Hanover is a city in west central New Hampshire across the Connecticut River from Norwich, Vermont. It is home to Dartmouth College, founded in 1769. Dartmouth's pretty campus dominates the center of this small town and provides most of the attraction.
Understand
Climate
Get in
By car
- From Boston (about 2.5 hours)
Interstate 93 north to Interstate 89 north at Concord, NH. Exit I-89 at Exit 18 in Lebanon, NH, bear right onto Route 120 north and follow to Hanover.
- From Burlington, Vermont (about 1.5 hours)
Take I-89 south to I-91 north in White River Junction, VT. Continue as below.
- From New York (about 5 hours), southern New England and points south
Take Interstate 91 north to exit 13 at Norwich, Vermont. Bear right off the exit, across the Ledyard Bridge spanning the Connecticut River. Continue up the hill on West Wheelock St. in Hanover.
By plane
Cape Air flies to Lebanon Regional Airport (IATA: LEB) from Boston.
Other alternatives are Manchester (IATA: MHT) and Burlington (IATA: BTV), both about 1.5 hours away by car; or Logan International in Boston or Bradley International in Windsor Locks, both about 2.5 hours away.
By train
Amtrak "Vermonter" service from Washington and New York arrives daily in nearby White River Junction, Vermont.
By bus
Get around
The downtown/campus area is easily covered on foot.
- Advance Transit, +1 802 295-1824. Bus line has a campus route and also serves most neighboring towns to which one is likely to go. All routes are free.
See
- Hood Museum of Art, Wheelock St, 43.702222°, -72.288056°, +1 603 646-2808, hood.museum@dartmouth.edu. Tu-Sa 10AM-5PM (W to 11PM); Su noon-5PM. Wheelchair accessible. Free
- Hopkins Center for the Arts, Wheelock St, 43.701667°, -72.288611°, +1 603 646-2422, hopkins.center@Dartmouth.edu. Visual arts, theatre, dance, film, concerts.
- Montshire Museum of Science, One Montshire Road, Norwich, VT, 43.700278°, -72.305278°, +1 802 649-2200, montshire@montshire.org. Just across the river.
- Dartmouth Athletics, +1 603 646-2466, big.green.tickets@dartmouth.edu. Ivy league action.
Do
The Appalachian Trail runs right through town.
- Dartmouth Cross Country Ski Center, +1 603 643-6534. DOC House at Occum Pond on Clement Rd. Maintains over twenty-five kilometers of groomed cross country ski trails on Oak Hill, the Golf Course and Garipay Field. Provides equipment rentals for skiing, skating, and other winter activities, as well as group and private instruction.
- League of New Hampshire Craftsmen, 13 Lebanon St, +1 603 643-5050 (gallery), +1 603 643-5384 (CraftStudies). A gallery worth seeing, but also classes in clay, jewelry and fiber.
Buy
- Dan & Whit's General Store, Main Street (in Norwich, Vermont). Open every day. Nexus from which all distances are measured. A true general store with a treasure trove of gadgets and tools spanning the early farming days of the area to the present. If you need something that is rare or out of season, they will have it in the back. Slip behind the deli counter to find gardening and sugaring supplies, sleds, hardware and paint. "If we don't have it, you don't need it."
Eat
- Canoe Club, 27 S. Main St, +1 603 643-9660.
- Dirt Cowboy Café, 9 S. Main St, +1 603 643-1323. The local college town indie coffee shop, and a quite fantastic one at that.
- Everything But Anchovies, 5 Allen St, +1 603 643-6135.
- Jesse's Restaurant & Tavern, 7 Blue Sky Dr, +1 603 643-4111.
- Molly's Restaurant & Bar, 43 S. Main St, +1 603 643-2570.
- Murphy's On the Green, 11 S. Main St, +1 603 643-4075.
- BoLoCo, 35 S. Main St, +1 603 643-0202.
- Pine, 2 E. Wheelock St.
- The Jewel of India, 27 Lebanon St, +1 603 643-2217.
- The Pink Orchid, 44 S. Main St.
- Salt Hill (September 2009), 7 Lebanon St, +1 603 448-4532.
- Morano Gelato, 57 S Main St Ste 101, +1 603 643-4233. Tu-Th, Su 11:30AM-9:30PM, F-Sa 11:30AM-10PM M closed (hours change seasonally). For some reason, what is easily the best, most authentic gelato in the US is located in Hanover, New Hampshire. Truly amazing gelato that mostly sticks to traditional flavors, although some seasonal flavors cater more to American tastes. Also has a few other Italian products for sale. 2017-06-08
Drink
Sleep
Accommodations are extremely difficult to find in the area on special Dartmouth weekends such as Graduation, home football games and Winter Carnival.
- Hanover Inn Dartmouth, 2 East Wheelock (at Main St), 43.70224°, -72.28899°, +1 603 643-4300, individual.reservations@hanoverinn.com. 2022-01-21
- Six South St Hotel.
- The Trumbull House Bed & Breakfast, 40 Etna Rd, +1 603 643-2370. Five rooms in a 16-acre country setting.
- Norwich Bed and Breakfast, 229 Bradley Hill Rd, +1 802-649-3800. Elegant country living on a 20-acre working farm overlooking the Connecticut River and the White Mountains. Four elegant rooms, each with private bath. Scrumptious farm-style breakfast with local produce including organic eggs from free-range chickens.
Go next
Hanover is in the middle of many charming small towns. For a scenic drive take Route 10 north along the Connecticut River and then Routes 116 and 112 to the Lincoln in the White Mountain National Forest.