6 Best Family Friendly Attractions In Manchester, NH

Family Friendly Attractions In Manchester
Dominica
Dominica 
Updated
| 4 min read

Manchester, New Hampshire is located in Northern New England and is the biggest city in the state of New Hampshire. Surrounded by beautiful mountains, biking, hiking, and fishing spots it is a hot spot for nature enthusiasts, but also offers plenty of sightseeing and entertainment activities. And accommodation is easily available too - from top hotels to the best Airbnb vacation rentals in Manchester, there are many options to choose from. Known for being a family friendly city, Manchester offers plenty of great activities and entertainment for kids and families alike. Here are some of our top family friendly attractions in Manchester, NH.

1. SNHU Arena

SNHU Arena
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user Steve Lux, Jr. used under CC BY-SA 4.0

Listen to world class acts at the SNHU Arena, an indoor events space in Manchester, NH. This 10,000-seat arena has hosted some world-renowned stars, from Justin Timberlake, to Aerosmith, to Janet Jackson, plus many more have graced the halls of this venue. Music acts are not the only form of entertainment at this events space. SNHU Arena is home to the Manchester Monarchs, the city’s ice hockey team. Come get a cold brew, enjoy a couple of hot dogs, and experience an exciting hockey game with the entire family.

SNHU Arena

Address: 555 Elm St, Manchester, NH 03101

Website: SNHU Arena

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2. The Palace Theater

Manchester NH 18
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user AlexiusHoratius used under CC BY-SA 3.0

If you’re wondering what to do in Manchester, NH, then take your family to catch a play at The Palace Theater. It’s a nonprofit performing arts center with its own theater company that performs children and youth plays that are sure to be fun for the entire family. Can’t catch a company play? No problem! The Palace Theater hosts plenty of outside theater groups and celebrity performers. Previous children’s and youth performances included popular shows of The Wizard of OZ, Peter Pan, and a magic show by magician B.J. Hickman.

The Palace Theater

Address: 80 Hanover St, Manchester, NH 03101, USA

Price Per Ticket: from 9.00 USD

Website: The Palace Theater

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3. Currier Museum of Art

Zimmerman house Manchester NH (3)
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user Jane023 used under CC BY-SA 3.0

Walk through the halls of the world-renowned Currier Museum of Art and discover the masterpieces by legendary artists Picasso, Monet, O’Keefe, Wyeth, and LeWitt. The museum features art pieces from a variety of mediums, which include photography, sculptures, and decorative arts from the Renaissance to present day.

Take a tour of the Zimmerman house, a home designed and envisioned by world famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright. This home gives visitors an intimate look of 1950/1960s home living. Frank Lloyd Wright didn’t only design the house but he also designed the whole interior, from the furniture to even the mailbox. The Zimmerman house is the only home designed by Wright that is open to the public in New England, and the Currier Museum is the only museum that offers tours of a Frank Lloyd Wright masterpiece.

Currier Museum of Art

Address: 150 Ash St, Manchester, NH 03104, USA

Price: from 15 USD (Adults), 13 USD (Seniors), 10 USD (Students), 5 USD (Youths, aged 13 - 18) and free-of-charge (Children, under 13)

Opening Hours: 11am - 5pm (Sunday - Friday) and 10am - 5pm (Saturday)

Website: Currier Museum of Art

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4. The Millyard Museum

Learn more about Manchester’s history and take your family to the Millyard Museum. The museum recognizes the people that worked at the historic Amoskeag Millyard, which was one of the largest textile production companies in the world. Making it one of the most fun things to do in New Hampshire is the fact that this museum offers a series of entertaining family-friendly games to keep even the littlest ones entertained. Make your visit a memorable experience by taking the whole family on a scavenger hunt, or complete some of the activities in the museum provided fun books.

The Millyard Museum

Address: 200 Bedford St, Manchester, NH 03101, USA

Price: from 8 USD (Adults), 6 USD (Seniors and Students), 4 USD (Children, ages 12 - 18) and free-of-charge (Children, ages 12 and under)

Opening Hours: 10am - 4pm (Tuesday - Saturday). Closed on Sunday and Monday

Website: The Millyard Museum

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5. SEE Science Center

20150718-IMG_2596
Source: Photo by Flickr user Rain0975 used under CC BY-ND 2.0

SEE Science Center is one of the most popular Manchester, NH tourist attractions. This family-friendly museum allows you to touch and explore the exhibits. You won’t have to worry about something breaking here. Let your children roam the museum and touch the exhibits to their hearts desire. Voted by Hippo readers as the best place to take your kids in Manchester, and open seven days a week, the SEE Science Center provides a hands-on learning experience for the entire family.

What better way to learn about force, light, and electricity than to be able to touch, hear and experience it all hands-on. With various exhibits and daily science demonstrations, young and old visitors will surely have an exciting time at this fun-filled, learning experience. While at the museum don’t forget to catch a glimpse of the LEGO Millyard replica, which was built with approximately 3-million LEGO pieces!

SEE Science Center

Address: 200 Bedford St, Manchester, NH 03101, USA

Price: from 9 USD (Adults and Children, ages 3 and up)

Opening Hours: 10am - 4pm (Monday - Friday) and 10am - 5pm (Saturday and Sunday)

Website: SEE Science Center

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6. Lake Massabesic Watershed

Iceboating lake massabesic
Source: Photo by Flickr user Carter Brown used under CC BY 2.0

One of the best things to see in Manchester is Lake Massabesic Watershed. Nature lovers come to this beautiful lake all year round. Put down a blanket and enjoy a delicious picnic with your family while taking in the stunning natural scenery, rent bikes and do a leisurely bike ride around the lake, and enjoy all the beauty the lake has to offer. It derived its name from the Native Americans and means “the place of much water”, and much water it has, making it a prime spot for plenty of fishing opportunities. Besides fishing and biking opportunities, Lake Massabesic has a 4-mile (6.4 km) hiking trail that is kid friendly and great for all hiking levels. Dogs are also allowed on the trail as long as they are leashed.

Bike/canoe and kayak rental costs:

• Goodale’s Bike Shop: Bike rentals start at 35.00 USD and can go up to 75.00 USD depending on the type of bike you want. Gear rentals go anywhere from 2.00 USD to 15.00 USD a day, weekly rentals are also available.

• Massabesic Canoe & Kayak (closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays): Canoe and kayak rentals can go anywhere between 20.00 USD to 70.00 USD.

Lake Massabesic Watershed

Website: Lake Massabesic Watershed

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Manchester is for families!

Manchester, NH is such a beautiful family friendly city to visit. With amazing outdoor activities, interesting museums and endless entertainment opportunities, you are sure to build lifelong memories for your entire family. So what are you waiting for? Come visit Manchester, NH today and build family memories to last a life time!

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Any must-sees we missed? Tell us about them in the comments section or write a post here to help out fellow travelers!
Disclosure: Trip101 selects the listings in our articles independently. Some of the listings in this article contain affiliate links.

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Words such as Fernweh and Wanderlust are in Dominica's every day vocabulary. She can’t sit still for longer than a month, until the travel-bug gives her the itch. Growing up in Europe, with a...Read more

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