Guide to New Hampshire’s Monadnock Region | Eat, Stay, Play

The little pocket of rural New Hampshire known as the Monadnock Region just might be the best and least-crowded foliage destination in New England. From Keene’s college campus bustle to Peterborough’s Our Town charm, it’s a destination full of family fun, good food, and beautiful scenery. If you’re planning a visit (and you should!) you can find the best things to do, eat, and where to stay in our guide to New Hampshire’s Monadnock Region.

See more of the Monadnock Region in fall in the 2024 Yankee Magazine feature, Small Towns, Big Color.

Best Dining in the Monadnock Region

Brewbakers: Cozy-boho coffee shop bustling with Keene State College students and locals; top-notch breakfast (and lunch) sandwiches along with house-roasted coffee. Keene; brewbakerskeene.com

Flag Leaf Bakery: Open Fridays and Saturdays only—but no one complains when they get their hands on fragrant whole-grain loaves and their sweet or savory pastries of choice (like caramel cruffins plumped with Earl Grey pastry cream). Antrim; flagleafbakery.com

Harlow’s Pub: Rib-sticking fare, New England beers on tap, and atmosphere to the nth degree, thanks to wall-to-wall local artifacts and memorabilia. Peterborough; harlowspub.com

Harrisville General Store: Founded in 1838 and renowned today for fresh-made sandwiches and salads with uniquely local flavor (it’s a lunchtime favorite of Yankee staff). Harrisville; historicharrisville.org/general-store

Hilltop Café: Casual, creative farm-to-table food to enjoy in an 18th-century farmhouse or out on its lawn, where the view spans woodlands, fields, and resident farm animals. Wilton; thehilltopcafe.com

Luca: A dining landmark on Keene’s Central Square for more than two decades, serving up flavors from Europe’s sunniest lands. Keene; lucakeene.com

Orchard Hill Breadworks: French, olive-rosemary, home-style multigrain, cinnamon-raisin, cornmeal pumpkin, and more, all naturally leavened and baked by artisans’ hands. East Alstead; orchardhillbreadworks.com

Parker’s Maple Barn: Specializing in pancakes and waffles ideal for soaking up house-made maple syrup. And their maple frappe? Simply impossible to say no to. Mason; parkersmaplebarn.com

Pickity Place: An entrancing backstory awaits at this historic cottage—along with a gourmet restaurant, a gift shop, English-style gardens, and the Little Red Riding Hood Museum. Mason; pickityplace.com

Post & Beam Brewing: Small-batch craft beers in an array of styles (sip like a local with the “Our Town” New England IPA), plus the tasty presence of Blackfire Farm’s pizza truck every weekend through the fall. Peterborough; postandbeambrewery.com

The Restaurant at Burdick’s: Widely known foodie hot spot, thanks to its elegant dining room and French-inspired menu (filmmaker and local resident Ken Burns is a fan). Walpole; 47mainwalpole.com

Yahso Jamaican Grille: This is the reason why Caribbean cuisine—jerk chicken, banana fritters, tender braised beef oxtail—deserves a place among college-town staples. Keene; yahsojamaicangrille.com

Best Shops & Attractions in the Monadnock Region

Alice Blue: No cookie-cutter fashion in sight at this women’s clothing shop that brings relaxed sophistication to country living. Peterborough; Facebook

Alyson’s Orchard: PYO paradise that offers 50-odd varieties of apples and heart-stopping views from its hilltop perch. Walpole; alysonsorchard.com

Bowerbird & Friends: Eclectic independent boutique that’s stylish inside (vintage furniture and decor) and out (plants and garden accessories). Peterborough; bowerbirdfriends.com

The Colonial Theatre: Beautifully restored, smartly revitalized, and ready for its second century of anchoring the region’s performing arts scene. Keene; thecolonial.org

Frye’s Measure Mill: Water has powered the Frye’s mill since 1858, turning the belt-driven machinery that artisans still use to create classic trays and round or oval boxes true to Shaker design. Wilton; fryesmill.com

Hannah Grimes Marketplace: Brimming with the work of 250-plus local artists and makers, housewares, and home decor as well as New England–made foods. Keene; hannahgrimesmarketplace.com

Harrisville Designs: Beautifully links Harrisville’s mill-town heritage to the present by continuing the tradition of spinning 100-percent-virgin-wool yarn. Harrisville; harrisville.com

The Maple Station Market: Sprawling farm market, deli, and maple showcase all rolled into one. The maple doughnuts (dusted in sugar and so fresh they’re still warm) are heaven. Temple; bensmaplesyrup.com

Mariposa Museum: A celebration of the richness of cross-cultural encounters, from Swedish folk singers to Indian shadow puppetry. Peterborough; mariposamuseum.org

Toadstool Bookshop: One of New England’s best indie booksellers and an essential stop for local-interest reading. Peterborough & Keene; toadbooks.com

Best Fall Events in the Monadnock Region

Ashuelot Concerts: World-class chamber music made even sweeter by intimate small-town venues. See website for dates and locations. ashuelotconcerts.org

Keene Pumpkin Festival: Come for the giant tower of jack-o’-lanterns, stay for the Halloween-y fun. 10/12; pumpkinfestival.org

Monadnock Art Open Studios Tour: A can’t-miss cultural event spanning half a dozen towns and 10 times as many painters, sculptors, and other artists. 10/12–10/14; monadnockart.org

Monadnock International Film Festival: Three days of eye-opening indie films—regional, national, and international—at venues in Keene and Jaffrey. 10/4–10/6; moniff.org

Best Places to Stay in the Monadnock Region

Chesterfield Inn: Historic, elegant—and dog-friendly, too. The on-site restaurant is a local fine-dining landmark. West Chesterfield; chesterfieldinn.com

Cranberry Meadow Farm Inn: Luxurious eight-room B&B with miles of hiking trails practically on the doorstep. Peterborough; cranberrymeadowfarminn.com

The Inn at East Hill Farm: Family-friendly, farm-tastic stay that counts Mount Monadnock among its closest neighbors. Troy; east-hill-farm.com

The Inn at Valley Farms: One of the state’s most romantic stays, set on an 18th-century working farm. Walpole; innatvalleyfarms.com