Portsmouth NH New Hampshire
24
Cruises availables
At departure or passage at this port
American Cruise Lines (24 Cruises)
American Pioneer
24 Cruises
Frequently Asked Questions
On the Piscataqua River, within walking distance of the historic centre. The current here ranks among the swiftest of any natural harbour in North America, which is why tugs wait at the foot of the brick houses.
Yes, entirely. Four centuries of maritime trade left a compact downtown: Strawbery Banke, Prescott Park, Bow Street and Market Square all sit within an easy walk. Only the USS Albacore, about 2 km out, needs a short taxi ride.
Allow a good two hours for the Strawbery Banke museum, take a break in the Prescott Park gardens directly across the street, then wander Bow Street and Market Square for cafés and shops. Add the USS Albacore if time allows.
An open-air museum built on the town’s original neighbourhood, nicknamed Puddle Dock: more than thirty-seven buildings from the 17th to the 19th century, still on their original foundations. Interpreters sew, weave and cook by the methods of their century, from a colonial kitchen to a 1940s grocery.
Yes. The USS Albacore, an experimental 1950s submarine built at the local naval shipyard, sits in a grassed dry basin and can be walked end to end, from the control room to the cramped bunks. The Portsmouth Naval Shipyard across the river has been fitting out and repairing submarines since 1800.
Yes, in season, from the old Ceres Street wharves: cruises to Portsmouth Harbor Light and out to the Isles of Shoals. Otherwise the benches in Prescott Park make the best free vantage point on the tugboat traffic.
Yes. The costumed interpreters at Strawbery Banke hold children’s attention, the USS Albacore is toured from the inside, and the Prescott Park gardens serve as a place to unwind. Distances are short and the ground is flat.
The US dollar. New Hampshire levies no retail sales tax, which explains the crowds of regional visitors. Cards are accepted everywhere; allow 15 to 20 percent for restaurant tipping.
English. No special language skills are needed for the day.
June through October. Summer brings the Prescott Park gardens and the Isles of Shoals cruises to life; September and October add New England fall colour with fewer people in the streets.
