Hampton, NH
Hampton is where New Hampshire’s short coastline does most of its work. Three miles of Atlantic, a boardwalk that has run on fried dough and arcade noise for a century, and a year-round town of about 16,000 behind it. Settled in 1638, it is one of the four original New Hampshire towns.
The Beach
Hampton Beach
The main event: a wide sand beach, the boardwalk, and the Seashell Stage. Free fireworks on summer Wednesday nights.
North Beach
The quieter north end, more locals than day-trippers. The stretch the cottages sit on.
Hampton Harbor
A working fishing fleet runs out of the state pier, and the marsh behind it is built for a kayak.
Food & Drink
The Old Salt
Year-round tavern at Lamie’s Inn on Route 1. Where the town eats once the beach crowd thins.
Sea Ketch
Three decks of seafood over Ocean Boulevard. Order the chowder, watch the boardwalk.
The Galley Hatch
A Route 1 fixture since the 1970s, equal parts restaurant, bakery, and pub.
Blinks Fry Doe
Fried dough the size of a hubcap. As much the boardwalk as the sand is.
Town & Community
Casino Ballroom
A concert hall since 1899. National acts all summer, a few steps from the surf.
Seafood Festival
A late-summer weekend every September, tens of thousands of people, more lobster than the town sees all year.
Tuck Museum
The Hampton Historical Society’s collection, back to the 1638 settlement.
Smuttynose Brewing
Seacoast brewery and taproom, a standby long before craft beer was everywhere.
Living Here
Schools
Winnacunnet High serves Hampton and three neighboring towns; the elementary and middle grades run through SAU 90 and SAU 21.
Getting Around
I-95 and Route 1 both run through town. Boston is about 50 minutes south, Portsmouth 20 north.
The Market
Two markets in one: year-round homes inland and seasonal cottages at the beach, where the deed often sets the season. The coastal end trades at a premium.
Community
Summer runs on the fireworks, the Casino, and the Seafood Festival. The off-season is quieter, and the locals like it that way.
What’s On
Every Week This Summer
- Live Music on the Seashell StageNightly, 7:00–9:30 PM
- Fireworks at Hampton BeachMost Wednesdays + holiday weekends, 9:30 PM
- Monday Night Movies on the BeachMondays at dusk
- Yoga on the BeachSelect mornings, 7:00 AM
- Country Line Dance LessonsWednesdays, 6:00–7:00 PM
Coming Up
- Monday Night Movies on the Beach: Lilo & StitchAug 3
- Cirque du Hampton BeachSep 5
- Special Fireworks Shoot for Labor Day WeekendSep 6
- 37th Annual Hampton Beach Seafood FestivalSep 11–12
Source: hamptonbeach.org events calendar. Last updated 2026-07-06.