Top 10 Things To Do Near Lake Winnipesaukee

04 Aug Top 10 Things To Do Near Lake Winnipesaukee

Lake Winnipesaukee, New Hampshire’s largest lake, offers the ideal vacation destination for travelers year after year. Measuring in at 72 square miles, there is something for everyone either on or around the big lake throughout all four seasons. Continue reading to learn more about the top 10 must see attractions located in the Lake Winnipesaukee area.

1) M/S Mt. Washington Cruise

There is no better way to view the beauty of the Lakes Region than seeing the lake views up close and personal. The M/S Mount Washington is a first-class vessel offering scenic cruises across Lake Winnipesaukee. The ship is 230 feet long and is able to hold up to 1,000 passengers at a time. During the summer months, the popular Mt. Washington cruise ship offers two and a half hour long daily scenic tours, departing from its Weirs Beach homebase as well as special dinner cruises and Sunday brunch tours. The ship offers dining options with bar service, dance floors, gift shops and the opportunity to hold special occasions or private events. The cruise line has been accommodating cruises since 1872 and is one of Lake Winnipesaukee’s most popular attractions.    

2) Winnipesaukee Scenic Railroad

All aboard! The Winnipesaukee Scenic Railroad offers a unique vantage point of the Lakes Region, touring the area via an old-fashioned train expedition. Throughout the summer, the Weirs Beach train station offers multiple departure times each day for a one-hour long trip providing panoramic lake views and sightseeing through the scenic region. Guests are encouraged to bring their own picnic styled lunches for the train to enjoy along the ride. For those looking for a longer excursion, there are 2-hour long round trips which depart from the Meredith Train Station located at 154 Main Street. Guests enjoy viewing the scenery during a leisurely ride along the same routes used for freight service in the early 1900’s. Throughout the peak foliage season, the Winnipesaukee Scenic Railroad offers a four hour long foliage special, with three different seating options on the weekends. The railroad also provides bookings for group tours and private charters and has an exclusive caboose rental option. The Scenic Railroad now also has an exciting offering of rail bikes with their Rail Bike Adventures.     

3) Funspot

The Lakes Region is home to the World’s Largest Arcade, Funspot. Located in Laconia, this three-story tall building is an entertainment supercenter providing fun games and attractions for all ages.  Funspot is open from 10am – 10pm throughout all four seasons and holds a bowling alley with 20 lanes of Candlepin and Ten Pin lanes, an 18 hole miniature golf course, restaurant and tavern, separate Bingo hall, free party room, and over 600 exciting games. The third floor of the building is designated to the American Classic Arcade Museum which is home to over 250 rare and favorite playable game cabinets including multiple styled pinball games, Asteroids, Pacman and Donkey Kong. The Braggin’ Dragon Restaurant is the perfect spot to take a break from skee ball to enjoy a delicious meal in the expansive seating area featuring Funspot relics decorating the walls. The menu contains pizza, chicken fingers, chili, cheesy nachos and so much more. The D.A. Long Tavern is an onsite bar where you can enjoy a refreshing drink with a selection of a dozen rotating craft brews on draft. Enjoy a game of darts or billiards before heading back to enjoy hours of fun and entertainment.   

4) Castle in the Clouds

Located in Moultonborough and overlooking expansive Lake Winnipesaukee, Castle in the Clouds is a beautiful mountaintop estate providing multiple activities, events and tours of the historic 1913 Lucknow mansion. Visitors of all ages enjoy the offerings at the property including hiking over 28 miles of well-maintained trails with varying difficulty levels, many of which include gorgeous views of waterfalls. The viewing of the actual mansion begins with an orientation leading into a self-directed tour allowing the opportunity to view the vintage features and objects in the home. Additional tickets are available to purchase for an in-depth basement tour, for the chance to learn more about the property and the live-in staff who used to dwell there. There are multiple eatery options including a full-fledged restaurant providing an amazing mountaintop dining experience and an onsite café offering ice cream, snacks and refreshments. The property offers a variety of events and activities throughout the year including garden tours, story time with the local public library, a hiking club meetup, music nights throughout the summer and even the occasional evening yoga session overlooking the remarkable panoramic views of the Lakes Region.    

5) Weirs Beach Drive-In

Weirs Beach on Lake Winnipesaukee is home to many exciting attractions with the Weirs Drive-In Movie Theater trending high on the popularity list. The unique seasonal movie theater has been airing fan favorites since 1949 and can hold up to 1,000 cars at a time. The theater has four different screens, each playing two separate films, one following the other, beginning at dusk.  A vehicle of two people has the rate of $20 with each additional individual an extra $10 and children 3 and under watch for free. Be sure to enjoy this truly unique experience as drive-in cinemas are few and far between, with only 300 theaters left in the entire nation.  

6) Gunstock Mountain

Gunstock Mountain Resort in Gilford, New Hampshire is a four-season recreation area catering to adventure enthusiasts. The mountain is known to be the closest major ski mountain to Boston, with forty-nine trails of all difficulty levels and seven chair lifts. Throughout the winter season, the mountain offers a variety of activities including alpine and cross-country skiing, snow tubing, skijoring, lessons, and more. Gunstock offers equipment rentals as well as a night skiing and riding option and multiple dining locations throughout the mountain ranging from the base to the summit. In the warmer months, the mountain has an exhilarating adventure center consisting of activities like ziplining, a mountain roller coaster, aerial treetop ropes course, scenic lift rides, hiking, and mountain biking to name a few.         

7) Mt. Major

New Hampshire is known for the many mountains throughout the state with hiking trails of all difficulty levels, many of which lead to astonishing summit views. Mount Major, located in Alton, is no exception. This popular mountain is located within the Belknap Mountain range and has multiple trails catering to hikers of all ages and experience levels. The top of Major offers breath-taking views overlooking beautiful Lake Winnipesaukee and the surrounding Lakes Region. Hikers enjoy the mountain throughout all four seasons, often taking a break on the 1,786-foot-high rocky summit to take in the incredible views before descending. Situated on top of the mountain is a stone structure named Mr. Phippen’s Hut. The hut was built in 1925 by then owner of the mountain’s summit, George Phippen, and was available for other hikers to take shelter and spend the night in if they wished. The ruins of the cabin still stand for hikers to view and enjoy. The well-marked mountain trails are used for various recreational purposes including: trail running, birdwatching, geocaching, snowshoeing in the winter and wild blueberry picking in the summer.      

8) Winnipesaukee Playhouse

Award winning Lake Winnipesaukee Playhouse is a performance art theater that seats an audience of over 200 spectators in Meredith, New Hampshire. With the vision of bringing quality arts and education to the local community, the Playhouse has been a staple of the Lakes Region since 2004 drawing crowds from near and far. Between community theater performances and professional play productions, the theater is open year-round and provides entertainment for all tastes. The theater offers a seasonal educational opportunity for students aged five to eighteen to gain experience and enhance their love and appreciation of the arts.   

9) Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion

The Lakes Region is home to the well-known concert venue, Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion. Located in the town of Gilford, the outdoor setting holds up to 9,000 guests and hosts a variety of high-profile artists and entertainers throughout the summer season. Formerly known as Meadowbrook, the venue offers multiple seating option such as the lawn section, covered pavilion seats and even a stagefront pit area. Artists who perform at the pavilion range in style from country to rock and everything in between, creating the perfect setting for all sorts of musical tastes. There are large designated parking areas for the venue where many concertgoers enjoy tailgating or simply relaxing prior to watching the popular artists on stage. For guests who work up an appetite, there are multiple onsite concession stands and alternative dining options once inside the gate. Other offerings of the popular venue include pedal boat rides on the onsite pond, cornhole games and a smaller secondary stage which features upcoming talents.

10) Ellacoya State Park

On the southwest shores of New Hampshire’s largest and most popular lake, Lake Winnipesaukee, sits beautiful Ellacoya State Park. Ellacoya is a public recreation area which holds a 600-foot long sandy beach in Gilford New Hampshire. The park offers multiple activities including boating, picnicking at the covered pavilions, playing at the onsite playground in addition to the very popular RV campground with 38 camping sites. The gates are open from 9am – 6pm and the fee for accessing the state park is $5 per each adult and $2 for children aged 6-11. Reservations for the park are not required, however they are recommended as it is a popular location especially during holiday periods.