Celebrate Durham
Where you can learn about cool places and events in our community
Parent's Guide to Durham
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A much needed break to process loads of information
From your child's initial visit to UNH until graduation, you are going to have many opportunities to visit the campus and the Town of Durham. Since many of those times will be fairly hectic, Celebrate Durham thought it might be helpful to have a basic visitors guide that provides some tips to make your visit more enjoyable.
Parking
Visitors tend to arrive in large numbers during orientation, move-in day, sporting events, and Parents Weekend. This can make parking a real challenge. Here are some helpful resources.
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Durham Public Parking Guide- A simple rundown of Durham's public parking
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Durham Parking Fees- A complete guide to short term and long term parking in Durham.
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UNH Visitor Parking Park- A detailed page the explains UNH's parking system.
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UNH Family Weekend Guide- This guide has a map and directions to B, D, and the Strafford Avenue lots
Main Street Parking
A Place to Sit Down
A Tasty Burger
When you are visiting Durham, your child is going to expect you to take them out for lunch or dinner, and depending on the weekend, you are going to need a place to get a cup of coffee and catch your breath. You can find a complete listing of places eat at the Durham Food and Restaurant Guide.
Looking for advice from a local? Here are some suggestions for coffee, lunch, and dinner.
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Breaking New Grounds- 50 Main Street. Coffee is roasted in the store. Small selection of food. Student and faculty hangout.
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Freedom Cafe- 10 Mill Road. Fair trade coffees and teas and a mission to help end human trafficking. Very comfortable place to hangout.
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Saxbys- 17 Madbury Road. Good selection of coffee and snacks. Managed by a UNH Hospitality Alum.
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Bumble Bee Tea House- 9 Madbury Road. Large selection of bubble teas and fruit drinks. Desserts to compliment your drink. Outdoor seating.
Freshly Roasted Coffee
Welcome to Young's
The Three Chimneys Inn at 17 Newmarket Road has several dining options.
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The Ffrost Sawyer Tavern- granite walls and hand-hewn beams provide a conformable backdrop for traditional New England Fare.
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Maples Dining Room And Coppers- Two very historic dining rooms create a classic New England dining experience.
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The Terrance- Outdoor dining from the spring to the fall, Open Sunday-Saturday 5PM-9PM.
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Bamee/Azure- 12 Jenkins Court. Specializes in Thai street food. Two thumbs up.
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Hop and Grind- 17 Madbury Road. Burgers and craft beer.
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The Works Cafe- Mill Plaza. Bagels, wraps, and sandwiches. I get an egg, spinach, and cheese after walking with my dogs at Wagon Hill.
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Young's- 48 Main Street. A Durham institution. Kenny grows his own produce in his greenhouse.
Ffrost Sawyer Tavern
Where to get for the Stuff You forgot to Bring Move In Day
Your kids have had a few weeks to get settled, and cooler fall weather is on the way. Your visit is a great time to do a little shopping. Durham has an interesting mix of business where you can purchase the items you forgot and souvenirs to take home Here is a link to our Business Directory.
A Place to go for a Walk
Fall is a great time to visit the seacoast of New Hampshire. The weather is still mild and the leaf colors are amazing. While there are lots of on campus events including the football game, there are also some wonderful walking trails close by that give families a chance to catch up. Here are my top three.
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Wagon Hill Farm is a 139-acre property that abutts the Oyster River. Plenty of parking, great views of the river, and a nice loop. Here is a link to a short write up about it.
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The Sweet Trail can be reached by heading south on 108 and turning left on Longmarsh Road. There is a small parking area next to the trailhead. Super nice trail. Here is a link to a post I wrote a few years ago.
You can find a complete listing of UNH and town trails and maps at the Town of Durham website.