|
Points of Interest on the Seacoast
While Portsmouth to the north and Newburyport to the south like to believe they have a monopoly on attractions, this simply is not the case. The towns of Seabrook, Hampton Falls, Hampton, North Hampton, Rye and Newcastle all have their own unique points of interest which range from atoms to the region's natural resources. Most of these lie conviniently on Route 1, Route 1A, and Route 1B. For those who want to see as many of these points as possible, we are listing them in order as you head north.
|
|
|
|
|
| Located on Park Avenue just off Route 1, the Tuck Museum offers a slice of life from Hampton's history. Exhibits include the Hampton Beach Trolley, Hampton in the Colonial era, a farming exhibit and a firefighting exhibit, and is home of the Hampton Historical Society. The museum's grounds are also used for craftmen fairs during the summertime. |
 |
| Nearby are two playgrounds, and a baseball field where local teams play during the summer. |
|
| Opens June 21 for the summer on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday from 1 to 4. Free, but donations are accepted. |
|
Hampton Airfield
|
|
| Located off of Lafayette Road in North Hampton, the Hampton Airfield is a classic dirt runway which is home to local light aircraft. A cafe near the runway provides a supurb view of airplanes landing and taking off. Airplane rides over the seacoast are offered, and a small aviation museum is on the property. |
 |
|
|
|
| 10 Willow Avenue, just off Route 1A, North Hampton. Open mid-May to October, daily, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Two-acre formal flower gardens, roses, annuals, perennials and Japanese gardens. Formerly the estate of Governor Alvan T. Fuller of Massachusetts. |
 |
| Open 10-6 mid -May to Mid Oct. Admission. (603) 964-5414 |
|
|
|
|
| Visible on a clear day from most points along Scenic Route 1A in Rye. A group of nine islands located 7 miles off the coast of Rye (Duck, Appledore, Star, Smuttynose, Malaga, Cedar, Seaveys, White and Lunging Island). Once a popular resort, most of the islands are now privately owned and utilized in the summer by Unitarian and Congregational conference groups. You may take a scenic ride around the islands by contacting the local fishing and whale-watch charter boats. To visit famous 1800s Thoreau-style poet Celia Thaxter's garden on Appledore, contact Cornell University (607-255-3717). |
|
|
|
|
| Located on Scenic Route 1A, the Seacoast Science Center sits on the birthplace of New Hampshire, where Pannaway Plantation was established in 1623. The colonists later moved upriver to Portsmouth, and the area has been used for farmland, luxury homes, a coastal defense battery, and today, a state park. Scenic stone walls and forested paths along the rocky shore are interrupted by abandoned bunkers and gun emplacements awaiting an attack which never came. Nature and history walks are offered regularly, as well as camps for children. The Science Center itself offers exhibits on local marine life and the area's history. |
 |
| Park open 8 am- dusk; Science Center open 10-5. Admission. (603) 436-7406 (park) 436-8043 (center) |
 |
Fort Stark
|
|
| Located on Wild Rose Lane just off Scenic Route 1B in Newcastle, the smallest town in New Hampshire, Fort Stark is one of the best-preserved Endicott era (1885-1906) coastal fortifications on the Seacoast. Unfortunatly, due to state cutbacks, this park is rarely open to the public. |
 |
Great Island Common
|
|
| Just past Wild Rose Lane on Scenic Route 1B, Great Island Common (also known as New Castle Common) was once Camp Langdon, where the Army quartered its men. The barracks are long gone now, and the Common is a large recreational field with a small beach and playground. |
 |
| Open dawn to dusk. Admission. |
|
Fort Constitution
|
|
| Located off Scenic Route 1B, Fort Constitution (formerly Fort William and Mary) was the site where the first overt act of the Revolution took place in 1774, as American patriots raided the undermanned fort and seized its gunpowder and arms. Since then, is has served through every war until it became a park after World War Two. The US Coast Guard still maintains a station and a lighthouse there, and the fort commands a splendid view of Portsmouth Harbor. |
 |
| Open dawn to dusk. Free. |
|
|
