Vermont - 30 Great Things To Do in Vermont

Killington, Vermont and Vacation in Vermont Information at Visit Vermont

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A Stirring Show of Freedom and Unity

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The Vermont History Museum’s award-winning permanent exhibit, “Freedom and Unity: One Ideal, Many Stories,” is a multimedia exhibit that displays Vermont's history from 1600 to the present, fills 5,000 square feet in the Pavilion building at 109 State Street in Montpelier. Visitors see a full-sized Abenaki wigwam, a re-creation of the Catamount Tavern where Ethan Allen's Green Mountain Boys gathered, a railroad station complete with a working telegraph and a WWII living room furnished with period music and magazines. Open year-round, Tuesday-Friday. Phone: 802- 828-2180.

A Store Brimming with Food, Gifts,
and Vermont Tradition

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Deli, wine shop, bakery, general store, overall friendly place. The Warren Store on Main Street in Warren Village has been described as “…not just a store; it's a living, breathing, Vermont spirit." Open 363 and one-half days a year, Warrne Store serves food, of course, and tempts shoppers at the upstairs “More Store,” packed with quirky toys for kids of all ages, clothing for men and women, jewelry, cards, gifts, and house wares. Hours: Opens at 8 a.m.; closes at 6 or 7 p.m. Phone: 802-496-3864.

All Thoughts Turn to Maple in March

The Vermont Maple Open House Weekend , taking place throughout the state from March 26 to 28, 2010, is an opportunity for people to visit dozens of sugarhouses throughout the state. Activities during Open House Weekend will include the opportunity to watch maple syrup being made and often to sample maple products. Try the syrup, sugar on snow, pancakes, maple donuts, maple cream, and more. Phone: 800-837-6668.

Artwork With Soul in the Vermont Heartland

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Studio Place Art is a vibrant community center for the visual arts, offering workshops, classes, and a gallery of changing exhibits that is open to the public. The gallery is housed in a restored historic building on North Main Street in Barre. The geography and culture of central Vermont are integral to the art shown here. To see art that expresses the heart of central Vermont, visit here. Hours: Year-round, Tuesday-Saturday. Phone: 802-479-7069.

Farm Tours Into the Heart of Maple Country

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If a Vermont offers to take you on a tour of the back roads of this spectacularly beautiful state and also throws in a stop at a sugarhouse, you would be wise to climb onboard. The Vermont Back Road Maple Sugar Tours, based in Rutland take place February 15 to April 16. This tour will visit an original on-the-farm maple sugarhouse, where visitors can see the history of sugaring in Vermont and a watch the process of boiling down maple sap into syrup. Tasting is a strong possibility, too. The handicap-accessible bus has large windows for viewing. A second tour package includes stops at covered bridges. Phone: 802-446-3131.

Independent Bookseller
Welcomes Book-Loving Public

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Bear Pond Books on Main Street in Montpelier presents a slogan “Celebrating 35 years of independent book selling in central Vermont,” and it takes pride in every word. The business opened in 1973 and has endured flooding, a major move to a beautiful historic building, and other ups and down. It offers customers a well-read staff, public readings by authors, a communal gathering place, a resource for children’s literacy, and a useful website. Book lovers who are in or near Montpelier really must visit the store; you will feel right at home. Open daily. Phone: 802-229-0774..

Mad River; Lovely Byway

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Among the country’s wonderful National Scenic Byways is the Mad River Byway, which travels along two of Vermont's most scenic roads, Routes 100 and 100B. Towns and villages along this byway include Middlesex Village (Route 2); Moretown (Route 100B); Waitsfield, Warren, Granville Gulf Reservation (Route 100); Fayston, and Buels Gore to the top of the Appalachian Gap (Route 17). The byway is heavily salted with classic New England landscape and architecture - mountain ridgelines, a winding river, hillside farms, and steepled villages. See map for overview.

Maple Sugaring Season at Sugarbush Farm

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Visit sugarhouse at Sugarbush Farm in Woodstock to learn how maple trees are tapped in the spring and how maple syrup is made. March and early April are the best time to visit a maple sugar house. Sugarbush Farm and its sugarhouse are open daily during the sugaring season. However, sap flow and boiling schedule is determined by weather (freezing nights and warm days), so before planning a visit it is best to call ahead for boiling schedule and road conditions. Free admission, lots of samples of different grades of syrup and many other maple products. Open March 1 to April 11, daily, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Phone: 802-457-1757

Stone Valley Byway Traverses
Mountain Slopes and Rural Landscapes

Vermont Route 30, spanning Manchester to Poultney through the Mettawee Valley, is now the Stone Valley Scenic Byway. Traveling the byway takes you through an area with a rich history in slate and marble production. You'll also be traveling through beautiful scenery with a wealth of recreational, and cultural amenities. Historic, picturesque towns dot the valley floor, and rich agricultural soils have accumulated alongside the free-flowing Mettawee and Poultney Rivers. See Map.

Tea and Roses in Old-Fashioned Comfort

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Rose Arbor bed-and-breakfast and gift shop and tea room at 55 School Street in Chester recalls a pace of life from an earlier and gentler era. The restaurant serves lunch as well as a formal afternoon tea, described as a feast for the eyes as well as the taste buds. The dessert teas served here have won rave reviews from international travel writers and tea aficionados. Scones are always on the menu, along with an assortment of homemade desserts. Lunch or tea at the Rose Arbor is a fun and genteel way to celebrate with friends and family. Phone: 802-875-4767.

This Artwork Will Blow You Away

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Simon Pearce is nearly legendary in the world of fine hand-blown glass; take a tour around the Simon Pearce Historic Mill at 1760 Quechee Main Street in the town of Quechee and you’ll learn why. Visitors watch the production of world-class glass and pottery, and then treat themselves to a gourmet meal overlooking the falls of the Ottauquechee River at the Simon Pearce Restaurant, said to be one of Vermont’s finest. Simon Pearce’s Windsor Factory at 109 Park Road in Windsor also welcomes visitors to watch the glassblowers at work. Phone for the Mill at Quechee is 802-295-2711. Open daily.

Vermont and New Hampshire Both
Host this Scenic National Byway

The Connecticut River National Byway is a two-state byway spanning the east and west shores of the Connecticut River in Vermont and New Hampshire. Along this byway, you may drive across a covered bridge built in 1866, visit a museum of machine tools, and wander through restored historic railroad stations. Comfortably spaced along the byway are Waypoint Centers that provide a wealth of information to travelers. This byway starts at its south end on U.S. 91 at the Massachusetts-Vermont border and follows the river northward for about 120 miles to St. Johnsbury, where U.S. 91 turns northwest, away from the river. See map.

Escape to Dog Mountain

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Artist Stephen Huneck of St. Johnsbury merges the lives of man and dog in both his artwork and religion. Come to the 400-acre Dog Mountain Farm on Parks Road to take in the sights of Huneck’s unique Dog Chapel. Designed and built by Huneck, the chapel is a replica of a classic 1820s Vermont chapel. That is where the similarities end, though. The white steeple is topped with a Labrador with wings, announcing the chapel as a dog haven. Stained-glass windows, dog carvings, and music affirm the connection between art, nature, and spirituality. Open seven days a week. Guests and their canine counterparts are invited to visit the chapel from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Phone: 800-449-2580.

Farm Life on Display
on the Edge of Lake Champlain

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Shelburne Farms on Harbor Road in Shelburne is an environmental education center on the shores of Lake Champlain where children, adults, and families come to enjoy the walking trails, children’s farmyard, inn, restaurant, property tours, and special events. Highlights of a visit to Shelburne Farms are the Children’s Farmyard and cheese making in the historic Farm Barn, guided tours of the property, strolling on the walking trails, and hospitality at the Inn at Shelburne Farms. These offerings are open from May to October; the Welcome Center and walking trails are open year-round. Phone: 802-985-8686

Fuzzy Factory Bears

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Way back in 1902, when the Teddy Bear got its name from U.S. president Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt, the loveable stuffed animal quickly became every child’s favorite toy. A century later, the Teddy Bear is still a staple of growing up. See where the magic happens in Shelburne, Vermont at the Vermont Teddy Bear Company , the largest maker of hand-crafted, American-made Teddy Bears in the country. Watch the little fur balls turn into bears, and learn how they are delivered worldwide. You can even create your own Teddy when you participate in the “Make a Friend for Life” program. Phone: 802-244-7964.

High Tea in High Style

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The Governor’s House at 100 Main Street in Hyde Park is an elegant bed-and-breakfast inn that serves tea in all appropriate high style on Thursday and Sunday afternoons. The cream tea menu consists of warm freshly-made scones served with clotted cream and strawberry jam. With the full English afternoon tea, there are scones, cream and jam as well as several varieties of tea sandwiches and fancy pastries, often including millionaire's shortbread. Each choice comes with endless pots of freshly-made imported house blend tea and guests are, of course, welcome to spend as long as they wish, enjoying it. Phone: 802-888-6888.

Johnson Knows Wool

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The Johnson Woolen Mills tradition reaches back to 1842 when local farmers brought their wool here to have it woven into cloth. Located on Lower Main Street / Route 15 in the village of Johnson, just north of Stowe, Johnson Woolen Mills still makes the same woolen shirts, jackets, and the famous iceman's pants that have been best sellers for decades. Over the years, the business expanded and the store now includes the original, century-old factory space with a new factory is next door. There's plenty of room to browse and try on woolen clothes of all kinds for men, women, and children. The Sale Room offers real values in factory irregulars, discontinued styles, and one-of-a-kind samples. Factory store hours are Monday-Saturday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sunday, 1-4 p.m. Phone: 802-635-2271

Kingdom Trails Welcomes Mountain Bikers

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One of the top-rated regions in the country for mountain biking can be found at and around Burke Mountain and Darling Hill near East Burke. Kingdom Trails is 110 miles of recreational, non-motorized trails through farmland and forest for bicycling and cross-country skiing, designed for people of all levels of ability. Open year-round. Phone: 802-626-0737.

Lake Champlain Provides the Vistas
for This Lovely Byway

Located in northwest Vermont, the Lake Champlain Byway runs along the northern length of Lake Champlain from U.S. Route 2 through Grand Isle County in the north; joining U.S. 7 through the communities of Vergennes and Middlebury. Along the way you will find quiet farming communities, bustling small cities, and quaint villages. Explore small family-owned shops and dine at restaurants featuring fresh foods from Vermont farms. Travelers can visit a coral reef, a log cabin built in 1783, hike or bike several trails, and swim or boat in Lake Champlain. See map.

Ribbet

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Wonderful artwork with a very Vermont-y sensibility can be enjoyed at the Frog Hollow craft gallery on Church Street in Burlington, located in charming, all-pedestrain shopping district in the center of the city. The gallery features art from artists throughout the state, from pewter and glassware to high-end oil paintings and furniture. Open year-round, every day except Mondays. Phone: 802-863-6458

Up and Away

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If you’ve never lifted off in a hot air balloon and floated freely above a beautiful landscape of fields, farms, and villages, you are missing an unforgettable experience that can be rectified with help from Above Reality Hot Air Balloon rides in Jericho. The company takes guests aloft in appropriate weather conditions year-round for one-hour flights that literally go where ever the wind is going. Flights depart from the Inn at Essex in Essex and travel above the foothills of Mount Mansfield. Balloons operated by the company can take from two to eight passengers. It is a trip to remember. Phone: 1-877- 386-7473.

Urban Chic, Outdoors

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Church Street Marketplace in Burlington, an outdoor pedestrian mall covering four historic blocks in downtown Burlington, offers casual strolling to serious shopping, dining of every description, street vendors, and lots of public events. The shopping and dining are great; strolling and people-watching are entertainment all by themselves. Phone: 802-863-1648

Valley of Mystery, Treasure, and Natural Wonders

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Lake Champlain is an ecological treasure trove. The ECHO Lake Aquarium and Science Center on College Street in Burlington offers 100 hands-on interactive exhibits and 70 species of live fish, amphibians, invertebrates, and reptiles. At the center, guests may go on camera with real weather maps starring as a guest meteorologist on local TV; unearth recreated whale bones in the new dig site; travel back in time to explore the ancient world of the Champlain Valley; meet live frogs from six continents; journey through time and witness the lives of people in the Champlain Valley for the last 11,000 years. Open year-round. Phone: 802-864-9804.

Bennington Potters Can Stock Your Kitchen

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Bennington Potters on County Street in Bennington has been making beautiful, durable, and functional handmade stoneware pottery since 1948. A special highlight this year is the stoneware dinnerware collection and the stoneware pottery bakeware, mixing bowls, and batterbowl. Come visit and shop at Potters Yard in Bennington and take a tour of the factory. Hours: Monday-Saturday, 9:30 a.m.-6 p.m. and Sunday, 10 a.m. -5 p.m. Phone: 800-205-8033.

Books About Vermont Life
and Anything Else You Can Name

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The independent, family-owned Northshire Bookstore on Main Street in Manchester Center, in business since 1976, is a paradise for browsers and literature fiends of every variety. All kinds of books for all kinds of readers, along with DVDs, gifts, music, readings by authors, and book discussions. Lots of Vermont authors and Vermont-oriented reading matter. And if you don’t know quite what you want, the well-read staff is on guard to offer big ideas. The neighboring Spiral Press Café offers sustenance to keep you going. Hours: Sunday-Monday, 10 a.m.-7 p.m.; Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Phone: 802-362-2200.

Byway Follows Victory Route
of Colonial General

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Molly Stark Byway traverses southern Vermont along Route 9 from Brattleboro to Bennington. The byway is named after the wife of General John Stark who led the Colonial militia to a victory at the Battle of Bennington on August 16, 1777. The Vermont State Legislature named the road the Molly Stark Trail in 1936 commemorating the route taken by General Stark and his troops during their victorious march home after the battle. The Molly Stark Byway winds its way through lowland valleys, historic villages, busy downtowns, and the spectacular Green Mountain National Forrest. Anchored at either end by vibrant historic town centers in Brattleboro and Bennington, and including a classic New England crossroads village in Wilmington in between, a trip along the 48-mile byway is a great way to experience the full character of southern Vermont. See map.

Circus School Welcomes Circus Lovers
To Visit Anytime

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Some people just love, love, love the circus, any circus, the mere idea of a circus. What can you do? Here’s one answer: drop in for a visit or take a class at the New England Center for Circus Arts, located at 76 Cotton Mill Hill in Brattleboro. This is a circus school that welcomes new students (even for a one-shot class), visitors, and observers. It operates year-round. Students range from crawling tots who swing on a trapeze with their parents to a grandfather who includes trapeze in his daily workout. Travelers can stop in and watch, or make advance arrangements to take a group or private class. Phone: 802-254-9780.

Come and Meet Vermont's
Covered Bridges

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Few structures in America combine architectural ingenuity, economic necessity, and romantic idealism better than the covered bridge. Covered bridges flourished in the United States in the 19th century. Pennsylvania has the greatest number of covered bridges, and Vermont, with about 104 covered bridges, has the highest number relative to the state’s size. In Southern Vermont, some highlights of the many covered bridges include the Bridge at the Green (Arlington Bridge) in Arlington and the Henry / Burt Bridge in Bennington, which is a short distance from the rebuilt Paper Mill Bridge and the Silk Bridge. Covered bridges offer a wonderful opportunity to stop, take pictures, dip your feet in the river, and even to picnic.

Come to the Country for Some Really Fun Shopping

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The Vermont Country Store, on Main Street in Weston, is the first restored rural store in the nation, stocked to the rafters with thousands of practical and intriguing necessities for daily living. Amid countless antiques and oddities from floor to rafters, you'll discover long-forgotten essentials and toys and household products that you remember from childhood. It's all here, from apothecary goods and granny forks to socks guaranteed to fend off temperatures of 30 degrees below zero. Open daily, 9 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Phone: 802-824-3184

Confectionary Filled With Mother’s Best

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Usher the sweet tooth in your life (or in your head) to Mother Myrick’s Confectionary on Main Street in Manchester for a cozy time browsing and selecting from among the best candies and confections to be found anywhere. Specialties of the house are the Buttercrunch and the Lemon LuLu, but don’t feel that you need to stop there. Plunge on into chocolates and other good tastes. Hours: 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Phone: 802-362-1560.

Ranges Upon Ranges

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Where can you see panoramic views of the Green, White, Adirondack, Berkshire and Taconic mountain ranges in one trip? Easy. Take a drive up Skyline Drive to the top of Equinox Mountain near Sunderland for a spectacular sunset over the Adirondack Mountains to the west. The route starts at historic Route 7A.

Sip Among 360-Degree Views

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Wine tasting in southern Vermont means a visit to the Honora Winery & Vineyard in the Green Mountains near West Halifax. Honora's 200-acre vineyard and estate is nestled in Southern Vermont's Green Mountains. With spectacular 360 degree views of Hogback & Haystack Mountains in Vermont, Monadnock Mountain in New Hampshire and Mount Holyoke & the Berkshires in Massachusetts it is a great place to sit, relax, and sip from the harvest. Special events held throughout the year. HOurs: Wednesday through Friday, 11 a.m.-6 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Phone: 802-368-2930