Things to do in Portsmouth, NH
with kids.
Portsmouth is the town we go back to most with our two girls, and by now the day has a shape. Prescott Park first, then Market Square and the downtown shops. If the weather turns, we head to one of two museums just outside town. This is that day, plus the beaches a short drive south and the big attraction we haven't tried with the girls.
Portsmouth, NH attractions for families,
at a glance.
Portsmouth is about an hour north of Boston, and downtown is compact enough to walk once the car is parked. These are the stops that actually fill our days there.
| Stop | Where | Good for | Our take |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prescott Park | Downtown, on the river | Open lawn, gardens, summer shows | Our first stop, every time |
| Market Square and downtown | Downtown | Walking and browsing the shops | Always on the list |
| Children's Museum of NH | Dover, about 15 minutes | Rainy days, younger kids | A rainy-day regular |
| Seacoast Science Center | Rye, Odiorne Point | Ocean exhibits, tide pools | A rainy-day regular |
| Rye and Hampton beaches | South along the coast | A summer beach day | We do both |
| Strawbery Banke Museum | Downtown, across from the park | Kids who love history | Not one we've done with the girls |
Drive times are rough estimates in normal traffic. Hours, admission and parking fees change by season, so check each place's own site before you go.
Prescott Park: time best spent with young kids.
If we only had an hour in Portsmouth, it would go here. Prescott Park sits right on the Piscataqua River, with formal gardens and open lawn that gives kids room to run while the adults watch the boats go by.
In summer the park hosts the Prescott Park Arts Festival, an outdoor season of shows and concerts that is free to attend, with donations encouraged. The schedule changes every year, so look it up before you pick a date if you want to catch a show.
What to do in Portsmouth, NH once you're downtown.
Market Square is the center of downtown, a brick square under the white steeple of North Church, and it is where we wander next after the park. The streets running off it are lined with small independent shops, and a slow loop through them is most of what we do there.
Two practical things help. New Hampshire has no sales tax, which makes the downtown shops a little easier on the wallet. And the city runs parking garages a short walk from the square (High-Hanover and Foundry Place), which beats circling for a street spot on a busy Saturday.
Things to do near Portsmouth, NH when the weather turns.
Both of our indoor picks are just outside Portsmouth itself, and both are regular stops for us with the girls.
The Children's Museum of New Hampshire is in Dover, about 15 minutes from downtown Portsmouth. That catches people out, since it often comes up in searches for Portsmouth. It is built around hands-on exhibits and suits younger kids best.
The Seacoast Science Center is in Rye, inside Odiorne Point State Park, with indoor exhibits about the Gulf of Maine. The rocky shore right outside is known for tide pooling, so on a dry day it pairs naturally with an hour on the rocks. Time that part for low tide.
Both charge admission and set their own hours, which shift by season. Check their sites the morning you go.
Portsmouth, NH beaches: head south to Rye and Hampton.
Portsmouth is a river port, not a beach town, so a beach day means a short drive down the coast. We do beach days at both of these with the girls, and they feel like different days.
Rye is the quieter one, with smaller state beaches such as Wallis Sands and Jenness. Hampton Beach is the big, busy strand, with the boardwalk strip behind it and Hampton Beach State Park at the south end. Pick Rye for calm, Hampton if the kids want the arcade and fried-dough energy.
The state beaches charge for parking in season, and lots fill early on hot weekends. The New Hampshire State Parks site has current fees.
What about Strawbery Banke?
Strawbery Banke Museum is an outdoor history museum of restored neighborhood houses, right across the street from Prescott Park, and it shows up on nearly every list of Portsmouth, NH attractions. We haven't done it with our girls, so we can't tell you how it plays with kids from our own visits.
If you have a history fan: it is an easy add because it sits next to the park. Its December Candlelight Stroll is one of the events on our New Hampshire winter and holiday events list, along with Vintage Christmas in downtown Portsmouth.
When is the best time to visit Portsmouth with kids?
Summer, if you want the full version: Prescott Park at its best, the arts festival running and the beaches warm enough to swim. Downtown works year-round, though, and the two museums make it a solid bad-weather day too.
Fall is a good second choice. Dover's Apple Harvest Day, one of the big free events on our New Hampshire fall events list, is about 15 minutes away. In early December the town dresses up for the holidays.
Add a Maine stop on the way home.
Kittery, Maine is right across the Piscataqua from Portsmouth, and Ogunquit is a short drive farther up I-95. Our Ogunquit day with the girls is always the Marginal Way and then the beach. Both, plus Kennebunkport and the Rye and Hampton beaches, are in our day trips from Boston guide, ranked by drive time. For the rest of the state, from Mount Major to North Conway, see our things to do in New Hampshire with kids guide.
Where should a family stay near Portsmouth?
Downtown is compact, so a rental within walking distance of Market Square means you park once. For a night away with the girls, we have stayed at the Anchorage Inn in York Beach, just over the bridge in Maine.
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A downtown rental, or the Anchorage Inn
The Anchorage Inn has two indoor pools and an outdoor pool, across the street from Long Sands.
Rental links open Vrbo for 2 adults and 2 kids, two bedrooms minimum. Hotel links open Expedia for the same family. No dates are set.
What families ask us.
What is there to do in Portsmouth, NH with kids?
Our days there follow the same pattern: Prescott Park on the river, then Market Square and the downtown shops. For a rainy day or something hands-on, the Children's Museum of New Hampshire is about 15 minutes away in Dover, and the Seacoast Science Center is in Rye, inside Odiorne Point State Park.
How far is Portsmouth, NH from Boston?
About an hour north on I-95 in normal traffic. Summer weekends can add to that, so leaving early helps. We live on the New Hampshire seacoast ourselves, which is why Portsmouth is the town we visit most.
Are there beaches in Portsmouth, NH?
Portsmouth itself is a river town, so the beaches are a short drive south. Rye has the quieter state beaches, such as Wallis Sands and Jenness, and Hampton Beach is the big, busy one with the boardwalk strip. We do beach days at both with our girls.
Is Portsmouth in Maine or New Hampshire?
Portsmouth is in New Hampshire, on the south bank of the Piscataqua River. Kittery, Maine is directly across the river, which is why people often search for Portsmouth, Maine. Ogunquit, Maine is a short drive farther north if you want to add a Maine stop.
What can you do near Portsmouth, NH on a rainy day?
Our two indoor picks are the Children's Museum of New Hampshire in Dover, about 15 minutes from Portsmouth, and the Seacoast Science Center in Rye. Both are regular stops for us with the girls, and our first move when the weather turns. Check each museum's site for current hours and admission before you go.
Is Strawbery Banke good for kids?
It is an outdoor history museum of restored houses across the street from Prescott Park, and plenty of families with history-minded kids make it a stop. We have not done it with our girls, so we cannot give it a firsthand verdict. Its holiday Candlelight Stroll in December is on our New Hampshire winter events list.
Keep exploring.
Portsmouth, Rye and Hampton, Ogunquit and Kennebunkport, ranked by drive time.
Vintage Christmas in Portsmouth, the Candlelight Stroll and Ice Castles.
Every drivable guide and article on the site, searchable and sortable.
Planning something further afield?
The Boston-to-Europe family flight guide: which routes run year-round, the order we book things in, and how far ahead to buy for a school vacation week.
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