Please Note
On Commencement day, the traffic in and around Durham is extremely heavy. Please plan to arrive in Durham no later than 1 hour prior to the start of the ceremony to ensure that you are at the Whittemore Center Arena for the beginning of the procession which starts twenty minutes prior to the start of the ceremony.
Each ceremony is anticipated to last approximately 1.5 hours. We encourage guests making reservations to make them for no earlier than 2 hours after their ceremony.
Directions by Car
From I-95 South (ME), take Exit 5 (in NH) to the Spaulding Turnpike (Route 16 north), then take Exit 6W (US 4 west) towards Durham to the NH 155A.
From I-95 North (MA), take Exit 4 (in NH) (left-hand exit) to the Spaulding Turnpike (Route 16 north), then take Exit 6W (US 4 west) towards Durham to the NH 155A exit.
From the West, take NH 101 east to Exit 7 in Epping (NH 125 north). Follow NH 125 north to the Lee traffic circle. Take the first right to US 4 east to the Durham NH 155A exit.
As you approach campus from the west on NH 155A/Main Street, there will be signs for parking at West Edge Lot, the Mast Road Lots and finally Lot A (via the roundabout).
From the NH 108 south corridor (Newmarket, Stratham, Exeter), parking is available in Lot B or the Campus Crossing Visitor Lot.
Parking information for guests who use a wheelchair or scooter can be found here.
Please do not drive directly to the Whittemore Center. There is no on-site parking or drop-off.
Directions by Train
Amtrak Downeaster train service connects Durham-UNH campus to eight station communities between Freeport/Brunswick/Portland ME, and Boston, MA. The train station is directly next to the Whittemore Center Arena.
Check the Downeaster schedule and make reservations (required) for travel at https://www.amtrakdowneaster.com.
The service on Commencement Day is especially well suited for those traveling from communities to the north of Durham with a 9:17 a.m. arrival and 1:17 p.m. and 6:22 p.m. northbound departures.
Directions by Bus
C&J provides bus service from Boston, Logan Airport and NYC to two stations within 20 minutes of campus: Pease-Portsmouth (I-95 Exit 3) and Dover NH (NH 16 Exit 9).
Greyhound provides bus service from Portland, Downeast Maine and Boston to downtown Portsmouth.
Directions by Air
There are three general passenger service airports in the region: Manchester/Boston Regional Airport in Manchester, NH; Logan International Airport in Boston, MA; and Portland Jetport. The airports are well connected to the UNH campus.
More detailed regional Transit Connection information
Parking
General parking is available in Lot A and West Edge. In order to accommodate multiple ceremonies a day, we ask that guests park in the assigned lot for their ceremony. Additionally, we do ask that guests vacate the parking lot as soon as possible after their ceremony.
Lot Assignments:
Graduate School: West Edge
Manchester/Granite State College: Lot A
COLA: West Edge
CEPS: Lot A
PAUL: Lot A
CHHS: West Edge
COLSA: Lot A
General parking is also available in Lot B. Small lots are also open. D Lot, H Lot, and Edgewood Road Visitor Lot will be closed to accommodate the Commencement ceremony. Please note, closed parking lots are subject to change.
There are no fees and no passes are required for general parking in any of the open lots.
Vehicles are not permitted to stop in front of the Whittemore Center to drop-off guests.
Shuttle Service
Limited shuttle service will be available only between A Lot and West Edge (depending on the assigned parking lot per ceremony) and the venue beginning approximately 1 hour prior to the start of each ceremony. Shuttle service will only be provided to the assigned lot for each ceremony. Guests who choose to park else where will need to walk to the venue. Guests parking in West Edge who are also attending other events on campus after their ceremony are encouraged to take the shuttle to the parking lot and relocate their car. The shuttle is not guaranteed to still be running when other events end.
All shuttles are low-floor, air conditioned UNH buses which are fully ADA accessible. Shuttles run reverse routes after the ceremony.
Guests should exit Route 4 at 155A and follow signs to the Whittemore Center and Lot A or West Edge for parking and accessible shuttle service to the Whitt. Vehicles are not permitted to stop in front of the Whittemore Center to drop-off guests. We urge all with accessibility issues to arrive early.
There are no fees and no passes required for any shuttles.
Complimentary shuttle transportation is available to and from Durham, from the following Dover, NH hotels: Hampton Inn, Homewood Suites by Hilton, and Comfort Inn & Suites. These are hotel shuttles. Please contact the hotels directly for more information.
