Semnan offers various recreational activities; historical and religious sites; festivals, gardens and parks; and centers of higher education and Semnani culture.

The city's main souvenirs are daffodil flowers, Shirmal pastry, Kolüçe cookies, kilim rugs, and shortbread.

The Qajars turned Semnan into a civil fortress, from which they oversaw the major trade route between their capital in Tehran and the holy city of Mashad.

Semnan was also an important medical center for members of the Qajar imperial family and was home to many notable physicians and doctors of the era.

Reza Shah Pahlavi's government began the immediate construction of modern infrastructure and paved roads throughout the city, however, this called for the destruction of the citadel of Semnan and the artistic monuments of the Qajars.

Throughout the early Pahlavi era, Semnan experienced several rounds of extreme drought, famine, crop devastation, and poverty.

Prominent Semnani language poets such as Nosratollah Nouhian encouraged the Farmers and General Labor class to rise up and demand their rights from the unjust, well-fed landlords who were carelessly watching the very farmers who grew the food starve and deteriorate into ruin and agony: دیگه صبر و قناعت وسه پی با دیگه ظلم شقاوت وسه پی با Patience and contentment is no more, rise up!

Many other historical sites within the city and the surrounding villages demonstrate a strong Turkic and Ilkhanate influence in their architectural designs.

As a result, the celebrations, rituals, and days of religious mourning play a major role in the life of a Semnani city dweller, and are for some families, more important that the national Iranian customs and holidays.

The Golrudbar creek, which begins in the mountains to the north of Shahmirzad, has historically provided a reliable supply of water for municipal and agricultural consumption.

Irrigation methods since ancient times have allowed the people of Semnan to drink clean water, raise livestock such as cattle and sheep, and cultivate diverse crops.

During some winters, moisture-abundant blizzards make their way down from the Alborz mountains to the north of the city and dump several centimeters of snow in a single twenty-four-hour period[citation needed].

These ancient, traditional, and clever designs and systems helped Semnan grow and prosper before the introduction of modern plumbing and appliances.

The mountains and foothills around Semnan also hold major deposits of minerals used in the production of plaster; these mines are known in Persian as ma'dan e gach.

With proper irrigation, the municipality has managed to convert the entire southwestern portion of the city into green and lush pomegranate gardens.

Around the city, further irrigation of the Golrudbar river and the surrounding creeks and tributaries have provided the proper environment for the cultivation of herbs, eggplants, potatoes, walnuts, and cotton.

The people of Semnan observe Muharram and the overall 50 days of mourning by refraining from worldly pleasures, such as music and joyful gatherings, wearing dark clothes to show intimate grief, and participating in outdoor rallies consisting of massive mourning accompanied by sorrowful chants which recall the events of the tragedy in Karbala, the place of Imam Hussein's martyrdom.

In addition, the mournings on the tenth day of Muharram, known as Ashura, consist of self-flagellation rituals in which the participants attempt to symbolically inflict pain upon themselves.

This is done by placing colossal cauldrons outside upon a source of heat, then, people would take turns stirring the stew until it is ready to be consumed by the community's mourners.

Since the beginning of the Iranian (Islamic) solar month of Esfand, a man dressed in red with a charcoal-blackened face known as Hajji Firuz sits on top of a wooden horse, decorated with textiles, in the bazaars of Semnan.

Another interesting aspect of the Nowrouz celebrations are the massive gatherings of the womenfolk in which they make covenants with God to cook large batches of samanu for the poor.

Some of the common ingredients used in Semnani dishes consist of pomegranate extracts, fresh walnuts from Shahmirzad (şômırzé), a variety of greens and herbs known in Persian as sabzijat, and more recently, potatoes.

In fact, there is an old proverb among the local people that says, "Semnan has so many foods, that a wife from this city can cook a different dish for every night of the year."

Some of the famous dishes are: Chelo Gousht,[31] Sabzi polo,[32] and Khoresht e Esfanaj va Gerdou (espenôj vu yüz).

"[7] The following are the names of some foods in English and Semnani: chicken (gırká), pomegranate (nôr), grapes (engír), cucumber (djürüng), walnut (yüz), eggplant (vıngun), and apricot (şillık).

This policy has angered a significant portion of the population which remains deeply concerned with regards to the deteriorating state of the Semnani language altogether.

According to the representative of Radio Semnan, Abdulreza Dehrouye, "the variety of regional dialects, the strategic geographical location, the good climate, the contributions of the educated elite, the centers of industry and mineral extraction, the various university complexes, the massive labor force, and the highly literate and educated municipal population are all contributing factors into establishing the framework of the great and spiritual network Radio Semnan offers today.

"[37] Furthermore, Radio Semnan is unique in offering broadcast time in which residents may call in and engage in direct dialogue with city representatives and officials.

[37] This provides the people as well as city officials the opportunity to address general public concerns and discuss future plans.

[42] As a result, many residents seek higher education and high level services such as medical, pharmacological, and high-tech engineering professions.