Nearby places

Planning a night out across Southern New Hampshire

The places listed above cover a lot of ground, from big-arena concerts to a small-town movie house, so it helps to think about them in clusters. Downtown Manchester is the easiest to combine: SNHU Arena, the Palace Theatre and the SEE Science Center all sit within a short walk of Elm Street, and Delta Dental Stadium is down by the Merrimack River at the southern end of the Millyard. If you are seeing a show at the arena or the Palace, arriving early gives you time to eat downtown and find parking before the evening rush. Garages and surface lots fill quickly on busy nights, so it is worth checking parking options on the venue's official site before you set out.

The Currier Museum of Art is a little north of the downtown core and makes a calmer daytime counterpart to an evening gig. Concord's Capitol Center for the Arts is roughly a half-hour drive up I-93, and Salem's Canobie Lake Park is close to the Massachusetts line, so those two work best as dedicated trips rather than add-ons. The Flying Monkey in Plymouth is further north, near the edge of the Lakes Region and the White Mountains, and pairs well with a weekend away.

Practical tips that apply everywhere

• Check the official listing. Dates, start times, bag policies and age rules change, so confirm them directly with the venue before buying tickets.
• Buy from the venue or its authorised seller. It is the simplest way to avoid inflated resale prices and counterfeit tickets.
• Allow for New Hampshire weather. Winter storms can slow I-93 and the Everett Turnpike, and outdoor events such as baseball or amusement park visits depend on the forecast.
• Protect your hearing. A pair of musician's earplugs takes up no room and makes loud shows far more comfortable.

If you like knowing what goes on behind the stage, the lighting rigs, sound desks and wireless systems at these venues are all built on the same electronics our soldering guide and quality assurance pages describe. For more background reading, browse the guides section.