The Upper Valley is home to a thriving art community: Galleries, Museums, Theater, Musical Performances, Cinema, And More! Check out a few of these while you are here.
Circus Smirkus (July)
Arts & Culture, Natural Wonders & Outdoor Recreation
Description: Circus Smirkus is a nonprofit arts and education organization operating in Greensboro, Vermont. Our mission is to promote the skills, culture and traditions of the traveling circus, and to inspire youth to engage in life-changing adventures in the circus arts.
Link: www.smirkus.org/
City Center Ballet
Arts & Culture
Description: City Center Ballet is located in the heart of Lebanon, New Hampshire propelling dancers to a professional standard of expectations, etiquette and performance since 1999. City Center Ballet combines the talents of local middle and high school ballet dancers and guest artists to present audiences with exceptional, memorable performances. Within the company and the community, City Center Ballet strives to foster awareness of, and an appreciation for the passion, grace, and beauty of classical ballet. Lebanon Ballet School is the official school for City Center Ballet.
Link: www.CityCenterBallet.org
Revels North - Summer Revels, Christmas Revels and More
Arts & Culture
Description: Revels North educates the community through theatrical, dance, and musical experiences that bring the world’s cultural traditions and celebrations to life. The Christmas Revels, a beloved Upper Valley tradition for the whole family since 1975, is presented annually. Summer Revels is an annual outdoor celebration of the summer solstice the kicks off the arrival of summer in a family-friendly festival atmosphere, with food, crafts, activities and a performance by the Summer Revels chorus. Be sure to check Revels North's website for updates on events.
Link: www.revelsnorth.org/programs-events
Montshire Museum of Science
Norwich, VT
Arts & Culture, Natural Wonders & Outdoor Recreation
Description: The Montshire Museum of Science is a hands-on museum located in Norwich, Vermont, with more than 140 exhibits relating to the natural and physical sciences, ecology, and technology. The building is located on a 110-acre site near the Connecticut River, and the Museum's outdoor environment is a large part of the visitor experience.
Link: www.montshire.org/
Enfield Shaker Museum
Enfield, NH
Arts & Culture
Description: Nestled in a valley between Mt. Assurance and Mascoma Lake, in Enfield, New Hampshire, the Enfield Shaker site has been cherished for over 200 years. At its peak in the mid 19th century, the community was home to three “Families” of Shakers. They practiced equality of the sexes and races, celibacy, pacifism and communal ownership of property. Shakers farmed over 3,000 acres of land, educated children in model schools and worshipped in the “Shaker Way.”
Link: www.shakermuseum.org/
Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site
Cornish, NH
Arts & Culture, Natural Wonders & Outdoor Recreation
Description: Saint Gaudens' Sunday afternoon concerts (2 – 4 p.m.)
Step into the world of one of America’s greatest artists. Discover the home, studios and gardens of Augustus Saint-Gaudens, one of America’s greatest sculptors. See over 100 of his artworks in the galleries and on the grounds, from heroic public monuments to expressive portrait reliefs, and the gold coins which changed the look of American coinage. Enjoy summer concerts, explore nature trails, or indulge your hidden talents during a sculpture class.
Link: www.nps.gov/saga/index.htm
American Precision Museum
Windsor, VT
Arts & Culture, Historical
Description: The Museum preserves the heritage of the mechanical arts, celebrates the ingenuity of our mechanical forebears, and explores the effects of their work on our everyday lives. The American Precision Museum, housed in the original Robbins & Lawrence Armory, now holds the largest collection of historically significant machine tools in the nation.
Link: https://www.americanprecision.org/
Hopkins Center For The Art (The HOP)
Hanover, NH
Arts & Culture
Description: The Hopkins Center’s mission is to ignite and sustain a passion for the arts within Dartmouth and its greater community and to provide the core educational environment for the study, creation and presentation of the arts.
Link: https://hop.dartmouth.edu/Online/default.asp
Nugget Theater
Hanover, NH
Arts & Culture, Local Flavor
Description: The Nugget Theaters is a movie theater with 4 screens showing first run movies.
Link: http://www.nugget-theaters.com/
King Arthur Baking Company
Norwich, VT
Arts & Culture, Local Flavor
Description: Some come to Vermont for the foliage and the hiking; some come for our chocolate croissants and warm baguettes! Our flagship location, located in the beautiful small town of Norwich, has something for everyone (along with plenty of parking). We're an employee-owned company, every one of us bakers at heart. Our mission is to inspire connections and community by spreading the joy of baking.
Link: www.kingarthurbaking.com/
Hood Museum of Art
Hanover, NH
Arts & Culture
Description: As a teaching museum, the Hood Museum of Art is committed to helping all visitors develop visual literacy skills—the ability to construct meaning from what we see.
Link: hoodmuseum.dartmouth.edu/
Simon Pearce
Arts & Culture, Local Flavor
3 Locations: Hanover NH, Quechee, VT and Windsor, VT
Description: Handmade glassware and pottery made in the USA. We believe simplicity, quality and artisanship are tenets of a better way of life. From our hand-thrown pottery to our lead-free glassware, each piece carries a story that lends meaning, authenticity and grace to every use.
Link: https://www.simonpearce.com/
Northern Stage
White River Jct., VT
Arts & Culture
Description: Northern Stage is a regional non-profit Actors’ Equity LORT-D professional theater in White River Junction, Vermont. Northern Stage’s mission is to change lives one story at a time.
Link: northernstage.org/
Main Street Museum
Arts & Culture, Local Flavor
White River Jct., VT
Description: The Main Street Museum is an eclectic display space for material culture and a civic organization in White River Junction, Vermont.
Link: www.mainstreetmuseum.org/
Lebanon Opera House
Lebanon, NH
Arts & Culture
Description: Lebanon Opera House is the only community-based theater of its size in west-central New Hampshire and the cultural focal point of the greater Lebanon community.
Link: lebanonoperahouse.org/
Vermont Toy Museum
Quechee, VT
Arts & Culture, Local Flavor
Description: Be a kid again and share your childhood memories with family and friends at The Vermont Toy Museum located inside Quechee Gorge Village shopping complex on the second floor above Cabot cheese. Explore each decade of toys from the 1800's to the present from cast iron, tin, actions figures, Star Wars, Cracker Jack and many of your childhood heroes. Click on the "play" button in the upper left hand corner of Star Trek to view our slideshow.
Link: vermonttoymuseum.com/index.html
AVA Gallery
Lebanon, NH
Arts & Culture
Description: AVA Gallery and Art Center (Alliance for the Visual Arts) is dedicated to promoting the visual arts through exhibitions and educational programs that nurture, support and challenge New England artists, and to providing art classes for children, teens and adults of all levels and abilities. AVA’s programs—including special events that foster interaction among artists, patrons of the arts and the community, and which emphasize sustainability—are dedicated to recognizing the ways in which art enriches our lives.
Link: avagallery.org/
Billings Farm
Woodstock VT
Art & Cultural
Description: Numerous events and festivals year-round: Quilting, Harvest Festival, Antique Truck Show – check out the events page:
Link: https://billingsfarm.org/ http://billingsfarm.org/event/
Orozco Murals in Baker Library at Dartmouth College
Arts & Culture, Historical
Hanover, NH
Description: The monumental mural cycle The Epic of American Civilization was painted by Mexican artist José Clemente Orozco between 1932 and 1934 in Baker-Berry Library at Dartmouth College. This national historic landmark is considered one of the finest examples of mural painting in this country by one of the greatest twentieth-century practitioners of public art.
Link:www.dartmouth.edu/digitalorozco/
New London Barn Playhouse
New London NH
Arts & Culture
Description: The Playhouse presents many musicals and plays each year. In addition, it offers classes and workshops for actors of all ages.
Link: nlbarn.org/
Parish Players
Thetford VT
Arts & Culture
Description: A nonprofit theater group that presents both classic plays and works by local artists.
Link: www.parishplayers.org/eclipse.shtml
New London Historical Society
Historical, Arts & Culture
Description: See history brought to life through fun events such as reenactments, feasts, and fiddle contests.