Vermont Great Things to Do include fun family attractions, farms, parks

Vermont > State > Things to Do and See > 30 Great Things To Do in Vermont

Find fun things to do and places to visit on your Vermont vacation. VT offers attractions for adults, families with kids, and more, like farm and winery visits; nature museums and parks; shopping for Vermont crafts, food, and art; bookstores; mountain walks and scenic drives; maple gifts; skiing and snow sports. Find a cozy B&B and explore! Call ahead to check on scheduling details, especially for outdoor activities.

Morse Farm Maple Sugarworks

1168 County Road Montpelier, VT, 05602 Phone: Toll-Free: 800-242-2740

Four-season fun and a whole lotta maple goin’ on

Morse Farm is four-season, every day fun. The Woodshed Theater has displays and artifacts and a humorous and educational video about the Morse Farm maple process. There’s a nature trail, country store, and an outdoor farm life museum with an antique replica of the Vermont State House. Sprinkled about the farm are whimsical carved soft sculptures created by Burr Morse. A maple trail leads to the trees where the 200 year Morse farm experience continues. Savor samples of Vermont Maple syrup, jams and jellies, and you’ll find local crafts and gifts. In the winter, the Ski Touring Center has cross country and snowshoe trails, sliding, snowmobiling and skating. And later in the season it’s Sugarin’ Time and the Sugar House will have its annual maple tastings.

Basin Harbor

4800 Basin Harbor Road Vergennes, VT, 05491 Phone: 802-475-2311 Toll-Free: 800-622-4000

Just driving by? Maybe you should stay.

Basin Harbor offers a myriad of recreational opportunities from hiking and biking to water-based activities like waterskiing, wakeboarding, and guided lake cruises, there is plenty to do in a day’s time. Basin Harbor also offers multiple distinctive dining experiences from multi-course dinners in “Ardelia’s Dining Room”, to illustrious lunch buffets in “The Ranger Room” to a more casual, pub-style option at “the Red Mill Restaurant” there is a dining experience for any occasion. During the summer months, Basin Harbor even hosts al fresco dinners down on the lake three times per week ranging from traditional lobster bakes, to Harbor Fair dinners and Vermont Picnics.

The Tyler Place Family Resort

175 Tyler Place Highgate Springs, VT, 05460 Phone: 802-868-4000

Bet you can't do just one

The only question here is not what to do but how to fit it all in one vacation. All inclusive means endless activity for every age. With a recreation center, 6 playgrounds, a soccer field, boating, fishing, basketball, volleyball and 6 tennis courts, an archery range, driving range and miniature golf, mountain and road biking, indoor and outdoor heated pools, field house gym and exercise and fitness center, arts and crafts studio, climbing walls and rope courses – well, you get the picture. 70 family cottages and suites, and a rambling, country Inn with a separate sleeping wing Three healthy meals daily, the Fireplace Lounge and Bar for Mom and Dad, and the age staggered children’s programs and you have one great resort to do great things. Lots of them!

Mountain Top Inn & Resort

195 Mountain Top Road Chittenden, VT, 05737 Phone: 802-483-2311

Everything to love in a great mountain resort

With so many activities at this popular year round resort, the challenge is deciding what to do first. It might be hiking, biking or horseback riding on 350 scenic acres overlooking the Green Mountains. Boating, fishing, swimming and paddling await in the 740 acre lake with your own private beach, while cross country skiing, snowshoeing and horse drawn sleigh rides are pleasures of the winter season. You can always relax by the pool or in the brand new spa and you’ll have several choices for classic and luxury lodging and fabulous cuisine in the dining room, tavern or on the terrace. The resort is affordable, family and pet friendly and the perfect escape for a romantic getaway. It's your choice, so go ahead!

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Green Mountain Coffee Visitors Center & Cafe - At Waterbury's Historic Train Station

Lake Morey Resort

1 Clubhouse Road Fairlee, VT, 05045 Phone: 802-333-4311 Toll-Free: 800-423-1211

Two sides to a great Vermont vacation

Summer and winter at Lake Morey Resort provide endless activity in a magnificent natural setting. In summer, there’s a peaceful 600 acre lake for circumnavigating on foot or by bike, swimming, paddle boarding, canoeing and kayaking, water skiing and 18 holes of championship golf. In winter, the snow and ice and open space invite you to a Nordic trail system and pond hockey, snowshoeing and ice fishing and a 4.5 mile loop around the lake on the U.S.’s longest maintained ice skating trail. Minutes away is downhill skiing. There are organized guest events, an indoor pool, fitness center and on-site movie theater. There are charming towns, farms, shopping and more to explore on self guided day tours. And just a short hike, drive or bike ride away, more vacation experiences to last a lifetime.

Vermont Teddy Bear Factory & Bear Shop

6655 Shelburne Road Shelburne, VT, 05482 Phone: 802-985-3001 Toll-Free: 800-829-2327

Bears, Factory Tours and Adventures – Oh, My!

Ever wonder how Vermont Teddy Bears are made? Come visit us at our factory and Bear Store and see how our Bears come to life! Watch as our Bears take shape with sewing, stitching and stuffing. All tours are led by our knowledgeable Bear Ambassadors, and kids get to decode a secret Bear message along the way. End your tour with a visit to our Bear Shop where you can choose a new favorite Bear or make one of your own. All tour and store information is available on our website.

Path of Life is a public sculpture garden in Windsor,

Wild and Wacky Sculpture Garden

The Path of Life is a public sculpture garden at 36 Park Road in Windsor, where 18 large works of art symbolize the human journey from birth to death. Inspired by The Life of Man, a Japanese garden in Kildare, Ireland, the Path of Life, founded in 1997, provides space for recreation, relaxation and contemplation. It’s located in a 14-acre of field of trails, wildflowers and open spaces on the Connecticut River. There’s a five-mile trail network, groomed for dog sledding, snowshoeing and cross-country skiing. Open dawn to dusk.

Perfect Storm of Covered Bridges

Vermont has more than 100 covered bridges, the heaviest concentration per mile of any state. The earliest of these beloved and hardworking bridges, dates from 1820. The state offers a handy covered bridge map for people who like to visit and photograph these small engineering gems. Northfield, for instance, has three bridges within one-quarter mile of each other and they display two types of construction: lattice and queenpost. Vermont residents welcome visitors to enjoy these beautiful artifacts of the past.

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Granite Is the Stuff of Art at This Quarry

The Barre granite industry is known the world over for the durability and beauty of Barre granite and the quality of its craftsmanship. In the last quarter of the 19th century, thousands of skilled immigrants came to Barre in search of work as stone carvers in Barre’s granite quarries and factories. At the Rock of Ages Quarry in Graniteville you can visit a granite quarry nearly 600 feet deep; watch artisans at the factory as they cut, sculpt and polish; view a video; explore the exhibits; browse the gift shop; bowl on the outdoor granite lane, and make your own stone gift at the sandblast activity center. A visitor center and picnic area are open May to October. 802-476-3119

Mountain, Meet Bike

Yes, it is a ski mountain, but it still can get wild in the summer. Killington Resort in Killington operates a mountain bike park with lift service. The terrain includes 45 miles of paths and a 1,700-foot vertical drop spread across five ski areas, all served by a gondola. The biking options range basic cross-country single track to big downhills and trails for free riding. The resort has built some man-made features on some downhill trails to augment the natural terrain. Do you dare?

Artful Shopping in the Middle of Vermont

Central Vermont is great not only for its snow sports and mountain walks. The shopping is also delightful. Two proofs of this theorem are DaVallia Gallery at 39 North Street in Chester, and DaVallia Art Boutique at South Main Street on the Village Green, also in Chester. The owners curate works from dozens of artists in jewelry, local art, furniture, home décor, ad garden sculpture. Inspiring and creative designs spark your imagination and make your home beautiful (802-875-8900). Moving on to Ludlow, the Blue Sky Trading Company at 160 Main Street is a fun and very useful source for vacationers and local people, where you can find affordable jewelry, pottery, candles, Vermont goods, souvenirs from your visit to the Green Mountain state’s ski region, maple syrup, greeting cards and gifts. (802-228-2280).

Artisans Park Brings the Best of “Artisan” and “Park”

You have hit the jackpot for dining and shopping pleasures when you make you way to Artisans Park at 71 Artisans Way in Windsor. This charming retail community is a collection of eight unique Vermont businesses all located in the same park. Here visitors will find Harpoon Brewery, where you can enjoy a craft beer surrounded by beautiful mountains; SILO Distillery , an adventure zone of unique spirits from Vermont grains; Vermont Farmstead Cheese Company Market , Artisan Eats, and Blake Hill Preserves. Fun dining and gift shopping in a peaceful park.

Books of Vermont Life & Anything Else You Can Name

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. Open daily. 802-362-2200.

Thrill Ride Awaits Above Quechee

The spectacular Quechee Gorge in Central Vermont – sometime called the Grand Canyon of the East – attracts spectators of all kinds. One heart-stopping way to see the gorge and the forested beauty of its surroundings is from a hot air balloon. This is the adventure of a lifetime. Quechee Balloon Rides will take intrepid travelers above the treetops over the Ottauquechee River and the upper valley region for an unforgettable show in the most serene, majestic flying machine knows to man. Meet at 1 Village Green in Quechee. 802-698-3223

Dive Into the Life of the Mind at the Athenaeum

St. Johnsbury Athenaeum at 1171 Main Street in the northern Vermont town of St. Johnsbury has many great daily activities for adults and kids who want to explore the life of the mind. One example is the Frist Wednesdays series, where experts ramble about interesting topics. Recent topics were Vincent Van Gogh and the Books He Read and Bierstadt’s “Domes of Yosemite,” and the Creation of an American Icon. You can ekep uo with many other topical or quirky subjects by watching the Athenaeum’s Events page. 802-748-829.

Touch Down on the Lamoille River

Are you up for a river adventure but lacking in the essential ingredient: a boat? Vermont Canoe & Kayak, located on the Lamoille river in Jeffersonville, can get you geared up an ready to go with an canoe, kayak, paddleboard, and even take you on a guided tour. A few guest favorites are the Ice Cream Float and the Water & Wine Tour. Test your balance with paddleboard yoga. A beautiful and very winding river treats you to views of Smugglers Notch and pristine Vermont forests. 4805 VT Route 15, Jeffersonville. 802-644-8336. Email: vtcanoes@gmail.com

Forest Canopy Walk at VINS

Vermont Institute of Natural Science, or VINS, at 149 Natures Way in Quechee opens in fall 2019 a new exhibit Forest Canopy Walk that accommodates people of all physical abilities. Because the VINS property drops in elevation as it slopes toward the backwater of the Ottauquechee River, the boardwalk to the canopy walk remains mostly level while the land drops away beneath. At the highest points, visitors will be 65 feet above the forest floor, sharing the space in the tree tops with birds, squirrels and other treetop life. The canopy walk includes a giant spider’s web and an eagle’s nest. VINS is open year-round, daily, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Call for canopy walk hours. 802-359-5000

Honora is Honored to Share Its Wine with You

Honora Winery & Vineyard at 201 Vermont Route 112 in Jacksonville has a tasting room where people who love wine may relax, sip some wine, and taste some Vermont cheeses while listening to the nearby stream or watching for heron at the pond, all against the backdrop of a forested hillside. Honora’s Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Melot, and Chardonnay have won a variety of awards. Annual public events include the Chocolate Festival on Memorial Day weekend and the Grape Stomp and Harvest Festival on Labor Day weekend. Tasting room is open daily, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Phone: 802-368-2226.

Beers by Hill Farmstead Brewery in Hillsboro vt

Farm-Made Beers Generate National Excitement

A farm-based beer brewer that is quickly developing a national reputation for unique beers is found waaay up in Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom, near the town of Greensboro. Beers by Hill Farmstead Brewery , at 403 Hill Road, are hand-crafted and the outcome of years of experience and education. The brewery is based on farmland in use by a family for 220 years. The retail shop, open Wednesdays to Saturdays, noon-5 p.m., is the only place the beer is regularly available. Twelve beers on draft are available at any given time, in 2-liter and 750-ml, bottles. These folks are serious about hand-crafted beers; they even host a Festival of Farmhouse Ales in August.

ECHO Lake Aquarium and Science Center on Lake Champlain in Burlington vt

Fun with a Water Monster at Champ Lane

Champ Lane, a new and brilliant play space for kids age 6 and younger, opened in February 2016 at ECHO Lake Aquarium and Science Center on Lake Champlain in Burlington. In addition to a fabulous indoor tree house (move over, Tarzan), Champ Lane has a deluxe water table, puppet theater, multilevel boat, play café, and mini French market named after Marché Atwater in Montréal. A book nook offers space for quiet reading, nursing and relaxing. There's also a classroom and lab that will be used to teach about animals and scientific inquiry. Fun for every style of kid. Open daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Phone: 802-864-1848.

Stowe Offers a Triumvirate of Great Country Stores

With the motto “Helping Vermonters Survive in Style Since 1895,” Shaw’s General Store on Main Street in Stowe covers most of the essentials, in products with quality and deep Vermont flavor. The Heritage Collection of rugged clothing brands includes Vermont’s Darn Tough socks. (802-253-4040). The Country Store opened in the historic Lackey Building on Maine Street in 2016 after a careful restoration of the old general store. More arty than Shaw’s, this is a great resource for artisan-made gifts. Stowe Mercantile, in the old Depot Building on Main Street, could be some version of a 1900 department store. For your needs to all kinds on a Stowe vacation or back at home, the wonderfully named Mercantile has you covered (802-253-7653).

Meet Vermont's Covered Bridges

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.

The Governor’s House at 100 Main Street in Hyde Park Vt-credit-shutterstock

Tea Served in High Style, or Take-and-Make

Tea is served in high style and sold in glorious variety at two unique locations in northern Vermont. 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 (other times by pre-arrangement). The cream tea menu consists of warm freshly-made scones served with clotted cream and strawberry jam. Relax and indulge! (802-888-6888)
Dobra Tea , in Burlington’s Church Street Marketplace, welcomes you for quiet refreshment and hard-to-find teas from remote places like India, China, and Japan. This Bohemian tea room also serves light foods and desserts. Taste and decide what to take home, The tea room also sells artisan tea serving ware. Wonderful for gifts. (802-951-2424)

Children and Parents Invited to Understand Farm Creatures

The Brattleboro Retreat will open on Memorial Day 2017 a new Children’s Farm and Forest at 350 Linden Street in Brattleboro. Young visitors and their parents may feed and groom farm animals and learn about their care from farmers. The farm’s Calf Barn will be home to the animals, along with a three-season classroom, an educational play area, and a brand-new Farm Shop. The Piggery, near the Calf Barn, holds a children’s garden, animals on pasture, a pollinator garden, and a new nature trail through the surrounding forest. Keep in touch with events and programming about all manner of farming and food activities. 802 490-2270

Circus School Welcomes Circus Lovers

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. Travelers can stop in and watch, or make advance arrangements to take a group or private class. You can sign up for a single-night swing class or a weekend immersion class. 802-254-9780.

Handmade Cheese and Genuine Hospitality

Brattleboro is a bustling southern Vermont town that condenses many Green State pleasures: a big food coop and good restaurants, a restored Art Deco theater, an annual Parade of Heifers. Since dairy farming is a staple of Vermont life, the town’s treats for visitors also include a Grafton Specialty Cheese & Wine Shop, 400 Linden Street, featuring hand-made Grafton cheese (named for the lovely small town just up the road, where the cheese maker is based). Visit the cheese and wine shop during the week to see cheese being made. Get advice on pairing wines and cheeses and leave with a banquet for friends back home. This is a motherlode of Vermont flavors and genuine hospitality. Open weekdays 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. 802-246-2221.

MOntshire Museum of Science credit-Montshire-Museum-of-Science-and-Oliver-Parini

Montshire Encourages You to Dig Into Science

The 100-acre Montshire Museum of Science at 1 Montshire Road in Norwich really means it when it calls itself a hands-on museum, so bring those kids who cannot keep their hands (or curiosity) to themselves. The spacious and light-filled building on the Connecticut River holds exhibits with enticing names like Air and Weather; Creatures; Light and Sight; Puzzles, Shapes, and Things that Move; Water and How It Moves. Outdoors, visitors can explore a science park, woodland garden, and nature trails along the river. There is always something new to entice kids and parents. 802-649-2200.

Foodie Culture is Alive in Burlington

Since its beginnings in 2010, The Farm House in Burlington has prided itself on its humble farm-to-table cuisine, including its award-winning burgers and local craft beers. It has three sister restaurants, with one hosting a Taco Tuesday event every week in a beer garden. This lovely spot is constantly spicing things up by holding food-related events all summer long, including a brewer’s fest, a gin-themed evening and a celebration of summer tomatoes. If you find yourself in Vermont this summer, don’t forget to head to this unique establishment. 802-859-0888

Vermont Comedy Club at 101 Main Street in Burlington vt

Cow-Tipping and Other Yucks

Yeah, Vermont does comedy, above and beyond cow-tipping and cracker barrel humor. Vermonters can crack wise on themselves, and you, too. A husband-and-wife pair of comedians has opened Vermont Comedy Club at 101 Main Street in Burlington. The comedy space, built inside the old Armory, consists of a 150-seat showroom, a bar/lounge with craft cocktails and snacks, and a classroom for anyone who wants to do it himself. The weekly calendar is packed, including open mic nights and comedy jams. Drop in!

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