Dinner and Sunset Cruise

Cruise Description

Start your evening with a delicious fixed price dinner* at Walter's Basin Restaurant, followed by a sunset cruise on Squam Lake. This guided tour showcases Squam's beauty as dusk falls. The guide discusses the natural history, wildlife, and people of Squam Lake.

Dinner and Sunset Cruise is $55.00 per person; not recommended for children

The Dinner and Sunset Cruise is 90 minutes in length. Squam Lake Cruises are on canopied pontoon boats. Binoculars are available for wildlife viewing at no additional cost.

Advance reservations are strongly recommended.

Each boat has a maximum passenger capacity set by NH Marine Patrol. Space on all cruises is limited. Seats are guaranteed for those making advance reservations and payment. Other space is available on a first come, first serve basis. Reserve online or call 603-968-7194 x 7 for tickets.

Cancellations: Ours and Yours

Cruises may be cancelled if we do not have a minimum of two passengers. The Science Center may also decide to cancel a cruise at any time due to weather, unsafe conditions, or other circumstances at our discretion. We will use our best judgement to ensure the safety of our passengers, Tour Captains, and boats. If we cancel a cruise we will contact passengers to reschedule on another date or to issue a full refund. If passengers need to cancel for any reason, please call the Science Center at 603-968-7194 x 7 to reschedule or request a full refund. If passengers cancel at least 90 minutes prior to the start of the cruise and contact the Science Center, payments will be refunded in full. If passengers cancel within 90 minutes of the start of the cruise, payments will not be refunded.

*Sample Dinner Menu:

Appetizer for two, choice of:

Mussels - sauteed onions, garlic, shallot and leeks, simmered in a white wine and butter sauce
Crab Cakes - pan fried crab cakes with chipotle aioli
Shrimp Cocktail

Entree, choice of:

Garlic Teriyaki Glazed Steak Tips - grilled steak tips with a garlic teriyaki glaze, served with mashed potato and vegetable
Pan-Fried Trout - pan-fried Rainbow Trout, with blueberry butter, served with orzo and vegetable
Chicken Francaise - egg battered chicken served with a white wine, lemon, and butter sauce served over linguine
Wild Mushroom and Walnut Ravioli Sautee - wild mushroom raviolis sauteed with garlic, mushrooms, and walnuts, topped with shaved parmesan cheese

Dessert: Seasonal Chef's choice

*Tax and gratuity included. Alcoholic beverages not included. Chef reserves the right to change the menu at any time.

Discover Squam

Bald Eagle Adventure

Loon Cruise

Cruise with a Naturalist

Lake Explorers Family Cruise

Dinner and Sunset Cruise

Private Charters

Group Tours

Nathaniel Abbott, 08/10/19
This nature preserve is one or the most important places in the State, or the country. Inventive, entertaining exhibits are sprinkled liberally in between live wild animals (all rescues that would otherwise die or fair poorly). Plenty of playground installations for the Rugrats to wear themselves out on. Every parent who can must take their children as often as possible so that the messages about nature and the environment have a chance to get across and be heard and understood. There are dozens of nature and wildlife live presentations every week. This is truly a national treasure.
cheryl lemay, 07/31/19
Very nice area for walking. Lots of hands on activities to increase knowledge. There is a small picnic area towards the beginning of you wanted to bring some food to eat. There is also a small cafe, if you didn't bring your own food.
Lynne Kraskouskas, 09/18/18
Great educational facility. Fun and educational for all ages. Very much enjoyed the sub-canopy boardwalk peppered with stations featuring different animals and ecosystems of the surrounding area. There are educational presentations with live animals as well as an otter exhibit. A few times a week, the otters are fed a "fishsicle" and it is amusing to watch them try and get their snacks. Didn't visit gift shop or go for a cruise. That's the great thing about this place, one can come back again and again and have a different experience. Locals or regular visitors to the region can purchase a membership and come and go. There is a nice picnic area and food during the summer season. It was not busy the day we visited, but I could see it being a lot busier. Educational, interesting AND shady.
John Cook, 10/19/19
Each and every time we visit the center it never ceases to amaze us. At certain locations there is a need for personal interaction with staff providing more information and answering questions. Static exhibits are boring and uninteresting. The animated prehistoric reptiles were stimulating. An impromptu meeting with staffer handling an injured raptor and the information she provided while standing in the rain was exceptional. Please watch your prices!
Byron Styles, 09/03/19
A had a great time as did my 4 year old son. The dinosaur exhibit was awesome and I really emitted the walkthrough set up in a somewhat very natural setting. I'm normally not a big fan of caged wild animals but the broad variety of local wildlife they do have on exhibit were all injured in some way, shape, or form and wouldn't have survived had they not been rescued and prob wouldn't have survived had they been released back into the wild... So that was actual a small sigh of relief.