Keene, New Hampshire and the Monadnock Region

Pumpkin Festival Keene and the Monadnock Region are considered something of a hidden treasure in northern New England. Historic, small-town charm blends with sophisticated cultural attractions and access to outdoor activities such as hiking, canoeing, camping, swimming, and skiing.

With a population of 23,000, Keene is a small city gifted with unusually developed social and educational resources. Its central location makes ANE easily accessible and navigable from New England and beyond. The hub of town is its historic Central Square, where legend has it a contingent of local militiamen assembled in 1775 before heading off for the Battle of Bunker Hill. Today the square remains downtown’s community gathering place and the gateway to Keene’s wide array of dining, shopping, and entertainment.

Restaurants on and near the square serve a variety of fare from elegant Mediterranean to casual home-style, intimate Thai to raucous microbrew. Exceptional food can also be found minutes away in neighboring towns, where offerings include award-winning wood-fired pizza, sushi, and spicy Indian fare.

Shopping in Keene covers the gamut from high fashion to hemp goods, new music and books to the latest in outdoor and sports gear.

Big city entertainment is also close-at-hand at Main Street’s Colonial Theater, which schedules a varied lineup of independent films, plays, ballets, operas, and live musical events ranging from classical orchestra to acoustic rock. Other cultural attractions in the region include the Apple Hill Center for Chamber Music and the Peterborough Players professional theatre troupe. Boston, and its abundance of cultural attractions and diversions, is also just two hours away.

the ascent Nestled in the Ashuelot River Valley, Keene is surrounded by rolling, wooded hills and brooks, streams, and ponds that beckon outdoor enthusiasts, naturalists, and back-woods adventurers. At 3,165 feet, Mount Monadnock is said to be the most frequently climbed mountain in North America. As the region’s tallest peak, Monadnock offers a challenging day-hike just twenty minutes from Keene. For more serious alpinists, the White Mountains just two hours north offer some of the best hiking and climbing in the Northeast. Closer to Keene, the towering white pine and hemlock of Pisgah State Park, just ten miles from town, make an ideal setting for secluded, peaceful hikes on its fourteen thousand acres.

“I love Keene because there are so many local activities for families, fantastic libraries, as well as great hiking trails nearby.”
— Nora Velazquez, Doctoral Candidate - Environmental Studies

For white-water kayakers, the lower reaches of the Ashuelot River in nearby Winchester and Hinsdale offer an exhilarating ride. Hundreds of acres of private woods and wetlands surrounding Keene have been set aside as conservation land, and many of them are open for public enjoyment. Skiers and snowboarders also have no shortage of options once the snow starts to fly. For warmer weather fun, the Connecticut River, eighteen miles to the east of town, offers quiet flowing water for canoeing and fishing. Golfers can enjoy a round at several of the region’s courses. In the fall, the Monadnock area comes alive with the color of turning leaves. Keene has become somewhat synonymous with autumn as the home of the annual Pumpkin Festival, during which the town sets out to break its world record for the number of carved, lighted jack-o’-lanterns.

For more information about Keene, visit the Keene Sentinel, the Keene Chamber of Commerce, and the Colonial Theatre.

Last Updated: 4/22/08