New Hampshire’s White Mountains region is famous for its family attractions and for its 19th-century grand hotels. At first blush, the two may seem worlds apart, but at the Eagle Mountain House, a 93-room grand hotel that has welcomed White Mountains travelers since 1879, kids will actually feel quite at home. Though most of the other grand hotels do welcome children, there’s something about this gracious hideaway that is just a notch more casual, cozy and fun.
Curious children will delight in operating the manual doors on the 1920s-era elevator that remains the only elevator in Jackson. Once powered by water, the antique elevator provides slow and steady transport to guestrooms that feature country furnishings and a choice of one queen or two double beds. Suite accommodations are also available. Up to two children under 18 may stay free in the same room as their adult companions.
Kids will also get a kick out of poking around amid the old books, puzzles and games in the homey library; watching the hotel's bakers at work creating cakes and breads through a viewing window into the kitchen; and playing in the basement game room equipped with billiard and ping pong tables, toys and arcade games. In the summer, a heated outdoor pool is available to guests, and in the winter, families can cross-country ski right from the hotel.
Downhill ski areas including Attitash Bear Peak, Wildcat and Cranmore are all a short drive away. So are some of the region's popular family attractions including Story Land, Santa's Village and the Conway Scenic Railroad.
Next Page: Eagle Mountain House is Fun for Adults, Too
