Manchester

Manchester sits on the Merrimack River in south-central New Hampshire, about 51 miles north-northwest of Boston and 18 miles south of Concord. The town, originally named Derryfield, renamed itself Manchester in 1810 after Samuel Blodget's vision of building a great industrial center modeled on Manchester, England.

The Amoskeag Manufacturing Company became, per Wikipedia, the largest cotton textile plant in the world. Mill No. 11 alone ran 900 feet long and held 4,000 looms; by 1912 the Millyard's mills together produced 50 miles of woven cloth per hour. The company declared bankruptcy in 1935, beginning the decline of the city's textile industry.

The historic Millyard has since been revitalized: former mill buildings now hold residential condominiums, retail space, and the University of New Hampshire at Manchester, while the Manchester Historic Association operates the Millyard Museum documenting the district's industrial history. The Currier Museum of Art, at 150 Ash Street, houses its own collection and operates two Frank Lloyd Wright–designed homes, the Zimmerman House and the Kalil House, both available for tours. Downtown's skyline includes City Hall Plaza, at 22 stories New Hampshire's tallest building, and Brady Sullivan Plaza at 20 stories, alongside the SNHU Arena and the historic Palace Theatre.

The Amoskeag Millyard is the anchor of a Manchester visit: a mile-long district of 19th-century mill buildings along the Merrimack River, once home to what Wikipedia describes as the largest cotton textile plant in the world. Today the buildings hold a mix of condominiums, offices, a university campus, and the Millyard Museum, which documents the district's industrial history through the Manchester Historic Association.

We were unable to confirm current restaurant listings for Elm Street and the Millyard district, so no individual business is named here.

New Hampshire charges no general sales tax, but the state's Meals and Rooms (Rentals) Tax adds 8.5% to restaurant meals, hotel rooms and motor vehicle rentals throughout Manchester.

7 breweries within 10 miles of Manchester, 2 of them brewpubs with a kitchen.

Brewpub locations from Open Brewery DB (MIT)

21 more Highway Heads places lie within about 180 miles of Manchester in a straight line — far enough that most are a night away rather than an afternoon.

• SalemMassachusettsabout 45 mi
• BostonMassachusettsabout 50 mi
• PortlandMaineabout 75 mi
• PlymouthMassachusettsabout 80 mi
• ProvidenceRhode Islandabout 80 mi
• Basketball Hall of FameMassachusettsabout 85 mi
• SpringfieldMassachusettsabout 85 mi
• BristolRhode Islandabout 90 mi
• FreeportMaineabout 90 mi
• Provincetown (Cape Cod)Massachusettsabout 90 mi
• MontpelierVermontabout 100 mi
• NewportRhode Islandabout 100 mi
• HartfordConnecticutabout 110 mi
• WaterburyVermontabout 110 mi
• Albany/CooperstownNew Yorkabout 120 mi
• AugustaMaineabout 120 mi
• MysticConnecticutabout 120 mi
• StoweVermontabout 120 mi
• BurlingtonVermontabout 130 mi
• New HavenConnecticutabout 140 mi
• National Baseball Hall of FameNew Yorkabout 180 mi

• America's StonehengeMystery spot / optical illusionSalemabout 16 miles away

  Cost to see it

  Costs something — we did not find the price published

  When you can see it

  Only while it is open, and we did not find its hours published

  Nearest road

  I-93

  Mysterious stone chambers with debated origins

  Read on the page we checked

These are things you can go and look at, not a recommendation of any of them. Oddities move, get sold and quietly disappear more than anything else we list, so check anything you are driving a long way for. Where this list says we did not find a price or opening times published, that is exactly what we mean. A blank is not “free” and not “always open”. Some sit on private land and can only be seen from the road — please do not go onto anyone’s property. Every entry links the page we read it off.

The Zimmerman House and Kalil House are seen on guided tours reserved through the Currier Museum, and the museum says general admission is included with a house tour; check current scheduling on the museum's own site.

Fisher Cats game days bring added downtown foot traffic near Delta Dental Stadium; check the schedule if a game is part of the plan.

Downtown Manchester and the Millyard are walkable from each other, connected along Elm Street and the riverfront.

New Hampshire charges no general sales tax, but the state's Meals and Rooms (Rentals) Tax adds 8.5% to restaurant meals, hotel rooms and motor vehicle rentals throughout Manchester.

One public campground within 25 miles of Manchester, and it takes reservations. Public campgrounds run by federal agencies. State-park and private campgrounds are not included.

Currier Museum of Art

Address

150 Ash St, Manchester, NH 03104

Hours

Check the official site for current hours

Price

Check the official site for current admission fees and Wright house tour pricing

Link

currier.org

We checked opening hours, fees and reservations on 2026-10-13. These change without notice — confirm with currier.org and revenue.nh.gov the week you travel.

Straight-line distance from Manchester, not drive time.

• Manchester-Boston Regional (MHT) — 4 miles
• Concord Municipal (CON) — 15 miles
• Lawrence Municipal (LWM) — 26 miles