Quebec Flag

Visit New Hampshire's Currier & Ives Corner

A park scene with a white gazebo, stone fountain, trees, and a brick building in the background under a clear blue sky.
Above, the bandshell at Keene's Central Square on a summer afternoon

Southwestern New Hampshire is often referred to as the Currier & Ives Corner because of its agreeable blend of rolling hills, picturesque farms, and small-town charm, but as well for iconic Mount Monadnock, the 3,165-foot mountain peak that dominates its landscape.

The Currier & Ives Corner is also known as the Monadnock Region, and is anchored by two “urban” destinations; Keene, the largest (with a population of about  23,000) is the cultural hub with a cluster of locally owned shops, art galleries and café’s, while Peterborough (population 6,500) is remembered, among other reasons, as “The town that Made Peter Pan Famous” (having inspired the playwright L.M. Barrie who spent his summers there), and of course, as the home of the MacDowell Colony, the renowned artists’ retreat. 

The Currier & Ives Region is more than just a collection of charming towns.  In addition to immersing themselves in the region’s art galleries, shops and quaint restaurants and cafes, visitors are drawn to Mount Monadnock which is said to be one of the most climbed Mountains in North America, with more than 40 trails leading to a summit that offers panoramic views on clear days of all six New England states.   

Peterborough

A brick building with arched windows, a white cupola, and an American flag in front, under a partly cloudy sky.
One Grove Street, Peterborough

Historic Peterborough, founded in 1749, and the home of the MacDowell Colony, is a picture-perfect, eminently walkable New England town (also known for its share of owner-operated shops and quaint restaurants).  Peterborough has hosted musicians, and writers for generations, including composers Leonard Bernstein and Aaron Copeland, who wrote Billy the Kid there, and writers Willa Cather and Thornton Wilder, whose classic play “Our Town” was set in the fictional town of Grover’s Corners, New Hampshire, considered to have been inspired by the small-town atmosphere of Peterborough.  Not surprisingly, Peterborough Players is one of the oldest summer theaters in the country.

What To Do In Peterborough
Where to Eat in Peterborough
Where to Sleep in Peterborough

Keene

A white gazebo in a park with flowers and trees. A clock tower building is visible in the background under a clear sky. A blue car is parked nearby.
Central Square, Keene

Downtown Keene is endowed with charming restaurants, locally owned shops and bookstores, of course, and it is the home of Keene State University and the annual Pumpkin Festival with pumpkin-themed activities and parades. 

Every October, an espeicially lovely time to be here, this event competes for the world record for the most lit jack-o’-lanterns displayed in one place, a record that it has held off and on over the years.  

What To Do In Keene
Where to Sleep in Keene
Where to Eat in Keene

Comee to the palpably friendly Currier & Ives Regin of New Hampshire in the spring, summer, fall or winter, slow down, make some friends, soak up the scenic landscape, and enjoy the simple pleasures of small-town New England life. 

Getting to the Currier & Ives Region is Easy

Because of their location in Southern New Hampshire, Keene and Peterborough are easy day-trip or weekend destinations from Boston, Hartford, and New York City (most visitors will want to see both). 

 For interactive driving directions to both locations, click on the corresponding buttons below.

Driving to Peterborough

From Boston
From Hartford
From New York City
From Keene

Driving to Keene

From Boston
From Hartford
From New York City
From Peterborough