Family Weekend 2024

Friday, September 27–Sunday, September 29

Leaves on Baker Lawn with Baker Tower in the center background

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 in the registration form.

In person

Sep 27, 2024

11:30 AM

Hanover, NH

Dartmouth ’25 and ’28 parents and families:

Mark your calendars for Family Weekend!

First-year and graduating senior students and families are invited to campus for this special weekend featuring tours, faculty lectures, social activities, information sessions, a family cookout, and athletic events.

If you haven’t already, it’s a good idea to make hotel reservations sooner rather than later, since fall is a busy time in the Upper Valley. Check out the Area Accommodations section below for lodging options.

Parents with their student at Family Weekend 2024

Schedule of Events

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, Hanover Hostel, and bed-and-breakfasts.

Moosilauke Ravine Lodge, owned by Dartmouth, has blocked off some of their hostel-style rustic mountain accommodations for parents and families attending Family Weekend. A new lodge was completed in the fall of 2017 and is about an hour from Hanover. Discounted rates are available for those for whom regular prices are cost prohibitive. Reservations are required. Please send an email to the lodge at moosilauke.ravine.lodge@dartmouth.edu or call (603) 764-5858 between 11:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. ET Thursday–Monday 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.

Explore the Area

Find us on the app! Local Upper Valley QR code

Area Dining and the Upper Valley Business Alliance

We planned the weekend with Friday and Saturday night dinners as free time so you can enjoy time with your student and other families. We suggest you make dinner reservations for both evenings as soon as possible.

The Upper Valley Business Alliance is a great resource for area restaurants.

Also, the Class of 1953 Commons (aka FOCO) is open to families for dinner Friday and Saturday night from 4:00–8:30 p.m. Students on a meal plan can use their guest passes, or parents can pay at the door for an all-you-can-eat meal. Families are also welcome to enjoy the dining hall for breakfast and lunch.

Attire Suggestions

Don’t forget to wear Dartmouth green to show your Dartmouth pride!

New England weather can be unpredictable this time of year, 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 Information

Visitor parking map and mobile campus map. 

Friday parking for Family Weekend is in the Dewey and Thompson lots where permits are specifically not required that day. On Saturday and Sunday, all non-reserved campus parking spaces are open, excluding the Anderson Garage. Walking from the Dewey and Thompson lots to the Green takes about 15-20 minutes. Another option is the free Advance Transit shuttle available weekdays from both lots. Service generally runs every 10 minutes between 7–10 a.m. and 3–7 p.m. and every 30 minutes between 10 a.m.–3 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.

Pay-to-Park Options

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.

Most meters in Hanover accept coins, credit, or a mobile payment app, ParkMobile.  The maximum time at 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 a.m.–5 p.m. Sunday is free.