Lake Winnipesaukee, N.H. Attractions
Lake Winnipesaukee, N.H. Attractions
 | Funspot 579 Endicott Street North Laconia, NH • 603-366-4377 Billing itself as the largest video arcade in the world, this sprawling pleasure emporium lives up to its name with more than 500 game machine ranging from the classics (Joust, anyone?) to the latest racing, fighting and shooting. The games are just the beginning of the complete sensory overload that awaits here, including a separate "kiddie" room with toddler-sized bumper cars, pinball and Skeeball machines, a golf simulation room, bowling, bingo and the original 19-hole mini-golf course that started it all 45 years ago. Best For: Kids (3-6)•Kids (7-9)•Tweens (10-12)•Teens (13+) |
 | Glidden Toy Museum 14 Pleasant Street Ashland, NH • 603-968-7716 A nice diversion on days when rain ruins your outing on the lake, this small Cape house is chock-a-block with toys dating back 150 years, including everything from Raggedy Ann dolls to die-cut tin trucks and robots. Donated by a local woman who spent her life collecting rare specimens, the museum includes some 2,000 toys in all. Best For: Tots (0-2)•Kids (3-6)•Kids (7-9)•Tweens (10-12) |
 | Mount Washington Cruises Lake Winnipesaukee, NH • 603-366-5531 Get your Mark Twain on aboard the 230-foot M/S Mount Washington, a bona fide 19th-century steamship thatâs been plying the waves of Lake Winni for more than 120 years. Completely rebuilt in 1940, the ship is now powered by twin diesel engines, and features narrated cruises and dinner shows day and night from May to October. Wednesday nights are particularly popular for families -- kids ride for free and can take in special kid-family performers on deck while adults boogie to dance music in the lounge. Best For: Kids (3-6)•Kids (7-9)•Tweens (10-12)•Teens (13+) |
 | Weirs Beach Lake Winnipesaukee, NH An iconic neon sign with a U-shaped arrow has pointed the way for generations of visitors to the video arcades, mini-golf courses, waterslides and taffy counters that have made Weirs Beach a kid-magnet for decades. Of course, it all starts with the beach itself, a sandy arc with a shallow pitch into the warm lake water that's perfect for young children. After a little R&R on the sand, you can amble along the long, wooden boardwalk lined on the one side by shops and attractions, and on the other by picturesque views of the lake. There's an undeniable seedy element here as well, with the tattoo parlors and biker bars that get particularly rowdy during the annual Laconia Bike Week -- but it never overshadows the friendly feel that has long made Weirs a family-favorite destination. Best For: Tots (0-2)•Kids (3-6)•Kids (7-9)•Tweens (10-12)•Teens (13+) |
 | Winnipesaukee Scenic Railroad 154 Main Street Meredith, NH • 603-279-5253 It's every 4-year-old's dream -- a ride on a real-live train, complete with a big diesel engine and an ice cream car in the back. Parents will find plenty to toot their whistles over as well, however, with stunning views of the lake and the equally impressive summer homes and mansions lining the lakeshore. The two-hour ride follows part of the Boston & Maine Railroad that used to take vacationers to Lake Winnipesaukee a century ago. For an additional charge, you can book a table in caboose, coupled with the railways patented "hobo lunch," wrapped in your very own bindlestiff. Best For: Tots (0-2)•Kids (3-6)•Kids (7-9) |
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