Dartmouth-Sunapee Arts and Culture in November

November is a quiet month in the Dartmouth-Sunapee region. The foliage traffic is gone, the lake boats are out of the water, and ski season has not quite started. It is also a good time to go indoors and see what the region's arts and history organizations are doing. This guide to Dartmouth-Sunapee arts and culture in November looks beyond Hanover's college museums to four places in Claremont, Enfield, Lebanon and Lyme, with ideas for building a day around each.

Schedules for performances, exhibitions and tours change often, and many smaller sites run on seasonal hours. Check each organization's website before you go.

Why November works for culture

The Dartmouth-Sunapee region runs along the Connecticut River on New Hampshire's western edge, from Lyme and Hanover south through Lebanon and Claremont, and east toward Lake Sunapee. Its towns grew up around mills, river crossings and farms, and many of them still have the public buildings to show for it: opera houses in city halls, brick mill complexes and old village commons.

In summer, most visitors are outside, on the lake or on the trails. In November, the region's indoor culture comes forward. Theaters run their fall seasons, galleries change exhibitions, and short afternoons make a gallery visit or an evening show an easy choice. Leaves off the trees also open up views of architecture you might miss in July.

Claremont Opera House: an 1897 stage in City Hall

In downtown Claremont, the Claremont Opera House is inside the city's Italian Renaissance Revival City Hall at 58 Opera House Square. The building was designed by New York architect Charles A. Rich, a Dartmouth alumnus, and was dedicated on June 22, 1897. Much of the exterior is built from nearly one million bricks made in Lebanon, set on a base of Connecticut River brownstone.

The auditorium upstairs has a frescoed ceiling, a decorative frieze and a proscenium arch with gold-leafed plasterwork, much of it original, and a painted New Hampshire state seal above the stage. It seats 783. The opera house closed in 1963, was restored after a long community fundraising effort, and reopened in 1979. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.

Today the opera house presents concerts, tribute shows and holiday programs through the late fall. See its online calendar for upcoming shows and tickets.

Make a day of it. City Hall faces Broad Street Park, a rotary-style town square with war memorials, two Civil War cannon, the 1890 Soldiers' Monument and a historic bandstand. Claremont grew on the water power of the Sugar River, and the brick mills of its Lower Village are a reminder of the city's industrial past.

Enfield Shaker Museum: a Shaker village on Mascoma Lake

The Enfield Shaker Museum preserves the site of a Shaker community that lived on the southwest shore of Mascoma Lake from 1793 to 1923. The Shakers, known for simple, functional architecture and furniture, called the village "Chosen Vale." The community grew to nearly 300 people by 1840.

The centerpiece is the Great Stone Dwelling, built between 1837 and 1841. It was the largest Shaker building ever constructed and, in its day, the largest residential building north of Boston. Men and women lived in the same building but used separate doors and stairways. The Shakers also built the half-mile Shaker Bridge across a narrow part of Mascoma Lake in 1849 to reach the railroad.

The museum opened in 1986 on part of the former village and acquired the remaining La Salette buildings and land in 2023. Its website lists workshops, events, building tours and the museum collection, and notes that the Great Stone Dwelling is open year-round for overnight guests. Exhibit and tour hours vary by season, so check the museum's calendar before you go.

Make a day of it. On a clear November day, the drive along Mascoma Lake is quiet and open, with the leaves down and long views across the water.

AVA Gallery and Art Center, Lebanon

In downtown Lebanon, AVA Gallery and Art Center is the Upper Valley's community visual arts center. It occupies a LEED-certified former factory building with a ground-floor gallery space. AVA describes itself as a 40,000-square-foot creative space, and its programs include current and upcoming exhibitions, classes for adults, kids and teens, life drawing sessions and open studio time. You can throw clay, make prints or simply walk the galleries.

November is a good time to see what is on the gallery walls before the holidays get busy, or to sign up for a class to carry you into winter. Check AVA's website for current and upcoming exhibitions and class schedules.

Make a day of it. Downtown Lebanon is a compact cultural district. The Lebanon Opera House is in City Hall, and Opera North, the region's oldest professional opera company, is based in the city. Check their calendars for fall and holiday programs.

Matt Brown Fine Art, Lyme

North of Hanover, the village of Lyme sits along the Connecticut River, with a town common lined with buildings from the late 1700s to the early 1900s. Matt Brown Fine Art is a gallery showing work by artists and craftspeople from the Lyme area and Thetford, Vermont, just across the river. Gallery days are limited, so check the website or arrange an appointment before you drive up.

Make a day of it. Combine a gallery stop with a walk around Lyme Common. The Dartmouth Skiway is in the eastern part of town near Lyme Center, so this is also a good drive to scout before ski season.

And in Hanover

No arts tour of the region would be complete without Hanover. Dartmouth's Hood Museum of Art and the Hopkins Center for the Arts, a multi-venue performing arts center designed by Wallace Harrison, anchor the town's cultural life. We cover them in more detail in our guide to Hanover's museums and galleries. Note that some smaller seasonal sites in the region, including Hanover's Webster Cottage and the Claremont History Museum, close for the winter, so November is better spent at the year-round venues.

A sample November loop

• Morning: Start in Lyme with a walk around the common and a gallery stop, if open.
• Late morning: Drive south to Lebanon for AVA's exhibitions and lunch downtown.
• Afternoon: Head east to Enfield and the Shaker Museum along Mascoma Lake.
• Evening: Finish in Claremont with a show at the opera house.

The full loop involves a fair amount of driving, so pick two or three stops for a relaxed day.

FAQ

Is the Claremont Opera House historic?

Yes. It is inside Claremont City Hall, which was dedicated in 1897 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. The restored auditorium reopened in 1979.

What is the Great Stone Dwelling?

The largest Shaker building ever built, completed in 1841 in Enfield. It is now part of the Enfield Shaker Museum.

Are museums in the Dartmouth-Sunapee region open in November?

Some are and some are not. Year-round venues like the Claremont Opera House and AVA Gallery run fall programs, while several small historical museums close for the season. Check before you go.

Where can I see local art near Hanover?

AVA Gallery and Art Center in Lebanon and Matt Brown Fine Art in Lyme are both a short drive from Hanover.

Sources

• Claremont City Hall, Wikipedia (architect, 1897 dedication, materials, 783 seats, 1963 closure, 1979 reopening, NRHP 1973): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claremont_City_Hall
• Claremont, New Hampshire, Wikipedia (Broad Street Park, monuments, bandstand, Sugar River mills): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claremont,_New_Hampshire
• Claremont Opera House, official site (address, fall season programming): https://www.claremontoperahouse.org/
• Enfield Shaker Museum, Wikipedia (1793-1923, Great Stone Dwelling, nearly 300 people by 1840): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enfield_Shaker_Museum
• Enfield, New Hampshire, Wikipedia (Chosen Vale, Shaker Bridge 1849, museum 1986, 2023 acquisition): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enfield,_New_Hampshire
• Enfield Shaker Museum, official site (programs, year-round overnight stays): https://shakermuseum.org/
• Lebanon, New Hampshire, Wikipedia (AVA building, Lebanon Opera House, Opera North): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lebanon,_New_Hampshire
• AVA Gallery and Art Center, official site (40,000 square feet, classes, exhibitions): https://www.avagallery.org/
• Lyme, New Hampshire, Wikipedia (town common, Dartmouth Skiway): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lyme,_New_Hampshire
• Matt Brown Fine Art, official site (Lyme and Thetford artists, gallery days): https://mbrownfa.com/
• Hopkins Center for the Arts, Wikipedia (multi-venue center, Wallace Harrison): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hopkins_Center_for_the_Arts
• Hanover Historical Society, official site (Webster Cottage closed for the season): https://hanoverhistory.org/
• Claremont NH Historical Society, official site (museum season June to September): https://claremonthistory.org/visit/