Fingers crossed - avoid rush hours on roads.) Hit areas on the Freedom Trail and Quincy Market/Faneuil Hall and walk over to the North End from there. Lots of food choices all around. (Would recommend eating in a North End restaurant, though, for sure.)

Have a good time.

 

[monkeybug]

Wow! So many great things to do! I was a little worried the kids and I would get bored during the day, but that doesn't sound like it will be the case at all!
I especially love that so many are great educational supplements! My kids are homeschooled, so I'm always on the lookout for experiences that add some depth to their studies.
We are coming from the Hampton Roads area of Virginia, and my husband (in the Coast Guard) will be working at the shipyard in Portsmouth.
I'm putting all these things on our list! Thanks so much, and keep them coming!
Oh, and we will be going to Boston for 3 weeks in May, so I think we will concentrate mostly on the other areas for this trip, but I'm sneaking up there at least once for cannoli!

 

[Pea-n-Me]

I had to look up Hampton Roads area - VA, aah.

Bring warm clothing, it's cold here now. I had snow on my car this morning for the first time this year, just a dusting, though. Be careful driving, black (ie hidden) ice can be dangerous, usually in the morning. Walking can be slippery, too - had three people mention in the past few days they slipped and fell on ice accidentally. (Not to scare you.)

 

[leebee]

My family lives in York, ME and my sister owns shops in Portsmouth, so I've been there a couple thousand times! I will also vote for Newick's for seafood, and the one in Newington is the BEST. They are a local chain now but the Newington location is the original Newick's. Downtown Portsmouth is quaint, full of shops and eateries. I believe there are homeschooling groups at the Portsmouth library; maybe you could contact one of them for some unique ideas.

I am not sure what is open in the winter, but there is a submarine docked in Portsmouth that can be toured in the summer.. not sure about now. Try driving up Rt. 1 into York, and hook off onto Rt 1A. Follow it around through town and along the coast for some amazing ocean views at Long Sands beach, then follow it out onto the point and see the Nubble Lighthouse. I don't think there's too much open in York Beach at this time of year (maybe the Fun-O-Rama arcade?) but you could continue to follow 1A out of town and north to Ogunquit along the Shore Road. Not a "fun" place to be but the views are incredible! Ogunquit is a quaint little town in the summer.. not sure what's open in winter. The Seashore Trolley Museum in Kennebunkport, which is a bit further north, is open the first 2 weekends in December for Kennebunkport's Christmas Prelude http://www.trolleymuseum.org/events/prelude.php. Might be worth checking out.

The Nutcracker will be performed in a variety of locations in southern Maine and NH, but here's a link for the one being done at the Portsmouth Music Hall: http://www.themusichall.org/calendar/event/an_1836_portsmouth_nutcracker1. Maine State Ballet is doing it in Portland. Robinson Ballet is doing Nutcracker in Berlin, NH on Saturday Dec. 7 if you are in the White Mountains area (robinsonballet.org); look for my DD as the Chinese Tea soloist!

Strawbery Banke living history museum is doing Candlelight Strolls on the weekends. http://www.strawberybanke.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=18&Itemid=72#December

Portsmouth/Newington also has its share of bookstores, malls, movie theaters, etc. Good luck finding stuff that's open in the winter, but here's a place to start:
http://www.portsmouthnh.com/thingstodo/index.cfm?CategoryID=2

 

[monkeybug]

I had to look up Hampton Roads area - VA, aah.

Bring warm clothing, it's cold here now. I had snow on my car this morning for the first time this year, just a dusting, though. Be careful driving, black (ie hidden) ice can be dangerous, usually in the morning. Walking can be slippery, too - had three people mention in the past few days they slipped and fell on ice accidentally. (Not to scare you.)

Oops! I forgot the Virginia part didn't I? Lol! I'll edit that.
We will bring warm clothes for sure! We all love the snow, so I'm hoping for some!
I grew up in the mountains, so I'm not unfamiliar with winter driving, but I'm also not a fan! Thanks for the reminder!

It looks like areas a bit North and West of our area might be getting an ice storm on Sunday! Yikes! I'm hoping it doesn't cause headaches or dangerous conditions for our drive up on Monday. My husband thinks he's an expert winter driver (grew up in Pittsburgh and lived in both Boston and Michigan) but I keep telling him that doesn't matter if the other people on the road aren't!

 

[monkeybug]

My family lives in York, ME and my sister owns shops in Portsmouth, so I've been there a couple thousand times! I will also vote for Newick's for seafood, and the one in Newington is the BEST. They are a local chain now but the Newington location is the original Newick's. Downtown Portsmouth is quaint, full of shops and eateries. I believe there are homeschooling groups at the Portsmouth library; maybe you could contact one of them for some unique ideas.

I am not sure what is open in the winter, but there is a submarine docked in Portsmouth that can be toured in the summer.. not sure about now. Try driving up Rt. 1 into York, and hook off onto Rt 1A. Follow it around through town and along the coast for some amazing ocean views at Long Sands beach, then follow it out onto the point and see the Nubble Lighthouse. I don't think there's too much open in York Beach at this time of year (maybe the Fun-O-Rama arcade?) but you could continue to follow 1A out of town and north to Ogunquit along the Shore Road. Not a "fun" place to be but the views are incredible! Ogunquit is a quaint little town in the summer.. not sure what's open in winter. The Seashore Trolley Museum in Kennebunkport, which is a bit further north, is open the first 2 weekends in December for Kennebunkport's Christmas Prelude http://www.trolleymuseum.org/events/prelude.php. Might be worth checking out.

The Nutcracker will be performed in a variety of locations in southern Maine and NH, but here's a link for the one being done at the Portsmouth Music Hall: http://www.themusichall.org/calendar/event/an_1836_portsmouth_nutcracker1. Maine State Ballet is doing it in Portland. Robinson Ballet is doing Nutcracker in Berlin, NH on Saturday Dec. 7 if you are in the White Mountains area (robinsonballet.org); look for my DD as the Chinese Tea soloist!

Strawbery Banke living history museum is doing Candlelight Strolls on the weekends. http://www.strawberybanke.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=18&Itemid=72#December

Portsmouth/Newington also has its share of bookstores, malls, movie theaters, etc. Good luck finding stuff that's open in the winter, but here's a place to start:
http://www.portsmouthnh.com/thingstodo/index.cfm?CategoryID=2

Sounds like Newington will be where we get our lobster fix!
Good idea to look up local homeschooling groups for ideas! And thanks for all the links!

 

[monkeybug]

Hey, that's my neck of the woods! I live 15 minutes from Portsmouth.

Unfortunately, it seems as you'll be hitting our usually wonderful seacoast at it's lowest point in the season. We're between the wonderful fall foliage and the beautiful looks of snow (but maybe some will arrive just before you do!).

That said, there's plenty to do in the Portsmouth area. The Kittery outlets are right across the border, but then you're paying sales tax (ick! I love my sales tax free NH). Keep in mind, though, that where NH lacks in sales tax, we make up for in meals and rooms tax (9% on non-pre-packaged food and drink, so what you buy in a restaurant will have a tax, but what you get in a grocery store will not).

In Portsmouth itself, the downtown area, you'll find absolutely no shortage of shops and restaurants. Easily a full day or two just exploring those venues.

Your best bet for lobster might just be Newick's seafood, down the road about 8 minutes in Newington. Go around sunset--the view out the windows onto the bay is wonderful! There's Flatbread Pizza in Portsmouth, too. They have some really amazing flatbread-style pizzas (duh!) made with locally sourced, organic ingredients and they are YUMMY! MoJo's BBQ is also in town and offers some of the best BBQ I've ever had in New England. If you're looking for a bar with music, try the Press Room. If you want a bar with a lot of beer, try the Thirsty Moose (over 100 beers on tap! [it's required by state law that you include how many beers are on tap whenever you mention the Thirsty Moose ]). There's the Holy Grail in Epping (just down the road, a 20 minute drive or so) which is a great Irish restaurant/bar set in an old church. Coffee is a controversial topic, but I'm partial to Breaking New Grounds in Market Square.

Strawberry Banke is open through December and is a pretty cool historic spot. It's a bit like the Mystic Seaport museum in CT--real, authentic buildings and accoutrements dating back 375 years--and offers a really neat look at what life has been like in this same spot over the years. They do candlelight strolls on weekends in December as well so if you don't mind bundling up, that's a ton of fun.

There's the Seacoast Science Center and the Children's Museum of New Hampshire in nearby Dover. Both are hugely entertaining for kids. There's a few other museums in Manchester, which is about 45 minutes away.

If you don't mind a bit of a drive (about 2 hours), take a trip up to the White Mountains (my other home) and check out the outlets (sales tax free!) that are in North Conway as well as some absolutely awesome mountains. You might consider taking a trip up Mount Washington (the tallest mountain in New England, home to one of the world's most popular skiing sites, home of the world's worst weather, the site of the fastest wind speed on Earth ever recorded by man [still bitter about the robot-recorded wind speed in AUS beating us out a few years back] and exclusive training site for the ONLY successful US Everest Expedition) via the SnowCat (the mountain is inaccessible by car from October-May and by foot only by VERY experienced climbers. The Cog does not run in winter except on rare occasions).

Slightly farther north is Santa's Village (a small, simple amusement park) which is open on Weekends. It's pretty cool if you've got younger kids. Though, I usually go about once a year myself!

In Boston, definitely hit up the New England Aquarium. Walk some (but probably not all!) of the Freedom Trail. The MFA is also pretty cool to check out. Faneuil Hall offers some good food and a historic venue. And even though it's winter, the Boston Common is still nice to walk through.

Take a drive up to Freeport and see the home of LL Bean.

There's tons to do!

My husband and his co-workers will appreciate the bar recommendations! And the pizza one too! Pizza and beer are two things they are always on the lookout for! Lol

 

[leebee]

My husband and his co-workers will appreciate the bar recommendations! And the pizza one too! Pizza and beer are two things they are always on the lookout for! Lol

Ruby's in York is a nice little restaurant/bar (yes, it's OK to take the kids). Good food, GREAT pizza, half-price appetizers from 4-6pm, good choice of beer and wine. It's probably about a 10 min. drive from Portsmouth, depending on the traffic (which isn't a huge issue in December!).

Oh, hey, nobody mentioned it, but Portsmouth is about an hour or so from Freeport, home of LLBean, if you are interested. LOTS of outlets, too, but Freeport probably has lots of holiday events happening!