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.

Basin Harbor

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

So many fun things to do at this resort by the lake that you’ll have to come back!

There are so many things to do at the Basin Harbor resort that you may have to keep coming back until you’ve done them all! Start with all the water-centric activities at this resort on Lake Champlain: sailing out on a Sunfish or tubing or waterskiing behind a power boat, fishing from a floating dock, paddleboarding or kayaking. Add in the lawn games, from croquet and badminton to giant chess. And the sports, including golf, tennis, basketball, soccer, pickleball. Oh, and there’s a kid’s camp, too. Don’t forget nearby activities: hiking, biking, touring vineyards and breweries, going to ball games, visiting museums. You can relax after your busy day in your private cottage or spacious guestroom. Please review our 2021 Reopening policies before placing your reservation.

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.

Lake Morey Resort

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

Over 25 activities designed to keep you engaged and entertained at this lakefront resort

With over 25 exciting, engaging and entertaining activities on site, you will be all set for that perfect I-don’t-have-to-get-in-the-car vacation at the stunning Lake Morey Resort. Warm-weather activities include kayaking, canoeing, paddle boarding, biking, hiking, lawn games and guided activities. You can rent a pontoon boat or motorboat; play basketball, volleyball or bocce ball; take in a movie; or relax in the heated indoor pool or sauna. In the winter, there is pond hockey on the frozen lake, a 4.3-mile ice-skating trail, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. Area attractions range from classic general stores and Dartmouth’s classic college town to the Billings Farm and Museum, a planetarium and the famous Quechee Gorge.

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.

Horseback Riding by the Lake - Mountain Top Inn & Resort - Chittenden, VT

Mountain Top Resort

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

Something fun for everyone, every season, at this breathtaking mountain resort

Four seasons of the year, the breathtaking Mountain Top Resort provides fun, engaging, even exhilarating things to do for guests. Spring walks in the meadows and kayaking on the crystal-clear lake; summer days at the private beach, horseback-riding, fishing, paddle boarding or playing tennis; clay-bird shooting or walking among the 40 miles of trails in the fall; and cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, ice-skating, sledding, snowmobiling and horse-drawn-sleigh riding in the winter. There’s also a heated outdoor pool with the amazing views seen everywhere at this 700-acre resort, sand volleyball and a pontoon boat. Nearby are breweries, farms, a cidery, downhill skiing, the Ben & Jerry’s factory, Vermont Country Store and Vermont Teddy Bear factory.

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!

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.

Play on the Trails, in the Water, at Montshire

Montshire Museum of Science, in the Vermont town of Norwich on the Vermont/New Hampshire border, offers lots of outdoor and nature-enhanced learning for families. Visit to hike the nature trails, which include the Planet Walk, where you can skip among the Sun, the planets, and asteroid belt. Splash in the water play areas of the David Goudy Science Park. Frolic at the The Play Grove. See museum website for hours. Email: mary.gaetz@montshire.org. 802-649-2200

Bingham Falls Forms a Natural Swimming Hole

off Route 108 Stowe, VT Phone:

The sequence of cascades that is Bingham Falls in Stowe, Vermont is special not just for its otherwordly quality, but because the public almost lost access to it a few years back when a land developer had plans to build a resort on the property. That plan was thwarted and adventurers can still enjoy the pristine beauty of the falls, and those brave enough can take a dip in the natural rock pool below Bingham's 25-foot cascade. To Find It: The falls are located a short hike off Route 108 in Stowe, about 1.5 miles southeast of Smugglers Notch. There is a path leading downhill from a fairly large turnout. The sound of roaring water assures you that you are in the right place.

Falls of Lana Is a Stairway of Stone

Replete with dramatic twists and turns, the Falls of Lana in Salisbury, Vermont have been likened to a giant staircase and bannister made of stone. The drop totals 160 feet in all, and this breathtaking cascade makes it worthwhile to those brave enough to climb the steep terrain leading up to the viewpoint. To Find It: Take Route 7 south from Middlebury to Salisbury, where you will turn east on Route 53 heading to Lake Dunmore. Follow Route 53 for about 3 miles, until you cross Sucker Brook, and you'll see a powerhouse on your right. Park here in an unobtrusive way. Follow the penstock up the hill until you see a wire fence on your left. This is the cliff-top viewpoint of the middle tier. [photo: Dean Goss and Northeast Waterfalls]

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.

Elegant Consignments, Décor with Pizza, Local Art

Manchester is a place of high culture and good taste, applying across the tableau of vacation experiences, including usually mundane fun like consignment shopping and pizza. For instance, Perfectpiece Consignments on Maine Street in Manchester Village presents high-quality furniture, rugs, and accessories. Choose from 15,000 items in many styles and periods. Open daily. At Depot 62 bistro + café in the Depot District display high-end collectibles, art, and rugs. At Helmolz Art Gallery, the newest member of the Manchester Designer Outlets, artwork from near and far is carefully chosen for your enjoyment.

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.

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

Ride the Trails on an Icelandic Horse

The tireless movement of the Icelandic Horse makes it the ideal saddle horse, and you can take a trail ride on the Icelandic at the Vermont Icelandic Horse Farm at 3061 North Fayston Road in Waitsfield, in the heart of the Sugarbush area. The farm hosts full-day and half-day trail rides as well as two- to six-day treks. In winter, the Icelandic Horse is at its best, growing a shaggy coat and reveling in the snow. Rides accommodate all levels of riding skill, including novices. Children over 10 years old with riding experience are welcome. Phone: 802-496-7141

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.

Mad River Antler – How Wild Does That Sound?

If you want to go home from your Vermont vacation with a really Vermont-y artifact, consider a chandelier, lamp, candle holders, or wine rack made from antlers of moose, elk or deer. The artists of Mad River Antler hastily note that that antlers used in these artworks are shed naturally by animals and later retrieved from the forest floor. And the artworks are beautiful. Tour the retail space at Bridge Street Trading Co., 40 Bridge Street in Waitsfield to enjoy this melding of nature and artistry.

Stone Valley Byway Traverses Mountain Slopes

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. A trip on the Stone Valley Byway is highlighted by mountain slopes that provide a dramatic backdrop to the rural landscape and provide access to a host of recreational opportunities. Historic, picturesque towns dot the valley floor, and rich agricultural soils have accumulated alongside the free-flowing Mettawee and Poultney Rivers. Lake St. Catherine, a state park, golf course and many smaller water bodies along the byway corridor are exceptional natural, scenic, and recreational resources.

Independent Bookseller Welcomes Book-Loving Folks

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, events such as public readings by authors, a communal gathering place, a resource for children’s literacy, and a useful website. Book lovers looking for things to do who are in or near Montpelier really must visit the store; you will feel right at home. Open daily. Phone: 802-229-0774

Bennington Is a Beauty

The Bennington Chamber of Commerce offers helpful guidelines for a delightful self-guided walking tours of this lovely Vermont town. Walking tours are a great way to take in some of the exciting history and beautiful sites. The chamber offers brochures for self-guided walking tours that touch on delightful places: Bennington Monument, Catamount Tavern, the Old Academy, the Village Lion, Walloomsac Inn, Old First Church, and the Bennington Museum. 802-447-3311.

Beautiful Place, Refined Pottery

The town of Woodstock is as close as you can get to an idyllic New England small town, and it’s all a genuine, working community, with plenty of interesting fun for visitors. The fun includes shopping, because the town and nearby neighbor are home to two refined pottery makers: Farmhouse Pottery, headquartered in Woodstock, and Miranda Thomas Pottery in nearby Bridgewater. Farmhouse describes itself as a place of “old-world potters with simple tools and strong beliefs in process and authenticity.” Its products – like the best-selling bowls, crocks, and candlesticks – are simple and exquisite (802-457-7486). It offers “clay dates,” where guests may work alongside a potter to create their own memento from the studio, Miranda Thomas Pottery in Bridgewater is a traditional workshop studio of experts making and decorating pots by hand. (802-672-5175)

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)

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.

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!

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.

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

general stores in stowe for great things

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.

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.

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.

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