The Claremont Opera House remains the ideal place to savor a cultural evening in Claremont. The community was generous with the centennial birthday presents to the Opera House: newly upholstered seats, a new air conditioning system and other improvements that make it the finest place in the region to catch world-class entertainment, from the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra to the Peking Acrobats.

Visitors with a taste for history will want to explore the city with a historic walking tour. Self-guided maps are available at the Chamber of Commerce office, located on Tremont Square. Call (603) 543-1296 for more information. If your hunger for the past is still unsatisfied, the Claremont Historical Society Museum at 26 Mulberry St. offers another opportunity to explore Claremont’s interesting and diverse past.

Should your entertainment tastes run to a faster pace, then the Claremont Speedway is for you. For over fifty years several thousand fans have packed the Speedway every Saturday night in the spring, summer and early fall to watch drivers duel on the quarter-mile paved oval. The track is proud to participate in NASCAR’s weekly racing series.

Within a short drive of Claremont, attractions abound. The Fort at Number 4 in neighboring Charlestown to the south is an authentic recreation of a fort dating from the 1740’s, when it was the northernmost settlement in New England. Just north of the city in Cornish is the Cornish-Windsor Covered Bridge, the longest such span in the country. The homestead of famed 19th century sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens lies just north of the covered bridge on Route 12A. Exhibits at Saint-Gaudens include Saint-Gaudens’ finest work as well as sculptors of today in residence shaping clay, metals and other materials. Be sure to bring a picnic basket and enjoy one of the Sunday Chamber concerts in the summer months at this national historic site.

Surrounded by rivers and mountains, Claremont makes the perfect getaway. Lake Sunapee and Mount Sunapee Ski Area are 25 minutes to the east, while the Okemo Mountain Resort is 40 minutes to the west. The Mount Sunapee Resort in Newbury offers extensive seasonal programs. In the summer, take an aerial sky ride to the summit of Mount Sunapee, enjoy the 360 degree view and then hike or mountain bike through the mountain’s winding trails. Less than a mile from the summit is the glacial Lake Solitude, the perfect spot for a picnic. The state park is perfect for novice and experienced skateboarders alike, with skating clinics and a challenging trick area that includes rails, quarterpipes and curbs. In the winter, the mountain turns into a paradise for skiers and snowboarders. In addition to a variety of trails, the resort contains a terrain park that boasts the longest state-of-the-art half-pipe in New Hampshire.

The Okemo Mountain resort in Ludlow, Vermont is a full service resort that offers golf in the summer, snow sports in the winter, excellent dining with scenic views, and boutique shopping throughout the year. Ragged Mountain Resort in nearby Danbury offers a full range of golf-related activities in the summer and skiing for all ability levels in the winter.

Whatever the season, the Claremont area offers a multitude of options to the adventurous traveler.

New England is, perhaps, best known for its glorious display of fall colors. Include Claremont on your New England drive itinerary and discover for yourself a place where reality exceeds expectation.

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