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Try Waterville Valley, New Hampshire for family fun in the White Mountains and learn about one of the most treasured children's book characters

Margret and H.A. Rey, the creators of Curious George, spent their summers in a small town called Waterville Valley in New Hampshire. Today, visitors can see the home of this beloved figure and find that there’s much more to do here as well. In fact, the area is best described as a summer camp for the entire family or as the locals like to term it: “The nation’s most family-friendly resort and recreation area.”

The village here has less than 400 year-round residents, but it’s packed with a huge variety of activities. Let’s start with George, though.

Where George Spent His Summers

The little monkey used to spend his summers here because Margret and H.A. (whose first name was Hans) came looking for a break from the hustle and bustle of Manhattan. Also, Hans wanted someplace where he could see the stars because he was revising his popular astronomy book, "The Stars: A New Way to See Them."

Visitors can see the Curious George Cottage (37 Village Road 03215, 603/236-3308) is free, though donations are encouraged, making for an economical attraction. The Cottage, now undergoing a renovation, will be a "green building" in honor of H.A. Rey's early interest in alternative energy, featuring solar arrays, porous paving, geothermal technology, rain gardens, constructed wetlands, and a landscape that maintains and interprets the mountain environment. The executive directors of the Center hope to illustrate how restoring an old building can be environmentally responsible.

A new Rey Center will feature an earth and sky observatory and a telescope that can project onto a large screen. Regular programming will continue here, but will now offer more space for families.  Visitors will be encouraged to explore the outdoors with a Curious Kids program, and educational overnights. Older children can take drawing classes, while their parents explore current environmental research projects. The construction, with a budget of $233,000, began Summer 2009. 

H.A. was a Renaissance man who used to let visitors watch as he drew new adventures for George. At times, he would take a group of children on nature walks and delight them with his talent of throwing his voice. Apart from seeing the creator of George, visitors find a stunning variety of things to do.

The annual Curious George Cottage Family Festival is set for August 7-9, 2009 in Waterville Valley. The event will include a full day of activities and events for the entire family including a family nature walk, photo opportunities with Curious George and the Man in the Yellow Hat with the Waterville Valley fire truck, a traveling barnyard, live music, face painting, games for kids, Curious George story hour and movie viewing, planetarium shows by Plymouth State University, an energy fair, and more. While here in Waterville Valley, families can also enjoy swimming and canoeing on Corcoran’s Pond, walks on the many hiking trails in Waterville Valley, and skating at the Waterville Valley Ice Arena among other activities.