WHY GO: As a Colonial seaport and one of the country’s oldest Naval Shipyards, Portsmouth NH was open to many immigrants from foreign lands who lived and socialized together in an enclave picturesquely called “Puddle Dock.”
The town bustled with shops and eateries. Barges plied the rivers delivering goods. It was lively and friendly – and still is. At one time, Portsmouth was home to the country’s largest brewery, and craft brewers still take their beer seriously here.
Known for unique boutiques and shops, zero sales tax on purchases, and a burgeoning culinary scene, Portsmouth NH melds history with pleasure in the best of ways.
Portsmouth borders Kittery, ME on the Piscataqua River. Add this Southern Maine Coast getaway to extend your road trip.
Things to Do in Portsmouth NH
WALKING TOUR: Discover Portsmouth Walking Tours
To understand this multi-layered city, the 4th largest during the Colonial era, it’s a good idea to start at Discover Portsmouth. This Historical Society is situated in the large Federal Style brick building (built in 1810 as an Academy with 25 women in the first class) right across from the John Paul Jones House.
Encompassing an art museum, gallery, and great gift shop, Discover Portsmouth is also the starting point of several 75-minute walking tours that begin with a 12-minute video.
New World Resources, England’s Riches
Portsmouth NH was founded for economic, not religious, reasons. Five tributaries pour into the Piscataqua River, and the area was found to be rife with timber and fish. England prospered from these natural resources, and during the 1700’s, English shipbuilders and ship’s Captains grew wealthy working for the King.
But when word got out that the Brits would be confiscating all the gunpowder in the Colonies, a locally formed militia stormed nearby Fort William and Mary (which became Fort Constitution). The rebel band absconded with 96 barrels of gunpowder, sending it upriver to Exeter for protection. This theft was considered the first act of defiance leading to the Revolutionary War.
Naval Shipyard
The newly formed U.S. Navy began to build ships here. That’s when naval hero, John Paul Jones, entered the scene. He lived in Portsmouth for a short time in 1777 while overseeing the construction of his Naval ship, the USS Ranger, which he subsequently sailed to France and the Irish Sea to assist with the American cause.
Post War, the shipyard, and thus the local economy, was in the doldrums. The downturn lasted until the mid to late 1800’s when the titan of beer-making, Frank Jones, turned Portsmouth into a brewery town. The brewer employed over 500 people and shipped off 250,000 barrels of beer a year.
Treaty of Portsmouth
Early in the 1900’s, over half a million people died in a war between Russia and Japan. In a Camp David move of his day, President Teddy Roosevelt appealed to leaders of both nations to come to the coast of New Hampshire to hash things out.
Though Roosevelt made sure that local dignitaries fêted those leaders with dinners and lawn parties, he stayed in the White House at a respectable remove.
This resort-set diplomacy culminated in the “Treaty of Portsmouth,” signed at the Shipyard on September 5, 1905. It was an historic event that put Portsmouth on the international map.
American Melting Pot
By the 1940’s, the local economy was booming, thanks to the Naval Shipyard. In fact, the city’s location and ample employment opportunities during WWII drew many African Americans, women, and immigrants, who all lived and worked together in one big melting pot.
(The best place to learn about this era is at the living history Strawberry Banke Museum, see below.)
The walking tour takes you to the house that John Paul Jones rented, past the African Burying Grounds Memorial (when civil engineers were laying sewers, they unearthed caskets and bodies of slaves), and through small cobblestone streets.
Our guide pointed out the Tide Clock on top of People’s Bank – indicating how important the tidal swings are to the local economy. And, at St. Paul’s Church, we learned that it possesses one of only twelve “Vinegar” Bibles in existence. Printed in 1717, the heading of one chapter in this multi-typo’d version of the Holy Book read “The Parable of the Vinegar” instead of “The Vineyard.” Historic Downtown Tour, 75 minutes, daily, 10:30m, $15 per person.
VISIT: Warner House
Built in 1716 for a sea captain, the Georgian style Warner House is the oldest urban brick house in Northern New England. After six generations, the house was rescued from demolition by the Warner House Association. In 1932, it opened as a museum. Open June-October Wed – Mon 10-4. $8 adults, $4 kids.
BIKE TOUR: PortCity Bike Tours
An alternative way to see Portsmouth while on the move, PBT offers a Historic Tour, Coastal Tour, Island Tour, and Neighborhood Tour. Check website for dates and times.
TOUR: Strawbery Banke
When English merchants first sailed up the Piscataqua River in 1630 and noticed wild berry bushes along its shores, they called what is now Portsmouth “Strawbery Banke.”
Perhaps more than in any other New England seacoast town, it’s easy to imagine what life was like in this country when it was new and growing thanks to Portsmouth’s living history museum, Strawbery Banke, which depicts 400 years of life in Portsmouth with costumed re-enactors, hands-on-archaeology digs and other innovative programs.
Live and Love History
Strawbery Banke isn’t a “museum” so much as a collection of 32 homes and establishments. Most are in their original locations, manned by guides who interpret the lives and duties of the actual families that lived and worked in them.
Wandering in and out of buildings, you’ll meet “Mrs. Shapiro” – a Russian immigrant who arrived here in 1909. And you’ll engage with innkeepers at the Pitt Tavern – the origination point for the first Portsmouth to Boston stage coach, where wayfarers could find three meals a day served family style.
Step into the Little Corner Store that served as a community center during WWII. Locals traded ration stamps for canned goods and gossiped about the neighborhood. And you can, too.
Begin with a 7-minute video that introduces you to the history of this settlement.
In the 1700’s, Portsmouth rivaled Boston and Philadelphia in overseas commerce, and the streets bustled with trade.
The 1800’s Industrial Revolution brought immigrants to town: Italians, Russians, French, Germans – over 30% of the town’s citizens were foreign born.
The Shapiro House
Though all buildings hold interest, one of my favorites was the home of Ukrainian Jewish immigrant, Sheva Shapiro. Built in 1775, the Shapiro family was the 13th to live in the home after immigrating from Russia in 1909.
Enter the Shapiro’s home, and it’s 1919. Sheva, dressed in period clothing, might talk about her home-apothecary garden, her daughter Molly’s tenth-year birthday gift – a pogo stick – sitting in the corner (if you ask, she may allow you to use it), and about the innovative way she expanded Molly’s sweaters as her daughter grew.
After the “War to End All Wars” (WWI), Sheva explains, it was her “patriotic duty” to rent a room to Mr. Russell, who worked in the Naval shipyard across the bridge. You’re invited to visit Molly’s room and the rest of the house –and to see pictures on the walls of the family that “Mrs. Shapiro” brings to life.
The Corner Store
At Mrs. Abbott’s Little Corner Store, the “War Effort” is on full display. This was a Naval town – most residents worked in the shipyard where dozens of submarines were built during WWII. Patrons used ration stamps to purchase cans of food (on display), most grew “Victory Gardens,” and managed to stretch their food in ways that are just coming back into style today.
New to the Banke is a shop like no other. Pickwick’s Mercantile is a theatrical, sensory experience incorporating a costumed shopkeeper and artfully displayed Maritime Heritage gifts. Named after the Charles Dickens character, the shop is meant to evoke the curiosity store of Victorian times. Two consecutive day pass to Strawbery Banke is $17.50 adults, $10 youth, May 1- Oct. 31 daily 10-5. Weekends other times of year (check website).
Note- history buffs may want to check our list of getaways to historical sites.
BOAT TOUR: Isle of Shoals Steamship Authority
Both ships in the Isle of Shoals Steamship Authority fleet leave from the Market St. dock between the two bridges that connect Portsmouth NH to Kittery ME.
On a narrated tour, passengers get a good overview of the natural and maritime history of Portsmouth Harbor, before heading seven miles out to nine small islands collectively called the Isle of Shoals.
On the border of Maine and New Hampshire, five of the Isles belong to Maine, four to New Hampshire. The second largest, Star Island, is the only island open to visitors. You’ll want to spend at least an hour there.
Star Island, Isle of Shoals
Now owned by the Unitarian Universalist Church, the whole small land mass is comprised of residences, a Chapel, and the Oceanic Hotel, built in 1875. The Oceanic is one of the only Victorian era hotels in New England still standing in its original state.
Walk around the whole island via its outer dirt road. Scramble over rocks for one of the best views of the Atlantic Ocean waves bashing up against granite cliffs. Or, just hang out on the front porch of the Oceanic Hotel watching the boats in the harbor.
Those who wish to stay overnight can do so by signing up for a weeklong conference, or a few nights for a “personal retreat.” Contact starisland.org for arrangements.
Portsmouth Harbor and Star Island Tour (3 hr 45 min), $37 adults, $27 children. There are also Portsmouth Harbor Tours, Star Island Full Day Visit, and Sunday Sunset Harbor cruises. Check website for details.
This is also one of the Getaway Mavens recommendations for a quirky romantic place to pop the question in New Hampshire.
DO: Sail on Piscataqua
Experience a Portsmouth harbor tour on a gundalow, a flat-bottom sailing barge considered “the semi-tractor-trailer truck of its day.”
This replica, which took wooden boat craftsmen six months to build in 2011 at Strawbery Banke, represents those that plied New England rivers and bays from 1600’s until early 1900’s. Back then, it was more efficient to ship lumber, bricks, cotton, farm goods, oysters and other products by boat than by land.
You can join the crew and “heave-ho” the sail, while passing sights like the crumbling but still grand decommissioned Naval prison (referenced in the movie “The Last Detail”) and Fort Constitution at the mouth of the river. The Fort is considered the site of the first Revolutionary War act – when, in Dec. 1774, Patriots stole gunpowder and munitions from the British stronghold.
The Piscataqua River, a 12-mile long tidal estuary that empties out into the Atlantic Ocean, is rife with fish and tankers. Also, if you’re lucky, you’ll witness a Naval submarine coming in for repairs. The gundalow is an open boat, so bring rain gear if raining and plenty of sunscreen if not.
For lunchtime sails, pick up a boxed lunch at The White Apron Café at Strawbery Banke across the street. Check website for schedule of a variety of afternoon and sunset cruises. Tickets $20 – $40 adults, $10-$20 youth.
TOUR/BEER: New Hampshire Brews Cruise, Portsmouth
Hops on and hops off on this intimate and engaging bus tour to several of the NH Seacoast’s best breweries and pubs. Guides for New Hampshire Brews Crews harbor a deep affection for beer. Such affection, in fact, they conduct these brewery tours on their time off, as most have other, full time jobs.
GSG owner/founder, David Adams, launched these bus excursions through the NH Seacoast’s brewery history on a whim.
Guides elucidate on beer and the seedier side of Portsmouth history – “what they don’t tell you on regular city tours.” Did you know that last century, the whole working waterfront was a red-light district with 140 bars and brothels?
America’s Original Brewery Town
Portsmouth was also one of America’s original brewery towns. In the late 1800’s the Frank Jones Ale Works was the largest brewery in the United States, shipping out 250,000 barrels of beer and employing over 500 workers. (The buildings have been converted into apartments and restaurants)
There are six nano or “nano-plus” breweries in Portsmouth, and more than 25 in the surrounding area – plenty to choose from on each tour that introduces you to three of them. One of the most popular is the rare women-owned Throwback Brewery – on a sheep farm in North Hampton NH.
In my case, I visited two very distinct spots within city limits – Earth Eagle Brewing, and Liar’s Bench Beer Co.
Earth Eagle Brewing
Owned by Alex McDonald, the hole in the wall Earth Eagle (nickname for wild turkeys) sells growlers and 4-pack cans, plus outrageously good hot dogs, veggie dogs, and nachos,. (Coming soon, tacos).
Earth Eagle offers a wide range of craft beer styles brewed in-house, from modern American and Belgian ales, to lagers and even herbal ales known as gruit. Ask a local and they’ll surely point to these brews as stand-outs: New England Gangsta (West Coast-style IPA), Birds from Mars (tropical IPA), Puca (curry porter – seasonal), Armadillo Danger (American pale ale), Engine Joe (coffee porter), and Piscataqua (American lager) named for the river which flows nearby.
Liar’s Bench Beer Co.
Liar’s Bench Beer Co. is named for the seat at the terminus of the Appalachian Trail where hikers are known to spout some tall tales. With its outdoor dog park/beer garden, this nano-plus brewery is a hit with neighbors with canines in tow. Owned by Dane and Dagan (who makes his own sausage), LB is a great local hangout.
Take your No Dice Pilsner, Babble On Saison, Punxsutawney Swill, and other brews on draft to the convivial atmosphere outside, where a hub of beer lovers play with puppies and converse with each other. Not a cell phone in out of pocket.
Not to be left out, other breweries in town include Beara Irish Brewing, Great Rhythm Brewing, Loaded Question Brewing, and Portsmouth Brewery.
On each tour, guests meet and talk with the brewers, sample local craft beer, see historic brewing locations. Tours start at $65 per person, all tastings and transportation included. Three hour tours generally on weekends. Check website for dates and times.
SEE: The Music Hall
Even if you don’t see a show at this 900-seat theater (built in 1878, renovated in 2008), pop in to see the otherworldly blue-lit lounge, jack-hammered out of a wall of rock. The Harry Potterish lavatory, with circular sink and elaborate mosaic floor should be on any Best Theater Bathrooms in the World list.
Showmen and women have been hoofing on Music Hall floorboards since this Beaux-Arts Theater opened. As an example of how far back this venue goes, during renovations, workers found decades old candy wrappers that had fallen beneath the floorboards. These are now on exhibit. See musicians, top authors, comedians and indie movies throughout the year. Or just stop in to say hi and check out the bathrooms.
TOUR: The Albacore
Nicknamed the “Sub in a ditch,” the Albacore is far from the waterfront and situated, literally, in a hole in the ground. This diesel and electric powered submarine, built in Portsmouth in 1952, was prototype test vessel in the newest design and modern technology of the day. It returned to Portsmouth in 1985 without ever having been to war.
The Albacore was first sub ever built with this fish-like streamlined shape. It was fabricated to be hydroponically correct – at its best underwater – and could reach speeds in excess of 45 knots (faster than nuclear subs).
Now, you can take a very hands-on self-guided tour to learn how 55 men could work and live in a 205’ by 27’ space. Sit in seats and initiate dive sequence, drive the sub and wedge into bunks. It’s all highly interactive and great for kids and kids at heart.
Open daily Memorial Day to Columbus Day 9:30-5:30, closed Tues/Wed other times of year. $8 adults, $3 kids 7-17.
DO: Portsmouth Kayak
Modern day paddlers can view Strawberry Banke living history museum while kayaking around gentrified Portsmouth. Or circumnavigate New Castle and the beautifully restored Wentworth By the Sea. Or choose from a variety of kayaking tours. A spectacular way to get out on the water. Tours $45-$75 per person.
WANDER/SHOP: Market Square and its offshoots
The center of Portsmouth, Market Square, is also the center of boutique shopping and for many visitors, the town’s number one lure. From the Square, wander up lovely Bow Street (curved like a bow). It was rebuilt in brick after the devastating 1806 fire completely consumed the original wooden structures.
At the back of Bow St. find a selection of waterfront restaurants: Ferry Landing for fried Shrimp Basket, Harpoon Willy’s, the River House for chowder and the relatively upscale Martingale Wharf featuring a fire pit and baskets of blankets.
Fun independent shops include Gus & Ruby Letterpress, Pickwick’s Mercantile, Kennedy’s Gallery, Pretty Poppy, Scallops Mineral & Shell Emporium , Puttin’ On the Glitz for the perfect hat, and one of my favorite spots, Hazel Boutique for unique clothing. Foodies may find The Salt Cellar – offering exotic salts from around the world – particularly tasty.
ICE CREAM: Izzy’s
Izzy’s frozen stuff seems fresh from the cow. Ten minutes before closing time on a hot midweek June evening and the line is out the door. No big surprise – the ice cream and fro-yo is that good.
For even more fun things to do in Portsmouth NH, check out the list from our friends at We3Travel.com.
Portsmouth NH Restaurants
EAT: The Goods- Local Market and Cafe
Tucked away downtown in the small pedestrian Vaughn Mall, The Goods is exactly that – GOOD. It’s got a seriously excellent coffee and smoothie bar, bakery, specialty pizzas, and sandwich shop with salads as fresh picked crisp as any place on earth. From plucked to plate in under one second. How? A “Grow Tower” overflows with lettuces and herbs of all kinds right in the front window.
Owned by expat New Yorker, Jacqui Harmon, and her two daughters, Kayla and Shoshanna, The Goods is “all about healthy. Everything is made from scratch,” except the bagels, which are imported from NYC.
Try the Chef’s Favorite Cali Wrap – a cocoon of eggs, avocado, roasted veggies and goat cheese that comes warm and crispy – and one of the “cleanest” tasting foods I’ve ever tried. No wonder people were swarming in on a random June weekday.
EAT: The Roundabout Diner
Located at the Route 1/I-95 roundabout, it’s easy to dismiss this place as just a coach bus stop, but don’t. Formerly Howard Johnson’s and then Bickford’s until 2010, this fun “breakfast all day” eatery is now a “50’s classic retro style diner with modern twists.
Surprisingly, it’s got a strong local following. Some of this has to do with the diner’s full bar, rare for this type of eatery. Other reasons include way above average food and specials. On the menu are un-dinery dishes like Truffle Lobster Carbonara and Sirloin with Truffle Jam and Risotto. The BLTCA (BLT with Cheddar and Avocado) is the best of its kind – anywhere – due to locally sourced “killer” maple bacon (yeah, baby).
Owners try to utilize local purveyors when possible, and mostly everything is made from scratch, including the homemade desserts, which are “all you can eat” on Sundays. Plus, as the owner quips, “the line goes quicker with liquor.” The Roundabout installed a “Build Your Own Bloody Mary Bar” on Sundays – a resounding success.
EAT: Café Espresso
In a strip shopping center a bit out of town, this casual spot is a local favorite, especially for breakfast. Besides the “Best Omelets,” it’s got great salads and “Lobsta Your Way” – Lobsta Salad ($11.99) and Lobsta Roll ($11.9
EAT: White Apron Café
No need to leave Strawbery Banke Museum to eat. Grab a salad, sandwich, homemade soups and sweets at this casual, from-scratch spot. Arrange a gourmet picnic to go, as well.
Perfect for an al fresco lunch overlooking the waterfront, for an event at Prescott Park, or for the lunchtime sailing on the gundalow Piscataqua.
EAT: Locals Recommend
There are “as many restaurant seats as citizens” in Portsmouth, so it will be virtually impossible to nail down the very best in this guide. But the following were mentioned again and again.
Cure, owned by Chef Julie Cutting, won Top Restaurant in NH, Row 34, Lexie’s Joint, Black Birch, Popovers on the Square for, well, the signature dish – a breakfast favorite for locals, Black Trumpet Wine Bar for Southern-inspired farm to table cuisine, modern-American Tapas at Moxy, Cava for small plates and great tasting menu, Jumpin’ Jays Fish Cafe for exceptional fish, and BRGR Bar for very popular “Adult Milkshakes,” like the Orange Creamsicle ($10) or Bacon Marmalade ($10).
Portsmouth NH Hotels
STAY: Martin Hill Inn
There are plenty of full service hotels in Portsmouth. But Getaway Mavens readers generally seek a more intimate, singular, personalized, gourmet breakfast type of experience. And, you won’t find one better in Portsmouth than the Martin Hill Inn.
Hosts Meg and Russ took over this 7-room 2-building B&B – just a ten-minute walk to Market Square – in 2013. They are keen on the little details that make a Bed and Breakfast stay so special. So, you’ll find soft drinks available round the clock, complimentary sherry in the afternoon and evenings, baked goods at check in, and a full-gourmet breakfast. (Not to mention free wi-fi and parking).
Rooms, named after clipper ships, are dressed in colonial-era finery.
The Ranger Room on the first floor features two beds. (A double and single it’s great for friends traveling together). Federalist furniture and a picture of George Washington evoke the Colonial era.
There’s a gorgeous garden out back, perfect for an afternoon glass of wine (or summer’s eve sherry). Baked treats welcome you back from a day of exploring. Breakfasts consist of locally grown and sourced ingredients. Quiches, frittatas, stuffed French Toast and the like are cooked to your preference.
Rates are reasonable, even in high season, topping out at $210 per night. $135-$210. Includes sherry, afternoon refreshments, gourmet breakfast, parking and wi-fi.
STAY: Fairfield Inn Portsmouth Seacoast
This well-rated, fully renovated hotel a couple of miles from town was fully booked on an early June Tuesday night. Why?
The rooms are trendy-modern and spotless, beds are comfy, there’s a complimentary shuttle into town (no parking headaches), a complimentary hot and cold breakfast buffet, a nicely landscaped outdoor pool, free wi-fi and complimentary USA Today. And best of all, rates are slightly lower than in town. Starting at $170 per night.
STAY: If you prefer an in-town full-service hotel, the Hampton Inn and Suites and the Residence Inn By Marriott are both clean, comfy, and fine.
Weekend Getaways In New Hampshire
- White Mountains NH – 150 Years of Adventure
- Roots of Our Nation In Exeter NH In Seacoast New Hampshire
- Concord NH: A Small Town Both Civic-Minded and Worldly
- Greater Manchester NH: Always Innovative
We just made a quick pitstop in Portsmouth on our way back home from Acadia National Park, and lucked into lobster rolls that give the best of Maine a run for their money. Surf Restaurant serves a quarter pound of fresh lobster meat on a buttered roll with slivers of celery, and not a drop of mayo.
Thanks for all the great info. Unfortunately it is pouring rain today while we are here but your site makes me feel like I have seen it. Charlotte from Ontario Canada