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The seacoast beach resort community of Hampton Beach is located just north of the Massachusetts border. Hampton was first named for the American Indian word for pleasant pines, "Winnacunnet". Colonial charm and dramatic waterfront views make Hampton popular for tourists visiting in the summer and fall.

The Hampton Beach Casino [left] celebrated its official grand opening Saturday, July 15, 1899. It was built by the newly formed Exeter, Hampton and Amesbury Street Railway on Ocean Boulevard, directly across from their trolley depot, in the hope that ridership to the beach would increase as a result. Because of the casino's enormous popularity during its first year of operation, its owners added two extensions, both completed in 1900. The northern extension was 57-room hotel, named "Ocean House", the southern addition was nearly as large as the original building itself. In 1901 the largest casino structure, the Opera House, was completed. The ballroom was large enough to hold nearly 5,000 people on special nights and holidays, and its wooden dance floor was one of the largest in the region. The ballroom soon became the most popular nightspot in the area. By the end of World War II, however, the casino's seemingly secure popularity began to decline and, during the next 25 years, steadily decreased. During the 1970's, a much needed, long-awaited transformation began. Between 1977 and 1982, more than one million dollars in renovations were completed, work which included rewiring the entire building, the demolition of Ocean House, and a partial revamping of the interior of the complex. The former Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom, reopened in the mid-1970s as Club Casino.