Lebanon: Art, Trails and History

Lebanon combines creative offerings and history with trails that offer different ways to explore. In the center, you can get creative yourself or discover historic places; outdoors, options range from a paved multi-use trail to a long path along a former railway line. A local market also offers a special glimpse of the town.

Art and History in the Center

At the AVA Gallery and Art Center, an arts campus in downtown Lebanon, you can weld metal, shape clay and create your own prints. Rather than simply looking at art, a visit gives you the chance to try out different materials and techniques for yourself. For families with children who enjoy creating and working with their hands, this can be an appealing focus; which activity is right for you depends on your interests.

Colburn Park provides a tangible point of reference for the history of the center: it is a large, rectangular green space, with a number of sites around it and along its edges. The Colburn Park Historic District includes 23 buildings, 19 of which are considered contributing properties. Anyone interested in local history and architecture can note both the number of buildings and the different classifications of the properties. Dana House adds to this historic perspective as the oldest surviving house in Lebanon.

The Lebanon Opera House offers another cultural dimension. It is an active, year-round, fully renovated performing arts venue. The venue presents live performances that inspire, educate and entertain. This means that, alongside hands-on creative activities, Lebanon also offers performances as another form of cultural experience.

Trails for Different Travel Interests

The Mascoma River Greenway starts in downtown Lebanon and is 2.5 miles long. Its paved, multi-use surface is wide and level, and suitable for walking, cycling and wheelchair use. This lets you choose how you’d like to travel the route without committing to a particular use. A distinctive feature is the long, art-filled tunnel with colorful murals by local artists. The trail thus combines a specific distance with an artistic experience along the way.

For a much longer route, the Northern Rail Trail offers a different scale: this year-round recreational trail follows a historic railway line, is 59 miles long and starts in Lebanon in the Upper Valley. It is the longest rail trail in New Hampshire. Its overall length makes it a different kind of trail experience from the 2.5-mile Greenway; which route suits your stay depends on how much exploring you have in mind.

The Enfield Shaker Village Scenic Byway, in turn, offers a road route: it runs for 3.2 miles along Route 4A. It starts at the intersection with Route 4 in Lebanon and ends at the Enfield Shaker Museum in Enfield. Its clearly defined route and named endpoints make it easy to include as a separate outing in your travel plans, rather than treating it as one of the trails in the center.

A Glimpse of Regional Products

The Lebanon Farmers' Market takes place in Colburn Park. Vendors offer vegetables and fruit, flowers and plants, dairy products, maple products, baked goods and meat, as well as crafts. The selection ranges from food for different meals to handmade items. The market is another way to get to know Lebanon beyond its cultural venues and trails.

When choosing a vacation rental in Lebanon, you can start by asking what you want your trip to focus on: getting creative, enjoying live performances, exploring trails or discovering market offerings. The different options give you concrete starting points for planning your vacation, without implying that you need to stay in any particular area.

More destinations: Ashland, Bethlehem, Canaan, Franconia, Holderness, Waterville Valley, Plymouth and Sugar Hill.

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