Weirs Beach, New Hampshire
Encyclopedia
Laconia, New Hampshire
As of the census of 2000, there were 16,411 people, 6,724 households, and 4,168 families residing in the city. The population density was 809.3 people per square mile . There were 8,554 housing units at an average density of 421.8 per square mile...
in Belknap County
Belknap County, New Hampshire
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 56,325 people, 22,459 households, and 15,496 families residing in the county. The population density was 140 people per square mile . There were 32,121 housing units at an average density of 80 per square mile...
, New Hampshire
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is located on the southern shore of Lake Winnipesaukee
Lake Winnipesaukee
Lake Winnipesaukee is the largest lake in the U.S. state of New Hampshire. It is approximately long and from wide , covering — when Paugus Bay is included—with a maximum depth of ....
. The cruise ship Mount Washington
MS Mount Washington
The MS Mount Washington is the flagship vessel of the Winnipesaukee Flagship Corporation. Its home port is on Lake Winnipesaukee in Laconia, New Hampshire, in the United States. The ship makes several ports of call around the lake during her scenic cruises in the spring, summer and fall months...
terminates there. It is a popular destination of biker
Motorcycle
A motorcycle is a single-track, two-wheeled motor vehicle. Motorcycles vary considerably depending on the task for which they are designed, such as long distance travel, navigating congested urban traffic, cruising, sport and racing, or off-road conditions.Motorcycles are one of the most...
s during Motorcycle Week
Laconia Motorcycle Week
Laconia Motorcycle Week is a motorcycle rally held annually in June in Laconia, New Hampshire, USA.The rally has its origin in the Loudon Classic motorcycle race started in 1923 and the Gypsy tour, where many motorcyclists passed through Laconia...
every June.
Weirs Beach, or "The Weirs" as it is referred to by locals, is named for a wide, sandy, public beach
Beach
A beach is a geological landform along the shoreline of an ocean, sea, lake or river. It usually consists of loose particles which are often composed of rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle, pebbles or cobblestones...
on Lake Winnipesaukee. Adjacent to the beach and comprising the center of the village are a boulevard
Boulevard
A Boulevard is type of road, usually a wide, multi-lane arterial thoroughfare, divided with a median down the centre, and roadways along each side designed as slow travel and parking lanes and for bicycle and pedestrian usage, often with an above-average quality of landscaping and scenery...
and boardwalk
Boardwalk
A boardwalk, in the conventional sense, is a wooden walkway for pedestrians and sometimes vehicles, often found along beaches, but they are also common as paths through wetlands, coastal dunes, and other sensitive environments....
that run along a quarter mile stretch of Lakeside Ave. The main summer port of the Winnipesaukee Flagship Company's MS Mount Washington is located on the boulevard. A large public dock is also evident at this popular stop for boaters on Lake Winnipesaukee. On the opposite side of the street are several seasonal arcades and vendors that have been located there for many years. The Winnipesaukee Pier juts out into the lake from the main boulevard. The pier
Pier
A pier is a raised structure, including bridge and building supports and walkways, over water, typically supported by widely spread piles or pillars...
was constructed in 1925 and was a bustling spot for many years attracting many of the most famous big band
Big band
A big band is a type of musical ensemble associated with jazz and the Swing Era typically consisting of rhythm, brass, and woodwind instruments totaling approximately twelve to twenty-five musicians...
groups of the time.
The Weirs Beach area also contains a water slide, a drive-in movie theater, the Winnipesaukee Playhouse
Winnipesaukee Playhouse
The Winnipesaukee Playhouse, also referred to as the Winni Playhouse, is an 84-seat black box-style theater located in the Weirs Beach section of Laconia, New Hampshire. The Playhouse produces both a professional summer stock season as well as a community theater season, and is arguably the only...
, and several motels and cottage complexes. Condominiums abound, and there are three marinas offering new and used boats, parts and accessories, dockspace, storage, and rental boats for outings on the "Big Lake".