Family Weekend
Friday, September 26–Sunday, September 28
Registration is Open!
Registration is required and there is no fee to attend Family Weekend. One member of your family will be the primary registrant and will add your Dartmouth student and other family members attending as guests on the registration form.
Dartmouth ’26 and ’29 parents, supporters, and families:
Mark your calendars for Family Weekend! Events begin at noon Friday and end around noon Sunday.
All first-year and graduating senior families are invited to campus for Family Weekend, three days featuring tours, faculty lectures, social activities, information sessions, a family cookout, athletic events, and more. Students are also invited to attend with their families!
It’s a good idea to make hotel reservations sooner, rather than later, since fall is a busy time around Hanover and the Upper Valley. Explore area accommodations and other weekend details below.
We look forward to welcoming you to campus!
Area Accommodations
Fall in the Upper Valley is a busy time for visitors, so we encourage you to make a hotel reservation as soon as possible, if you haven’t done so already. There are no hotel blocks on hold for families for this special weekend. You may want to look for availability within an hour or so of Hanover in both New Hampshire and Vermont. Don’t forget to also check out Airbnb, Vrbo, Quechee Lakes rentals, Eastman Lake rentals, and bed-and-breakfasts.
Moosilauke Ravine Lodge, owned by Dartmouth and about an hour from Hanover, has blocked off some of their hostel-style rustic mountain accommodations for families attending Family Weekend. Discounted rates are available for those for whom regular prices are cost-prohibitive. Reservations are required. Please call (603) 764-5858 between 11:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. ET Wednesday–Monday or email moosilauke.ravine.lodge@dartmouth.edu with questions and to make your reservation. Hearty breakfasts and family-style dinners are also offered at the lodge—reservations required.
Things to Do and Places to Eat
Whether you’re exploring the campus, Hanover, or the entire Upper Valley this weekend, we’ve got your guide for where to go and what to eat. From Big Green athletics, hiking, apple picking, curling up with a book and a coffee, or enjoying a cruller at Lou’s Bakery, there’s something for the whole family on campus and beyond.
Donate Food and Personal Care Items for Upper Valley Families in Need
Drop off your donated non-perishable food and personal care items at the Family Weekend check-in tables. The items will be donated to the Upper Valley Haven in White River Junction, which has been providing food relief and temporary shelter and educational programming for home-insecure and at-risk families and adults since 1980.
- Food items needed: canned chicken/tuna, peanut butter, elbow pasta, plain pasta sauce, macaroni and cheese, canned fruit, canned beans, soups or broths, and rice.
- Personal care items needed: deodorant, razors, shampoo, bar soap, toothpaste, toothbrushes, diapers (sizes 5 and 6) and Pull-ups.
Attire Suggestions
Don’t forget to wear Dartmouth green to show your Dartmouth pride!
New England weather can be unpredictable in the fall, so be sure to check the weather forecast—function (including comfortable shoes) and not fashion is the key...and layers are always a wise choice.
Parking
Friday
Free parking for Family Weekend is in the Dewey and G-Lot parking lots where permits are specifically not required that day.
- GPS address for Dewey and G-Lot is 1 Dewey Field Road, Hanover, NH
- Walking from the Dewey and G-Lot parking lots to the Green will take about 15-20 minutes
- Another option is the free Advance Transit shuttle available weekdays from both lots.
- Service generally runs every 10 minutes between 7:00 a.m.–10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m.–7:00 p.m. and every 30 minutes between 10:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m.
- Check advancetransit.com for the most up-to-date schedule. The free shuttle stops are near Tuck School of Business, Geisel Medical School, Thayer School of Engineering, Undergraduate Admissions Office (McNutt Hall), Hanover Inn, and the Hopkins Center for the Arts.
Saturday and Sunday
Free parking for Family Weekend is in the Dewey, G-Lot, and Thompson parking lots, and all non-reserved campus parking spaces.
- GPS address for Dewey and G-Lot is 1 Dewey Field Road, Hanover, NH
- GPS address for Thompson is 10 Summer Court, Hanover, NH
- Walking from the Dewey, Thompson, and G-Lot parking lots to the Dartmouth Green will take about 15-20 minutes.
Discover accessible spaces and charging station locations here.
Pay-to-Park Options All Weekend
In Dartmouth’s Anderson Garage on the West End of campus, credit cards are accepted to park in the gated facility, with weekday and weekend rates posted at the entrance. In Town of Hanover public spaces, most meters in Hanover accept coins, credit, or a mobile payment app, ParkMobile. The maximum time for meters varies between one hour and 10 hours depending on the location. There is a 10-hour lot behind the Irving Gas station on South Main Street and a municipal parking garage at 7 Lebanon Street. Payment is required Monday-Saturday, 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. Sunday is free.
ParkMobile
- Download the app.
- Create a ParkMobile account, if you don't already have one.
- Start a parking session. Alternatively, scan the QR code on the sign on your mobile device and follow payment instructions.
Family Weekend 2024: A Recap in Photos
More than 3,000 family members and guests joined students in Hanover for Family Weekend 2024. Explore this recap of last year’s Family Weekend—and get a sense of what you have to look forward to!
Have questions?
Contact Kay Reynolds, Associate Director, Family Relations and Engagement, at
dartmouth.families@dartmouth.edu or (603) 646-3549
