State House

New Hampshire


The handsome 1819 New Hampshire state capitol is the oldest such building in the US, and the state legislature still meets in the original chambers. Self-guided tour brochures point out the highlights of the building and its grounds, including the Memorial Arch, which commemorates those who served in the nation's wars. The capitol building's Hall of Flags holds 103 flags that New Hampshire military units carried into battle in various wars, including the Civil and Vietnam Wars.

Portraits and statues of New Hampshire leaders, including a mural of the great orator Daniel Webster, line its corridors and stand in its lofty halls.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby New Hampshire attractions

1. New Hampshire Historical Society

0.07 MILES

The White Mountains in the Parlor exhibit is our favorite 'indoor space' in the entire Granite State. In this small gallery, vast 19th-century landscape…

2. McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center

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This science center is named after two New Hampshire astronauts. Christa McAuliffe was the schoolteacher chosen to be America's first teacher-astronaut –…

3. Canterbury Shaker Village

10.8 MILES

A traditional Shaker community from 1792, Canterbury Shaker Village maintains the Shaker heritage as a living-history museum. Interpreters demonstrate the…

4. Currier Museum of Art

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5. Amoskeag Millyard Historic District

15.4 MILES

These former textile mills, impressive brick buildings with hundreds of tall windows, stretch along Commercial St on the Merrimack riverbank for almost 1…

6. Millyard Museum

15.42 MILES

A highlight in the Amoskeag Millyard Historic District, this well-executed museum spotlights the various communities that have lived and worked near…

7. Butternut Farm

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8. Ellacoya State Park

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Many lakeshore lodgings have water access, but if your place does not, head for Ellacoya State Park, which has a 600ft-wide beach with lovely views across…