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Top 10 Reasons to Visit Portsmouth

  1. Easy drive-access 1 hour from Boston/4 hours from NYC. Fly to Boston Logan, Manchester-Boston International or Portland (ME) international.
  2. Historic (1623) port city retaining its charming 1800s brick streetscape and ocean breezes.
  3. National Trust “Distinctive Destination” with more historic houses (interpreted by costumed role-players and traditional crafts) than Colonial Williamsburg – all within downtown walking distance.  PortsmouthHistoricSites.org
  4. Tax-free shopping in owner-occupied boutiques, galleries, bookstores. No sales tax ever in New Hampshire. http://www.portsmouthnh.com/downtown/?listcat=shopping
  5. Great chef-owned restaurants focusing on local seafood, farm-fresh produce, sustainable fished/farmed/harvested. Two James Beard Award-nominated chefs and as many restaurant seats as citizens.
  6. Recognized by the National Arbor Day Foundation for 20+ consecutive years, this walkable “tree city” offers parks and pocket gardens including eight heirloom gardens at Strawbery Banke Museum and the waterfront Prescott Park. StrawberyBanke.org
  7. Sandy beaches and on-the-water opportunities: 18 miles of coastline and several cruise options from the historic sailing gundalow Piscataqua to the MS Thomas Laighton day cruises and evening harbor cruises.
  8. Diverse heritage: the rediscovered Portsmouth African Burying Ground was turned into a memorial park in 2015 and receives national attention for its forthright recognition of Portsmouth’s past and community engagement. AfricanBuryingGroundNH.org
  9. Live music in nationally acclaimed clubs such as Jimmy’s Jazz Club, The Music Hall historic theater and intimate spaces such as The Lounge.
  10. “The City of the Open Door” helped President Theodore Roosevelt win a Nobel Peace Prize. In 1905, local people provided the hospitality that kept Russian and Japanese diplomats at the negotiating table long enough to produce the Portsmouth Peace Treaty. Exhibit and Portsmouth Peace Treaty Trail tells the story of citizen diplomacy that is now commemorated throughout New Hampshire.  PortsmouthPeaceTreaty.org