Keene (New Hampshire)

Keene is a city in southern New Hampshire.

Understand

Keene is the county seat of Cheshire County and has been a local center of commerce and culture for a long time. This is reflected in the profusion of pretty buildings in town, only a few of which are pictured in this article.

Keene is also believed to be the inspiration of the fictional town of Brantford in Jumanji. Scenes from the film were shot here.

Get in

By car

Keene is most easily accessible by taking I-91 in Vermont to Exit 3 and getting on VT-9 in Brattleboro. Then head into the traffic circle until VT-9 continues and follow it over a small bridge into New Hampshire (VT-9 becomes NH-9). Follow NH-9 about 15 miles to Keene. From the east, Keene is accessible via NH-101. NH-9 also connects Keene to Concord to the northeast.

By plane

See

Do

Live Entertainment
  • The Colonial Theatre, 95 Main St, ☏ +1 603 352-2033. open daily. The Colonial Theatre is an 888-seat non-profit historic theatre operating continuously since 1924 and featuring the finest in live events and niche film. There is something happening every day at The Colonial Theatre, whether it's an arthouse film, ; uring music, Broadway, dance, comedy; community events or the new Backstage Series (featuring alternative performers in a club-like setting). 

Hiking

Highland Hill & firetower, Greater Goose Pond and Drummer Hill, Beech Hill Preserve, Beaver Brook Falls, Horatio Colony Trust.

  • Mount Monadnock, 169 Poole Rd. Jaffrey NH (Route 101 or Route 124 to Dublin Rd). Monadnock State Park is located in and around the 3,165-ft. Mount Monadnock. The park is surrounded by thousands of acres of protected highlands. In 1987, Mount Monadnock was designated a National Natural Landmark. The park offers year-round recreational opportunities. Moderate to Difficult hiking to scenic summit from multiple trail heads in the region. Maps available at staffed park HQ. (updated Jun 2023)

Recreation

Keene offers a variety of recreational areas.

Wheelock Park, Central Square, Robin Hood Park, Otter Brook Dam Recreation Area

Buy

Keene, as well as New Hampshire as a whole, is a great place to shop due to the lack of a state sales tax. Keene has a wide array of shops and stores selling almostall things. Below are just a few examples of where to shop when in Keene:

  • The Center At Keene (Gilbo Street and Emerald Streets on the southern edge of downtown Keene). An open shopping center complex, with some interior hallways leading to the other side, housed in an old train station. Home to 24 businesses ranging from shops, businesses, a gym, and various eateries. 
  • Hannah Grimes Marketplace, Main St. Offers mostly New Hampshire-made specialty goods. 
  • Cheshire Music, Main St. Sells instruments of all types, and amps for guitars. 
  • Creative Encounters, Main St. Sells various things such as funny bumper stickers and toys for kids but mainly is known for its "Extraodinary Framing" and was voted "the best frame shop in the Monadnock region." Also is home to an extensive collection of beads that you can select to be made into various jewlery. 
  • Ted's Shoe & Sport, Main St. Known as "Keene's #1 Shoe Store." 
  • Turn It Up!, 89½ Main St. Great local record store with a good selection of vinyl, used CDs, cassettes. Local artists too. You can listen before you buy. Very good prices. Spend some time with it. 

Eat

Keene also features several major chains of mid-scale restaurants, each of which have their own bars. On Winchester St. are Pizzeria Uno, 99 Restaurant, and Applebees. Located off Winchester Street, at the Monadnock Marketplace, are Chilis, Longhorn Steakhouse, and the Olive Garden.

  • Brewbakers, 48 Emerald St. (Main St. just past the Colonial Theater), ☏ +1 603 355-4844. M-Th 7AM-9PM, F Sa 7AM-10PM, Su 8AM-8PM. Wonderful little cafe where all the college and high school students hang out. Very busy during dinnertime and on the weekends; you'll be hard-pressed to find a table. Decks of cards, sketchbooks, and newspapers available, outlets and wifi easy to access. Delicious food. $2-7. (updated Jun 2023)

Drink
  • Colony Mill, West St. Houses the Elm City Brewery, which is a micro-brew known for its wide selection of beers made on site. Different brews are featured daily, so check out the daily specials board for that day's choices. The Brewery also has a large menu of pub fare and main courses, at reasonable prices. It has several TVs, and an outdoor seating section during the summer. 

Main Street area

The Main Street (Downtown) area of Keene hosts several bars and nightclubs.

  • Kilkenny's (near the Railroad). Primarily a beer bar, Kilkenny's has several pool tables. Although it is one of the smaller bars, its drinks are fairly inexpensive, making it a common starting point for people making the rounds of the Keene bar scene or doing a crawl. However, Kilkenny's does tend to draw more locals, and has a more conservative feel. 
  • Margarita's, Main Street (next to the Colonial Theater). A large Mexican restaurant. While it does serve a full range of drinks, it is mainly known for its creative, though expensive, margaritas. It has an extensive Mexican-themed menu, and outdoor seating. In addition to a restaurant section, it has a lounge area that also features a pool table. 
  • Lab and Lager, Main Street. One of the newer bars in Keene. The Lap has a small outdoor seating section, and some pool tables indoors. It draws a college-aged crowd, though it is generally considered a cheap knock-off of the Railroad. Generally hosts an older, more mature crowd (30-40). 
  • 21 Roxbury, Roxbury St (just off Main Street). It is a martini bar with up-scale martinis and other cocktails. Its small, intimate location draws a more up-scale crowd, and is a good place for a date or a more quiet conversation. 

Sleep

Cope

Churches

Emmanuel Baptist Church of Keene], First Baptist Church of Keene, Sturtevant Chapel, Hope Chapel, Keene Assembly of God, St. Bernard's Catholic Church, United Church of Christ, United Methodist Church.

Go next
  • Mount Monadnock is 12 miles to the east on NH-124 in Jaffrey. There is a small parking lot where NH-124 crests over the mountain. Just before Jaffrey Center, there is a sign pointing to the entrance to Monadnock State Park. The trails from both locations lead to the summit. Mount Monadnock is the highest mountain in southern NH and perhaps the most accessible for novice hikers, as well as being the most climbed mountain in the entire world. No special equipment is needed to climb the mountain and it can usually be done in about four hours round trip for a healthy person.
  • Brattleboro, Vermont is about a 40-minute drive to via the Franklin Pierce Highway (State Route 9 West) and US Route 5 South and has even more beautiful buildings for you to look at.
Routes through Keene
Brattleboro ← becomes ←  W  E  → Hillsborough → Concord
Lebanon ← Marlow ←  N  S  → Swanzey → Greenfield
Windsor ← Claremont ←  N  S  → Swanzey → Leominster
END ←  W  E  → Peterborough → Milford


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