Manchester Travel Guide, New Hampshire

Named after the city in England, Manchester is the largest city in the state of New Hampshire located on the banks of the Merrimack River in Hillsborough County.

The city retains many reminders of its bustling past as it still is an important textile manufacturing center. The brick buildings on the shores of the Merrimack River are a reminder of the city’s past as a city of mills, a city driven by industry.

The industrial boom has brought in many immigrants from Quebec who were looking for job. Some of them stayed and their descendants enhance the city’s multicultural flavor.

Manufacturing had sustained the local economy and it still does.

The town has made major strides in improving its appearance and preserving the historical buildings especially on the waterfront; visitors can see the region's proud industrial heritage including the old mills that even if now they are used for other purposes they can still give the visitor an idea of how they were in the past when mill workers and managers lived within walking distance of mills that served as the center of their lives.

The best ways to get a real feel of the area is by leaving your car at the small waterfront park and explore the mill district and its two main streets Commercial and Canal streets then continue your exploration with the hillside above the mill area.

Visiting the mill district you shouldn’t miss visiting the Millyard Museum that is set right in the heart of the mill district. The museum is well worth a stop for the charming historical exhibits and the sense of local pride it contains. The exhibits are depicting the city's history from the ancient Native Americans to the first settlers and on. You will understand that what attracted people to this place were at first the fishing opportunity and later the mills and the manufacturing of cotton textiles.

Known as the Queen City, Manchester has just the right mix of big city excitement and small town charm. Its citizens, estimated to be nearly 110,000 make the landscape even richer and more enchanting than it would be alone.

Every section of this city provides spectacular attractions, and you won't what to miss any of them!

Start with the family-oriented Amoskeag Fishways (meaning "Great Fishing Place") center where children will love the interactive exhibits and adults can have a break while watching what can be just as interesting as it is for kids, watching the fish through an underwater window making their way up the Merrimack. The 54 concrete pools surrounding the hydroelectric dam are constructed in such a way as to help fish on their way. The dam is also interesting to see.

In the arena of the arts, the Currier Gallery of Art, is a must see gallery housing a collections of 12,000 works of European and American art, most of them paintings of well known artists.. Other exhibits of silver, glass, furniture, and pewter can also be viewed in this elegant Beaux Arts building.

Built in 1950, the Zimmerman House is a Usonian style building designed by Frank Lloyd Wright architect. It is a luxurious house containing red-glazed brick and beautiful furniture. The gardens are also a delight to look at. The house is opened to the public and visitors can get to it with a shuttle that can take them from the Currier Museum, but reservations are needed in advance.

If you want to visit a vibrant, energetic city that's rich in heritage, culture, entertainment, and commerce, Manchester runs right up there with the big dogs.

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