Rochester Town Guide: Where to Eat, Stay and Explore

Rochester is one of New Hampshire's fastest-growing cities, and it rewards a visit with a compact historic downtown, an opera house with a feature you will not find anywhere else in the country, and an easy position on the road between the Seacoast and the Lakes Region. This guide covers things to do in Rochester NH, with local businesses from our directory to build a day or a weekend around.

Rochester at a glance

Rochester is a city in Strafford County with a population of 32,492 at the 2020 census, the sixth most populous city in the state. It was one of New Hampshire's fastest-growing cities between 2010 and 2020. Beyond downtown, the city includes the villages of East Rochester, Gonic and North Rochester, as well as Skyhaven Airport and part of Baxter Lake.

The city covers about 45.4 square miles and is drained by the Salmon Falls, Isinglass and Cochecho rivers. New Hampshire Route 16, the Spaulding Turnpike, runs through the city, leading north toward Conway and the White Mountains and south to Dover and Portsmouth. That makes Rochester a practical stop on the way north from the coast.

A short history

Rochester was one of four towns granted by colonial Governor Samuel Shute; the others were Barrington, Nottingham and Chester. It was incorporated in 1722 and named for Laurence Hyde, 1st Earl of Rochester. As was customary at the time, the tallest white pines were reserved as masts for the Royal Navy.

The town's early center was Rochester Common, once about 250 acres and known as Norway Plain for its Norway pines. A statue of the Reverend Amos Main, the first settled pastor, sculpted by Giuseppe Moretti, stands in the town square. The Common is still used for community events and summer concerts, and a bandstand there dates to 1914.

In the 19th century, Rochester became a manufacturing town. The Norway Plains Woolen Company made blankets used by the Union Army during the Civil War, and by 1870 it was weaving more than a million and a half yards of cloth a year. The E.G. and E. Wallace Shoe Company, established in 1854, grew to be the city's largest employer, with more than 700 workers by 1901. Around the turn of the century, the Spaulding family built a leatherboard mill at North Rochester, the start of a company that expanded nationally and internationally. Spaulding Composites is still among the city's major employers, and the family name lives on in the turnpike and in local businesses.

The Rochester Opera House

The highlight of downtown is the Rochester Opera House, a 750-seat theater inside City Hall. It was built in 1908 to a design by George G. Adams, who designed municipal buildings in several New England cities. What makes it unique is its movable floor: the floor can be lowered flat for dances and meetings or raised to a tilt for performances. Adams installed that system in four buildings, but the Rochester Opera House is the only known theater in the United States still using this kind of floor.

Restoration efforts began in the mid-1980s and resumed in earnest in 1996, focusing on bringing the floor back to working order and restoring the original stenciling. Today the opera house presents theater, music, film and arts education programs. Check its calendar before you visit; seeing a show here is the best way to appreciate the room.

• Rochester Opera House

The Rochester Museum of Fine Arts

The Rochester Museum of Fine Arts presents exhibitions in two locations: the James W. Foley Memorial Community Center on Wakefield Street and the Rochester Public Library on South Main Street, where shows hang in spaces including the Carnegie Gallery and the Bernier Room. The museum also maintains a permanent collection and has been running annual exhibition seasons for more than a decade. It is an easy, low-key cultural stop to combine with a downtown walk.

• Rochester Museum of Fine Arts

Where to stay

The Governor's Inn. The Governor's Inn on Wakefield Street has 20 rooms, each one original; some are eclectic, some historic, and others suited to longer stays. All rooms have private baths, air conditioning and wireless internet. The inn also has a ballroom for weddings and events and two restaurants, including Spaulding Steak and Ale, with live music on many nights of the week.

• The Governor's Inn and Spaulding Steak and Ale

The 1875 House. On South Main Street, the 1875 House is a lodging project in a late Victorian brick building constructed for the Motolinia Lodge No. 18 of the Odd Fellows, which began work on it in 1874. The three-story building, with arched windows and decorative roof details, sits near Rochester's historic downtown and close to the Spaulding Turnpike, Route 125 and Frisbie Memorial Hospital. The property announced a 2026 opening, so check its website for current booking status.

• 1875 House

Where to eat

Busy Bee Cafe. In historic downtown Rochester on North Main Street, Busy Bee Cafe is a coffee and pastry spot. It serves drip coffee from New Hampshire Coffee, espresso with house-made caramel and mocha sauces, and seasonally inspired pastries. It is a good place to start a downtown walk.

• Busy Bee Cafe

Bad Brgr. Bad Brgr bills itself as a maker of old-school smashed burgers in New Hampshire, and its Rochester location is a casual option for a quick lunch between downtown stops. Check its website for the current menu and location details.

• Bad Brgr Rochester

A sample day in Rochester

1. Morning: Coffee and a pastry at Busy Bee Cafe, then a walk around downtown and Rochester Common to see the Parson Main statue and the bandstand.

2. Late morning: Visit the Rochester Museum of Fine Arts at the public library or the Foley community center.

3. Lunch: Smashburgers at Bad Brgr.

4. Afternoon: Explore the villages of Gonic and East Rochester, or head up the Spaulding Turnpike toward the Lakes Region.

5. Evening: Dinner and live music at Spaulding Steak and Ale, or a performance at the Rochester Opera House.

Tips for visiting

• Check the opera house calendar. A show is the best way to see the building and its unique floor.
• Use Route 16. The Spaulding Turnpike makes Rochester an easy add-on to a Seacoast or White Mountains trip.
• Look for summer concerts. Rochester Common hosts concerts during the summer months; check local listings for dates.
• Stay downtown. Both the Governor's Inn and the 1875 House are close to the historic center.

Frequently asked questions

What is Rochester NH known for?

Rochester is known for its historic downtown, the 1908 Rochester Opera House with its movable floor, and a manufacturing history in shoes and leatherboard.

What is unique about the Rochester Opera House?

It has a fully movable floor that can be lowered flat or raised to a tilt. It is the only known theater in the United States still using this type of floor.

What villages are part of Rochester?

East Rochester, Gonic and North Rochester, along with the downtown area.

How do you get to Rochester from Portsmouth?

Take New Hampshire Route 16, the Spaulding Turnpike, north through Dover.

Where can I see art in Rochester?

The Rochester Museum of Fine Arts exhibits at the Rochester Public Library and the James W. Foley Memorial Community Center.

Sources

• Rochester, New Hampshire, Wikipedia (population, villages, history, Common, Norway Plains Woolen, Wallace and Spaulding mills, rivers, Route 16): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rochester,_New_Hampshire
• Rochester Opera House, Wikipedia (1908, George G. Adams, 750 seats, movable floor, restoration): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rochester_Opera_House
• Rochester Opera House official site (programs): https://www.rochesteroperahouse.com/
• Rochester Museum of Fine Arts official site (locations, galleries, annual season): https://www.rochestermfa.org/
• The Governor's Inn official site (20 rooms, amenities, Spaulding Steak and Ale, live music, Wakefield Street): https://www.governorsinn.com/
• 1875 House official site (Odd Fellows building history, location, 2026 opening): https://www.1875house.com/
• Busy Bee Cafe official site (downtown, coffee, pastries): https://busybee-cafe.com/
• Bad Brgr official site (old-school smashed burgers): https://www.badbrgr.com/