New Hampshire attractions feature sky rides, caves, railway, Santa

New Hampshire > White Mountains > Things to Do and See > Attractions

White Mountain attractions may start on Mount Washington’s Auto Road or the Cog Railway, but they don’t end there. Clark's Trading Post has great food, shopping and entertainment. Lost River Gorge and Boulder Caves takes you to spectacular waterfalls, granite cliffs, and mysterious caves. The Conway Scenic Railroad takes you on a scenic journey back in time departing from an 1874 Victorian rail station. The Christmas season is in full swing at Santa’s Village and the Loon Mountain resort features a scenic gondola skyride to the mountain’s summit. The region hosts lots for fun events year-round, too.

Conway Scenic Railroad

38 Norcross Circle North Conway, NH, 03860 Phone: 603-356-5251 Toll-Free: 800-232-5251

Climb aboard Conway Scenic Railroad for a journey through time

At Conway Scenic Railroad, you’ll enjoy an authentic railroading experience as you journey on historic rail routes, with all trains departing from our 1874 station in the middle of North Conway Village. The Valley Trains travel past the Moat Mountain Range through farmlands, “over the river and through the woods” to Conway or Bartlett. The Notch Train travels to Bartlett and then through Crawford Notch, offering some of the most dramatic scenery in the Northeast. Coach, First Class, and First Class dining options are available on all trains. Valley Trains run from April 15th through December 31st. The Notch Train operates from June 13th to October 28rd. Children under 4 ride free in Coach on the Valley Trains, and well-behaved dogs are always welcomed on any of our trains.

Loon Mountain Resort

60 Loon Mountain Road Lincoln, NH, 03251 Phone: 603-745-6281 Toll-Free: 800-229-5666

Fun for Everyone in Any Season!

Rated New England’s most-accessible mountain resort destination, Loon Mountain offers activities year round. In summer and fall, ride New Hampshire’s longest gondola skyride to the 2,733-foot summit for breathtaking views, glacial caves, a scenic nature trail and the Summit Café. At the mountain’s base, ride a zipline across the Pemigewasset River, explore the Aerial Forest Adventure Park, scale a rock wall, rent a bike, navigate the LogJam Maze, or climb a 30-foot-tall spider web. Kids will enjoy Bunyan’s Bouncin’ Backyard with a bounce house. During the winter, you’ll ski and ride 2,100 feet of vertical with three peaks of terrain for all abilities – including an award-winning progression of terrain parks and New Hampshire’s only Superpipe, plus snow tubing, cross country skiing, snowshoeing. Photo Credit: Hinkley Photo

Cafe Lafayette Dinner Train

3 Crossing at Riverplace North Woodstock, NH, 03262 Phone: 603-745-3500

Take a scenic rail adventure with great food and service

The White Mountains offer majestic scenery, family attractions, outdoor recreation, great food and shopping year round. It also has a special dinner train that can urn any event into a timeless and memorable experience. The Café Lafayette Dinner Train runs a 2hour 20 minute scenic and culinary journey in beautifully restored railcars along the western slopes of the mountains and the Pemigewasset river and back. Along the way you and your guests can celebrate your kinship or special event with local and seasonal foods, fine wines, exciting cocktails and gracious service. The train’s unique seating arrangement and layout offers intimate interactions for groups of any size, from a table of four, full railcar, the entire train, or anywhere in between.

Santa's Village

528 Presidential Highway Jefferson, NH, 03583 Phone: 603-586-4445

Pure Joy. Family Style. Every Summer.

Enjoy the excitement of the holidays and the spirit of the most wonderful time of the year, all summer at Santa’s Village – New England’s only park listed by 2014 TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice Awards as one of the Top 25 Amusement Parks in the USA. Featuring reindeer and elves, cookies and ice cream, a roller coaster, log flume, monorail, and plenty of other rides and activities, it’s a memorable visit to Santa’s summer home. One low admission price covers an entire day of memory-making fun for families with young children. Over 60 years and three generations, from our family to yours – Santa’s Village is pure joy, family style. Seasons: Open Memorial Day weekend to Christmas.

Elevated Views - Mount Washington Auto Road - Gorham, NH

Mt. Washington Auto Road

Route 16, Pinkham Notch Gorham, NH, 03581 Phone: 603-466-3988

Drive, Tour and Explore the Highest Peak in the Northeast

Experience America’s original man-made attraction! The timeless and dramatic beauty of the Presidential Range and the highest peak in the Northeast is yours to enjoy when you drive your own car or take a comfortable, 2 or 3-hour guided tour on the Auto Road. Adventure can be found all the way up to the 6,288-foot peak where, on a clear day, visitors can discover panoramic views spanning the mountains and valleys of New Hampshire, Maine, Vermont, and even north into Canada and east to the Atlantic Ocean! Rain or shine, and included with your Auto Road ticket, the entire family will love the new interactive museum “Extreme Mount Washington” located on the summit, brought to you by the Mount Washington Observatory.

Mount Washington Cog Railway

Off Route 302 Bretton Woods, NH, 03589 Phone: 603-278-5404 Toll-Free: 800-922-8825

Ride the Cog Railway on your White Mountains vacation

You haven't really seen New Hampshire's White Mountains until you've trekked to Mount Washington's summit aboard the historic Cog Railway. The 6,288-foot ascent to the summit is the trip of a lifetime. You'll pass through several climate zones as you move along the steepest railroad tracks in North America. And the mountain summit is the highest in the Northeast. Some days you can look down and see clouds. Other days, the view stretches all the way to the Atlantic Ocean. Send your friends a card postmarked from Mount Washington. Photograph each other at the summit marker. Lean all about this 19th-century engineering marvel at our Base Station, and enjoy a meal at the restaurant. Trains climb the mountain from late April through November. Enjoy the trip!

Lost River Gorge & Boulder Caves

1712 Lost River Road -- Route 112W North Woodstock, NH, 03262 Phone: 603-745-8031

Explore a river that plays hide and seek

Some 300 million years ago glaciers moving across New Hampshire formed the wilderness wonderland known as Lost River Gorge & Boulder Caves. Today you can explore this unusual site during your White Mountains vacation. A three-quarter-mile boardwalk leads you into the gorge, where you'll find spectacular waterfalls, granite cliffs, a river that plays hide and seek, and the mysterious boulder caves. Step off the boardwalk and explore Thor's Workshop, the Devil's Kitchen, the Lemon Squeezer, Shadow Cave, the Dungeon, and the Judgment Hall of Pluto. You'll also find over 300 varieties of flowers, ferns, and shrubs. Pan for gold and fossils in the mining sluice. Come at night for an adults-only lantern tour. Open early May to mid-October. Sturdy footwear recommended.

Clark's Trading Post

110 Daniel Webster Highway (Route 3) Lincoln, NH, 03251 Phone: 603-745-8913

Famous bear show not the only attraction at this family fun park

No lions or tigers – but bears? Oh my, does Clark’s Trading Post ever have bears. The trained bear show has been a favorite at the park for generations, but it’s not the only attraction. There’s also the Anaconda Escape water raft ride with 300 feet of twists and turns, the White Mountain Central Railroad (watch out for Wolfman!), Yandong's Chinese Circus, Segway rides, Merlin’s Mystical Mansion, water-blaster boats, a rock-climbing tower and Tuttle's laser shooting gallery. You can also mine for gemstones and fossils, and after enjoy a treat in the Peppermint Saloon ice cream parlor or have your picture taken at Kilburn's photo parlor.

Ice Castles

64 Railroad Street Lincoln, NH, 03251 Phone: Toll-Free: 888-407-4054

A kingdom of ice gives visitors to this castle the royal treatment

Imagine castles made of ice, with some tower points reaching 25 feet or more into the air. Inside fountains have frozen over, tunnels and caves are ready for exploring, icy thrones await royalty and slides stand ready for kids and adults to zoom down. That’s what it’s like at the Ice Castles, where everything, including paths, is made of ice (10,000 icicles a day!) and snow, the walls 10 feet thick. At night, the castles are even more amazing, as colored LED lights frozen inside the ice turn it into the shades of the rainbow while music plays. Perfect for families, romantic dates – and unbelievable photos – the castle sits on an acre of land. Hot cocoa and apple cider are sold outside. Tickets are guaranteed to sell out each weekend - be sure to buy yours in advance on our website!

Story Land

850 New Hampshire Route 16 Glen, NH, 03838 Phone: 603-383-4186

Happily ever after for everyone at enchanting Story Land

What tales you will tell when you get back from Story Land, where rides and live entertainment have been thrilling families for over 60 years. There’s the time you and the kids conquered the Roar-o-Saurus wooden roller coaster or twirled around in Alice’s Tea Cup or got splashed going down the Bamboo Chute or tooled around farmland in a mini-tractor. From touring the 35-acre park in the Huff Puff & Whistle Railroad to panning for gemstones in Los Bravos Mining Co., there is something for everyone in the “Land Where Fairy Tales Come to Life.” In addition to 23 uniquely themed rides, you can play family-themed games, join Daniel Tiger for his Grr-ific Stage Show, sing along with campers at Camp Fairy Tale or dine with Cinderella.

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