Portsmouth NH: what to see, where to stay and how to get around
Portsmouth was settled in 1630 as Strawbery Banke, named for the wild strawberries on the river bank, and it grew rich on ships, timber and trade. The merchants' houses are still standing, a few minutes apart, between Market Square and the Piscataqua River. This walk takes about two hours on flat streets and brick pavements. Many house museums open only from late spring to October, so check the hours before you plan the morning around them.
A short history of Portsmouth NH
Portsmouth is one of the oldest European settlements in the United States: English settlers arrived at the mouth of the Piscataqua River in 1623 and called the place 'Strawbery Banke' because of the wild strawberries that grew on the bank. In 1653 the settlement received its present name. In 1800 the US Navy shipyard was established opposite the city, the oldest of its kind in the country. In 1905 the Treaty of Portsmouth was signed at the shipyard, ending the Russo-Japanese War, and for it President Theodore Roosevelt received the Nobel Peace Prize. The old part of the city has kept many houses from the 18th and 19th centuries.
The ten best sights in Portsmouth NH
-
1Market Square
The heart of town under the white steeple of North Church; park once and walk everything from here
2Strawbery Banke MuseumA whole waterfront neighbourhood of old houses with costumed guides; give it half a day, open May to October
-
3Prescott Park
Formal gardens on the river with free summer shows; the best seat in town for watching the tugboats
-
4USS Albacore Museum
You walk through a real 1950s submarine, bunks and all; tight spaces, not for strollers
5Moffatt-Ladd HouseA 1763 merchant house with a terraced garden down toward the river; summer only
-
6Warner House
One of the earliest brick houses in New England, with wall paintings from the 1700s on the stairs
7John Paul Jones HouseThe navy hero lodged here while his warship was fitted out across the river
8Wentworth-Coolidge MansionThe rambling home of New Hampshire's first royal governor, on the water south of town; lilacs in May
9Temple IsraelPortsmouth's synagogue, a few steps from Market Square on State Street
10African Burying Ground MemorialA small, moving memorial in the middle of a street; read the panels before you walk on
Scan with your phone camera to open the map there
What is an audio walk?
Tours in Portsmouth NH →A guide in your headphones: open the walk on our site, walk from stop to stop, and at each one your phone tells its story. No guide, no group, and free. This is the first walk in Portsmouth NH:
Free walking tours in Portsmouth NH
The old port on foot
Portsmouth was settled in 1630 as Strawbery Banke, named for the wild strawberries on the river bank, and it grew rich on ships, timber and trade. The merchants' houses are still standing, a few minutes apart, between Market Square and the Piscataqua River. This walk takes about two hours on flat streets and brick pavements. Many house museums open only from late spring to October, so check the hours before you plan the morning around them.
- Market Square · The white steeple over the square belongs to North Church, built in 1854, and for sailors it was the landmark for finding the harbour. Next to it the Portsmouth Athenaeum, a private library founded in 1817, still keeps its reading room for members.
- Moffatt-Ladd House · William Whipple, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, lived in this house. The horse chestnut tree in the yard is said to have been planted by him after he came back from Philadelphia in 1776.
- Warner House · Built around 1716, it is one of the earliest brick houses in New England. On the staircase walls are paintings from the early 1700s, including two Mohawk figures, among the oldest surviving wall paintings in an American house.
- Memorial Bridge · The middle span is a vertical lift: when a tall ship or tanker comes up the river, the whole road deck rises between the two towers. The first bridge here was dedicated in 1923 to the soldiers of the First World War; the present one replaced it in 2013.
- Prescott Park · In the early 1900s this stretch of waterfront was full of run-down warehouses and saloons. Two sisters, Josie and Mary Prescott, used their inheritance to buy the land, clear it and leave it to the city as a park.
- Strawbery Banke Museum · In the 1950s the old Puddle Dock neighbourhood was marked for demolition under urban renewal. Residents organised to save it, and the houses now show how families lived here across more than three centuries, from colonial times to the Second World War.
Forts, governors and submarines
For three centuries Portsmouth has looked out to sea for its enemies and its income. Royal governors ruled from here, the Revolution began a little early on New Castle island, and the navy has built ships and submarines across the river since 1800. This route needs a car for the forts but can start on foot downtown. Allow half a day; the forts are open in daylight and free.
- John Paul Jones House · John Paul Jones boarded here in 1777 while his sloop Ranger was built and fitted out at Kittery across the river. He sailed her to France, and in British waters she captured HMS Drake, one of the first victories of the American navy.
- Wentworth-Coolidge Mansion · This was the home of Benning Wentworth, royal governor of New Hampshire from 1741 to 1766. He handed out land grants far to the west, and the town of Bennington in Vermont is named after him.
- Fort Constitution · In December 1774, months before the shots at Lexington, several hundred local men stormed this fort, then a British post, and carried off its gunpowder. It was one of the first armed acts of the American Revolution.
- Fort McClary · The wooden blockhouse on the hill dates from the 1840s, when the border dispute with British Canada made Maine nervous. The fort is named after Andrew McClary, a local officer killed at Bunker Hill.
- Portsmouth Naval Shipyard · The shipyard is on an island in Kittery, Maine, despite its name. In 1905 the treaty ending the Russo-Japanese War was negotiated here, and Theodore Roosevelt won the Nobel Peace Prize for brokering it. It is an active base, so you see it from Prescott Park or the bridge.
- USS Albacore Museum · Albacore, built at the shipyard and launched in 1953, was an experimental submarine. Her round, teardrop-shaped hull, designed for speed underwater, became the model for later American nuclear submarines.
The short coast, two states
New Hampshire has only about 18 miles of ocean coast, and Portsmouth sits at its northern end, with Maine just across the river. In one day you can drive the rocky shore south to the first settlement in the state and the big summer beach, then cross north to forts and the most photographed lighthouse in Maine. Each leg is under half an hour. Bring a jacket: even in summer the wind off the Gulf of Maine is cool.
- Odiorne Point State Park · The first European settlement in New Hampshire was made on this point in 1623 by David Thomson and a small group of fishermen. In the Second World War the area became Fort Dearborn, and concrete gun bunkers still hide in the grass.
- Seacoast Science Center · A small centre built for the shore outside it: the touch tanks hold the same crabs and sea stars that live in the tide pools a few steps away. Staff explain when low tide is, the best time to go out and look.
- Rye Harbor State Park · A small state park on a point beside Rye Harbor, the fishing and charter port of the town. Whale-watching boats leave the harbour for Jeffreys Ledge, an offshore bank where humpbacks feed in summer.
- Hampton Beach · The Hampton Beach Casino, opened in 1899, is not a gambling hall but a ballroom and arcade complex; its concert hall still books big acts every summer. In late June the beach hosts a sand-sculpting competition.
- Fort Foster Park · An old coastal-defence fort at the tip of Gerrish Island, now a town park with a pier, small beaches and rock pools. From the shore you see Whaleback Light standing on its ledge in the harbour mouth.
- Nubble Lighthouse · The lighthouse on its tiny island off Cape Neddick was first lit in 1879. The tower is cast iron lined with brick, and beside it stands the Victorian keeper's house, still kept up although the light has long been automatic.
Getting to Portsmouth NH and getting around
- Portsmouth International Airport at Pease · A former air force base with a handful of low-cost routes; most flights still mean Boston Logan, an hour south
- Portsmouth Transportation Center · C&J coaches to Boston and its airport leave from here, off Route 33 by the highway — not downtown
- Dover Transportation Center · The nearest Amtrak Downeaster stop, 20 minutes north; trains run to Boston North Station and up to Maine
Cheap eats in Portsmouth NH
New England eats from the sea and from the deli counter: lobster rolls and fried clams by the harbour, chowder in a cup, and the big Italian sub that the Seacoast treats as its own. Portsmouth adds a serious breakfast culture, with popovers and diner plates, and a late-night lunch wagon. Prices are in US dollars, and a tip of about 18-20% is expected at any table with service.
- Moe's Italian Sandwiches · The Italian sub with ham, cheese, pickles and oil, about $9-12
- Gilley's Diner · Hot dogs and burgers from a lunch wagon until late at night, about $4-10
- Popovers on the Square · Breakfast and lunch on the square; a popover with soup about $10-16
- Ceres Bakery · Small bakery for coffee, a pastry or a slice of quiche, about $4-10
- The Friendly Toast · Big, colourful breakfasts served all day, about $14-20
- Annabelle's Natural Ice Cream · Local ice cream off Ceres Street, a cone about $5-8
Museums in Portsmouth NH
- Strawbery Banke Museum · Over 30 old buildings and costumed guides; half a day
- USS Albacore Museum · A walk through a 1950s research submarine; about 45 minutes
- Moffatt-Ladd House · Merchant house of 1763 and its garden, summer only
- Warner House · Early brick house with painted staircase walls
- Discover Portsmouth · The historical society's centre; free exhibits and walking-tour starts
Nature and day trips near Portsmouth NH
- Odiorne Point State Park · Tide pools and shore paths; go at low tide
- Prescott Park · Gardens on the river, free in summer
- Peirce Island · Island park with trails and a view of the harbour mouth
- Fort Foster Park · Beaches, a pier and rock pools in Kittery Point; small entry fee in summer
- Four Tree Island · Tiny picnic island reached by a causeway from Prescott Park
Things to do in Portsmouth NH with kids
- Seacoast Science Center · Touch tanks and a whale skeleton; then out to the tide pools
- USS Albacore Museum · Children love the periscope and the bunks
- Strawbery Banke Museum · Costumed guides, gardens and crafts; free for under-5s
- Prescott Park · Lawns, boats and free summer shows
- Hampton Beach · Sand, arcades and fried dough on the boardwalk
Where to eat in Portsmouth NH
- Row 34 · Oyster bar; a dozen local oysters and a lobster roll, about $40-60
- Jumpin' Jay's Fish Cafe · Fresh fish cooked several ways, mains about $30-40; book ahead
- Lexie's Joint · Burgers and fries, about $12-18
- Cava Tapas & Wine Bar · Tapas down an alley off the square, about $8-16 a plate
- The Music Hall · An evening show in the old theatre after dinner
Frequently asked questions about Portsmouth NH
What is there to see in Portsmouth NH?
The top sights in Portsmouth NH are Market Square, Strawbery Banke Museum and Prescott Park. The full list on this page has 10 sights, each with a photo and a short note.
How many days do you need in Portsmouth NH?
Three to four days are enough to see the best of Portsmouth NH without rushing, including at least one walking tour.
Is there a free walking tour in Portsmouth NH?
Yes. sleepntrip has 3 free audio walks in Portsmouth NH, with no guide and no group: your phone tells the story at every stop. The first one: The old port on foot.
How do you get to Portsmouth NH and get around?
The main ways are Portsmouth International Airport at Pease, Portsmouth Transportation Center and Dover Transportation Center. Full details are in the transport section on this page.
Where to stay in Portsmouth NH, and for how much?
sleepntrip shows only rooms in Portsmouth NH that meet nine conditions: a good location, high guest scores, cleanliness, and a price of up to $80 a night for two. Pick your dates and see what is free.
Looking for a hotel in Portsmouth NH for your dates?
Only rooms that meet nine conditions, up to $80 a night.