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Find fun and interesting Great Things to Do in Merrimack Valley

New Hampshire > Merrimack Valley > Things to Do and See > 70 Great Things to Do in New Hampshire
Park Flume 500x250 - Canobie Lake Park - Salem, NH
Canobie Lake Park

85 North Policy Street Salem, NH, 03079 Phone: 603-893-3560

Reopening on July 16th - Great expectations are met at this historic family fun park

With a century’s old history and an exciting approach to fun, Canobie Lake Park offers one of New England’s best family values. 85 thrill rides, family rides, water rides, and kids rides, plus indoor-outdoor games and an arcade await just 30 miles north of Boston. There’s live entertainment on two stages and the Dance Hall Theater, special events and attractions, and a dedicated Kiddieland area. More than 20 great places to eat will keep you well fed and there’s tax free shopping for souvenirs, everyday items and keepsakes. You’ll find discounts for school or company outings and summer lodging packages that include 2 tickets to the Park plus options for additional tickets at a discounted rate. Parking is always free. Canobie Lake Park was ranked as one of the 2018 top ten amusement parks in the U.S. by Time’s Money Magazine. Click here for 2020 park information.
Longest Mini Golf Hole - Chuckster's Family Fun Park - Chichester, NH
Chuckster's Family Fun Park

9 Bailey Road Chichester, NH, 03258 Phone: 603-798-3555

So much to choose from at this adventure park, mini golf course

You’ll have a hard time choosing from the huge menu of fun activities at Chuckster’s in Chichester. There’s the gigantic 18-hole mini golf course, featuring the world’s longest hole at 201 feet. There’s TimberTrek Aerial Adventure Park, with a zipline (which you can do separately) as well as other unique ways to get from platform to platform 10 to 35 feet off the ground (including “skateboards,” a horse saddle and a flying trapeze). There’s Chuckster’s Speedway with go-karts, Volley Battle (a huge soft volleyball inside an inflated enclosusre), a ride where you climb up webbing and go down a huge inflated slide, batting cages, and paddle boats for the little ones. Plus, 36 flavors of ice cream!
Composite with Alpacas 500x250 - America's Stonehenge - Salem, NH
America's Stonehenge

105 Haverhill Road Salem, NH, 03079 Phone: 603-893-8300

Explore America's Oldest Known Structure

In fourteen hundred and ninety-two Columbus sailed the ocean blue. But was he really the first European to reach North America? At America's Stonehenge in Salem, New Hampshire, some say there's evidence others got here first, perhaps by a thousand years. The pine woods here are full of stone megaliths like those built throughout Great Britain by Druid priests. Were they the first arrivals? Or maybe some other group with knowledge of astronomy and stone construction? Wander our woodland trails with your family, and let your kids see for themselves. We're near the New Hampshire seacoast, which makes America's Stonehenge a great destination for days when clouds keep you off the beach. We're got a picnic area, a museum, and a herd of friendly alpacas to greet you.
Himalaya - Fun World - Nashua, NH
Fun World

200 Daniel Webster Highway Nashua, NH, 03060 Phone: 603-888-1940

A Day of Play for the Whole Family

Time to PLAY! Fun World resembles a castle outside, but inside it’s a gigantic play space with tons of games and activities for kids from tots to the teens. More than 250 video and redemption games range in style from classic arcade favorites up to newer multiple-player games. Your kids are sure to end up happily tired after rumbling about in the three-story play space with lots of climbing structures and really long slides. Whew! Elsewhere, the Himalaya, roller coaster, and elegant Italian-built carousel will keep them fascinated and engaged. Games for older kids include Aliens, Terminator, Fast & Furious, Transformers, Ghost Squad, old-school air hockey tables and pinball games, and dance and sports games. The staff members are helpful; the cost is very reasonable.
Explore New England TV
Mini-Golf Course - Chuckster's Family Fun Park - Hooksett, NH
Chuckster's Family Fun Park

Two Great Locations Chichester and Hooksett, NH Phone: 603-798-3555

In the sun or under the lights, the mini golf courses at Chuckster’s are great fun

There’s a great day (and evening) waiting for you at Chuckster’s in Hooksett, where you can choose one of two challenging and fun 18-hole miniature golf courses to test your skills. The Fire Tower Course features multiple levels and you tee off onto the country’s longest mini-golf hole (tied with the course at Chuckster’s in Chichester) from inside a New Hampshire-style fire tower. The Cave Course is ADA-accessible and includes creative, challenging obstacles. Head over to the ice cream barn for a double-scoop of our 36 different flavors (including the popular Upchuck and Chuckster Chunk), or enjoy a nice thick milkshake. Sit outside at a table under a colorful umbrella and ponder how to improve that score.
Fire Pit New Hampshire Campground Owners Association
New Hampshire Campground Owners Association

Enjoy endless activities from New Hampshire’s campgrounds

Get away from the everyday with a visit to a New Hampshire campground. Stay in a tent, RV, cabin, cottage, lodge – even a yurt! – and enjoy activities from horseshoes and fishing to snowmobiling and snowshoeing. Hike, bike or take a cog railroad up a pine-scented mountain or kayak a pristine pond, river or lake. From your camping site in the woods, near the ocean or in a meadow, check out the Granite State’s historic sites, quintessential New England towns and acres upon acres of natural splendor. Visit our website for a handbook with all the details for individual parks, from whether they are pet-friendly to which ones have cottage rentals, pools, fireplaces, tennis courts, live music – or cable TV.
Easter Morning Gathering - Canterbury Shaker Village - Canterbury, NH
Canterbury Shaker Village

288 Shaker Road Canterbury, NH, 03224 Phone: 603-783-9511

The simple life made extraordinary by the Shakers

The Shaker religious sect is considered by many historians to be the most successful communitarian society in American history. Throughout the 1800s some 300 members of the Shaker sect lived at the Canterbury Shaker Village site in Canterbury, NH growing their own food and supporting the community through their crafts and trades. Come see how the community thrived. Step inside 25 restored original Shaker buildings. Discover Shaker artifacts and photographs amidst 700 beautiful acres of forest, fields, gardens and mill ponds. The site offers workshops on woodworking, letterpress printing, broom making and more. Enjoy a simple lunch at the Horse Barn Cafe and shop for products made by local artisans at the Museum Store.
concord crafts
Craftsmen in Merrimack

Founded in 1932, the League of New Hampshire Craftsmen is one of the oldest craft organizations in the country. The League was formed during the Depression to help New Hampshire craftspeople make a living through difficult financial times by building an audience and market for fine handmade craft. The League operates seven retail galleries throughout New Hampshire. The galleries present the work of juried craftspeople, along with demonstrations, exhibits and educational programs.
Galleries in the Merrimack region are Concord Retail Gallery, 36 North Main Street, Concord, 603-228-8171.
arethusa falls
Dog-Friendly Trails in Merrimack, Lakes, White Mountains Regions

Lake Massabesic Trail, Auburn [Merrimack region] -- This trail network passes through and by woods, fields, and wetlands, with views of Lake Massabesic. Distance is 3 miles and trail is easy. Surface is dirt, grass, meadow, road, and unpaved. Dogs allowed on leash. No admission cost. This is an Audubon sanctuary and there is an Audubon center nearby. Map.
Mount Major and Brook Trail Loop, Alton Bay [Lakes Region] -- Enjoy views of Lake Winnipesaukee while walking this moderate-difficulty trail. Length is almost four miles. Leashed dogs are welcome, and many of them enjoy a dip in a nice stream by the trailside. Map
Arethusa Falls and Frankenstein Cliffs, Bartlett [White Mountains region] -- This 5-mile round-trip walk, which passes a glorious waterfall, is considered difficult. There is a 1,400-foot elevation gain. This is a very popular hike because of the beauty of the water falls and pools. Dogs allowed on leash. Map.
skyventure
I, Whirlygig

Here’s a chance to get the fun of flying without the fear of flying. SkyVenture , located on Poisson Road in Nashua, is a vertical wind tunnel where visitors can experience the freedom of flight. There is no falling sensation. You just float above the trampoline floor with ease. The indoor vertical wind tunnel is not only used by the world’s best skydivers to train in but it was also designed for the general public to experience the sport of body flight. No experience necessary! Also: indoor rock climbing, indoor surfing. and water slides. Open Wednesdays through Sundays. 603-897-0002.
The Currier Museum of Art in Manchester
Currier Fills an Afternoon With Interesting and Varied Art

The Currier Museum of Art at 150 Ash Street in Manchester is an art museum and dynamic member of the community, hosting classes, events, and ways to welcome people into fine art. The museum has a permanent collection of European and American artists, decorative arts, photographs and sculpture by Wyeth, Monet, Picasso, and Georgia O’Keefe. The building itself was unique, interesting architecture and easy to navigate. There’s a café for refreshment for browsers. From April through December, the museum offers tours of the nearby Zimmerman House, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. Many changing exhibits run throughout the year. 603-669-6144.
New Hampshire Heritage Trail
History Along a River Trail

New Hampshire Heritage Trail is a 230-mile walking trail across New Hampshire from Massachusetts to Canada. Plymouth’s portion of the Heritage Trail, a 5.6-mile loop with 16 points of interest, begins at the Railroad Depot, constructed in 1909 for the Boston and Maine Railroad. Other highlights are a cottage where Robert Frost lived while teaching at Plymouth Normal School and Silver Cultural Arts Center, once a stop on the underground railroad. Park at the Plymouth Regional Senior Center on Green Street. The trail begins north of the Senior Center, past the District Courthouse. Follow the brown Heritage Trail directional signs. 603- 536-1001.