Rainy Day Guide to the Seacoast

The New Hampshire Seacoast is built for walking: the brick streets of downtown Portsmouth, the harbor, the beaches of Rye and Hampton. Then a nor'easter rolls in, or a raw spring rain settles over the coast for the day, and the walking plan falls apart. The good news is that Portsmouth and its neighbors have plenty to do indoors. This guide collects rainy day Portsmouth NH ideas from our directory, grouped by who you are traveling with.

For families with kids

Children's Museum of New Hampshire, Dover

The Children's Museum of New Hampshire is a hands-on museum on the Cocheco River in downtown Dover, about 20 minutes northwest of Portsmouth. It is designed for younger children, with exhibits meant to be touched, climbed and played with. On a wet day it can be the whole morning. Check the museum's site for admission and any timed-entry details before you go.

Seacoast Science Center, Rye

The Seacoast Science Center sits inside Odiorne Point State Park in Rye, just south of Portsmouth. It is a marine science center with touch tanks and exhibits about the Gulf of Maine. The building is the rainy-day part; if the weather breaks, Odiorne Point itself has walking paths along the rocky shore and the remains of World War II Fort Dearborn.

Bowling

Bowl-O-Rama in Portsmouth is a family entertainment center with bowling, an arcade and parties. It is a reliable answer when kids need to burn off energy indoors. Reserve a lane ahead on stormy weekends, when everyone has the same idea.

For couples and adults

The Music Hall

The Music Hall is Portsmouth's historic theater on Chestnut Street and the city's main stage for concerts, comedy, film and author talks. A rainy afternoon is a good time to check the calendar and book an evening show. Even without tickets, it is worth seeing the building on a downtown walk.

Portsmouth Athenaeum

The Portsmouth Athenaeum on Market Square is a nonprofit membership library, gallery and archive incorporated in 1817. Its research library and gallery are open to the public on a limited schedule, so check before you go. For anyone interested in Portsmouth's maritime and literary history, it is one of the most atmospheric rooms in the city.

An escape room

Monkey Mind Escape Rooms in Portsmouth runs escape rooms for friends, families and groups. It works as well for a couple as for a group of adults, and it is a good way to fill an hour or two before dinner. Book ahead.

For beer lovers

Portsmouth has one of the densest brewery scenes in New England, and a rainy day is a fine excuse for a taproom.

• Liars Bench Beer Co. is an independent brewery, restaurant and biergarten in a former plumbing supply warehouse in Portsmouth's West End.
• Great Rhythm Brewing Company is an independent Portsmouth craft brewery known for hazy New England IPAs, with lagers, sours and stouts alongside.

Pair a taproom with dinner downtown and you have a full rainy-day evening.

Downtown Portsmouth in the rain

Rain does not close downtown. Market Square and the streets around it are compact, with shops, cafes and restaurants close together, so you can duck from one doorway to the next. An umbrella, a coffee and a slow loop of the independent shops can be a pleasant afternoon on its own.

When the rain lets up

Seacoast weather moves quickly, and a wet morning often turns into a gray but dry afternoon. Keep one outdoor stop in your back pocket for when it does.

Strawbery Banke Museum is an outdoor history museum in Portsmouth's South End, the oldest neighborhood in New Hampshire settled by Europeans. It has more than 37 restored buildings dating from the 17th to the 19th centuries, clustered around the former Puddle Dock, a waterway filled in around 1900. Because much of the visit happens inside historic houses, it handles light drizzle better than a beach or a trail, though it is still best between showers. The museum keeps a seasonal schedule, so check before planning around it in early spring.

Odiorne Point is the other good option. After a visit to the Seacoast Science Center, a short walk along the shore shows the ocean at its most dramatic, with surf still running from the storm.

A rainy-day plan for families

1. Morning: the Children's Museum of New Hampshire in Dover.

2. Lunch: downtown Dover or back in Portsmouth.

3. Afternoon: the Seacoast Science Center in Rye, or bowling at Bowl-O-Rama.

4. Evening: an early dinner downtown.

A rainy-day plan for adults

1. Late morning: coffee and a walk through the shops around Market Square.

2. Afternoon: the Portsmouth Athenaeum, if it is open, and an escape room.

3. Late afternoon: a taproom in the West End.

4. Evening: dinner and a show at the Music Hall.

Rainy-day food and coffee

Rain is a good excuse to linger over a meal, and downtown Portsmouth makes that easy. The blocks around Market Square, Congress Street and Ceres Street hold a dense mix of cafes, bakeries and restaurants, so on a wet day you can usually find a table within a short walk of wherever you parked. Plan a long lunch in the middle of the day, when museums and shops are busiest, and save the brewery stop for late afternoon. If you are traveling with children, an early dinner avoids the evening rush, which tends to be heavier when bad weather sends everyone indoors at once. On stormy weekends, a reservation is worth making even for places that usually take walk-ins.

Spring on the Seacoast

April on the coast is unpredictable: some days feel like early summer, others like late winter, often with wind off the water. Many seasonal attractions open later in spring, and some outdoor museums keep limited schedules until the summer season. That makes indoor options especially useful this time of year. Pack layers, a waterproof jacket and flexible plans, and check each venue's website the week you visit.

Tips

• Book ahead. Escape rooms, lanes and popular restaurants fill fast on rainy weekends.
• Check hours. Museums and small venues set their own schedules, and some change by season.
• Dress for it. Waterproof shoes matter more than an umbrella on brick sidewalks, and coastal wind can turn an umbrella inside out.
• Mix the towns. Dover, Rye and Portsmouth are close together, so a rainy day can cover all three.
• Park once. Downtown Portsmouth has garages and metered street parking. Park and walk rather than circling in the rain.

FAQ

What can you do in Portsmouth, NH when it rains?

See a show at the Music Hall, visit the Portsmouth Athenaeum, try an escape room, go bowling, or spend an afternoon in a brewery taproom. The Seacoast Science Center in Rye and the Children's Museum in Dover are short drives away.

What is there for kids on a rainy day on the Seacoast?

The Children's Museum of New Hampshire in Dover, the Seacoast Science Center in Rye, and Bowl-O-Rama in Portsmouth.

Is the Seacoast Science Center indoors?

Yes. It is an indoor marine science center with touch tanks and exhibits, inside Odiorne Point State Park.

Are Portsmouth breweries good on a rainy day?

Yes. Several have indoor taprooms and food, including Liars Bench in the West End.

Sources

• Odiorne Point State Park and Seacoast Science Center, Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Odiorne_Point_State_Park
• Strawbery Banke, Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strawbery_Banke
• Children's Museum of New Hampshire: https://childrens-museum.org
• The Music Hall: https://www.themusichall.org
• Portsmouth Athenaeum: https://www.portsmouthathenaeum.org
• Bowl-O-Rama: https://www.bowlorama.com
• Monkey Mind Escape Rooms: https://www.monkeymindescape.com
• Liars Bench Beer Co.: https://www.liarsbenchbeer.com
• Great Rhythm Brewing Company: https://www.greatrhythmbrewing.com