Lebanon brings together hands-on art, architectural history, and trails of varying lengths and surfaces. In the center are the AVA Gallery and Art Center, Colburn Park, a large rectangular green space, and the start of the Mascoma River Greenway. The Colburn Park Historic District includes buildings and other features around and within the green space. Other landmarks include the Lebanon Opera House, historic buildings, and routes with named endpoints. To plan your visit, start by choosing your focus: get creative, explore architectural history, or select a trail based on its length and use.
Art and Culture in Lebanon
In downtown Lebanon is the AVA Gallery and Art Center, an art campus where you can weld metal, shape clay, and make your own prints. Activities range from working with metal and clay to printmaking, making hands-on art a part of the city’s cultural offerings.
The Lebanon Opera House offers a different focus: it is an active, year-round, fully renovated performing arts venue. It presents live performances that inspire, educate, and entertain. Together, AVA and the Opera House represent different forms of culture—working with materials yourself on the one hand, and live performances on the other. If you’d like to plan your stay around a show, check the event schedule in advance.
Architectural History, from the District to the Bridge
Colburn Park is a large rectangular green space in the center of Lebanon. The Colburn Park Historic District includes 23 buildings, 19 of which are considered contributing resources, as well as several features around and within the green space. This means the historic landmarks around the park include both individual buildings and a larger architectural context.
The Dana House is the oldest surviving house in Lebanon. The Packard Hill Covered Bridge is a historic Howe truss bridge over the Mascoma River. The house, the historic district, and the bridge illustrate different scales of architectural history.
Trails by Length and Use
The Mascoma River Greenway starts in downtown Lebanon and is 2.5 miles long. Its wide, flat, paved surface is suitable for walking, biking, and wheelchairs. The Greenway also passes through a long tunnel featuring colorful murals by local artists. This sets it apart from the longer rail trails and road routes.
The Northern Rail Trail offers a different scale: it is 59 miles long, open year-round, and follows a historic rail corridor. It begins in Lebanon in the Upper Valley and is the longest rail trail in the state of New Hampshire. Compared with the 2.5-mile Greenway, it is a considerably longer route. By contrast, the Greenway is specifically described as having a paved, flat surface and being suitable for walking, biking, and wheelchairs. In direct comparison, the Northern Rail Trail is much longer, while the Greenway has a wide, flat, paved surface suitable for walking, biking, and wheelchairs.
Another clearly defined route is the Enfield Shaker Village Scenic Byway. It runs 3.2 miles along Route 4A, starts in Lebanon at the intersection with Route 4, and ends at the Enfield Shaker Museum in Enfield. Its named endpoints and length help distinguish it from the multi-use and rail trails.
Market at Colburn Park
The Lebanon Farmers’ Market takes place in Colburn Park. Offerings include vegetables, fruit, flowers and plants, dairy products, maple products, baked goods, meat, and crafts. Seasonal dates and the mix of goods may vary. If you want to make the market a firm part of your plans, check the dates before your visit.
Discover more destinations: Lincoln, Franconia, Sugar Hill, Ashland, Thornton, Waterville Valley, Woodstock, Campton.
For the broader travel overview: Grafton.
