Vermont museums & galleries serve interests from art to early technology

Vermont > State > Indoor Activities > Museums and Galleries

Vermont life and the work of its people are exhibited in historic homes, old grist mills, charming museums and galleries. Learn about the foundations of modern industry, 19th and 20th century folk and fine art, maritime history and the artifacts of daily life through Vermont's history. Norman Rockwell is highlighted in two locations, including a display of his work from his years living Arlington. There are even museums to skiing and fly fishing in VT. Browse the state’s museums on a tour of cozy B&Bs or mountain resorts.

Fairbanks Museum and Planetarium

1302 Main Street St. Johnsbury, VT, 05819 Phone: 802-748-2372

Natural science collection of 160,000 objects housed in a landmark Victorian building. The historical collections contain examples of 19th-century agricultural, industrial, and household life. The natural history collection houses New England mammals and birds, rocks and minerals, shells, butterflies, insects, bird nests and egg sets, and hummingbirds. Exhibits on astronomy and rural history.
Hours: Year-round, Tuesday-Saturday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sunday, 1 - 5 p.m. Call for planetarium show times.
Admission: Adults, $6; seniors and children age 5-17, $5; family, $18; planetarium show, $5.

Shelburne Museum

U.S. Route 7 - P.O. Box 10 Shelburne, VT, 05482 Phone: 802-985-3346

This super-cool museum on the edge of Lake Champlain is filled with unusual attractions that are sure to entertain every person in the family. Kids and parents will love the authentic paddlewheel steamboat Ticonderoga, which was a workhourse of passenger and cargo transportation on the lake for decades in the 19th century. Shelburne Museum is one of the nation’s most eclectic museums of art, Americana, and design, displaying 150,000 objects on 45 acres in 25 historic New England buildings. There's even a lighthouse. A full day of family fun waits here, May through October.

Montshire Museum of Science

One Montshire Road Norwich, VT, 05055 Phone: 802-649-2200

This award-winning, hands-on museum offers more than 125 of exhibits indoors and out, relating to the natural and physical sciences, ecology, and technology. The building is located on 110-acres next to the Connecticut River, and the Museum’s outdoor environment is a large part of the visitor experience, including a network of walking trails and trailside exhibits. Two-acre Science Park features water exhibits from early May to mid-October. Food service is available in the Hughes Pavilion July and August.
Hours: Open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., seven days a week, (closed Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day).
Admission: One day pass is $14 for adults and $11 for children age 2–17. Free for members and children under the age of 2. Two-day passes are available.

Lake Champlain Maritime Museum

4472 Basin Harbor Road Vergennes, VT, 05491 Phone: 802-475-2022

Four acres of exhibits, shipwrecks nautical archaology, antique boats and more. Explore the vibrant history of the Champlain Valley through its military, commercial and regional periods. Climb aboard the 54' replica gunboat Philadelphia II. Twelve exhibit buildings, collections, working forge, boat building courses and workshops, replica gunboat, shipwrecks, nautical archaeology center, antique boats, boat livery, visitor center and museum store, field study, outreach, summer programs.
Hours: Late May to mid-October, daily, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Admission: Adults, $10; seniors, $9; students age 5-17, $6. Information: www.lcmm.org.

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Echo Leahy Center for Lake Champlain

1 College Street Burlington, VT Phone: 802-864-1848

Discover 60 species of fish, amphibians, invertebrates, and reptiles, over 100 hands-on experiences, traveling exhibits, and the Awesome Forces Theater. Live animal feedings. The 2.2-acre site also includes the Lake Champlain Navy Memorial, Eclectic Gift Shop, and seasonal café.
Hours: Year-round, daily, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Admission: Adults over age 18, $12.50; seniors over age 60 and students, $10.50; children age 3-17, $9.50.

Vermont Marble Museum

62 Main Street Proctor, VT Phone:

The Vermont Marble Museum tells a unique story of the people and places that made up Vermont’s marble industry, linking historical, artistic and cultural traditions, and connecting the past with the present. Exhibits and displays include the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, the Hall of Presidents, and information about mineralogy, geology, immigrants and industrial history. There is an on-site sculptor, a theater and a museum gift shop.
Hours: Mid-May to late October, daily, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Admission; Adults, $9; seniors, $7; children and teens, $4

Southern Vermont Natural History Museum

Route 9 Marlboro, VT, 05344 Phone: 802-464-0048

Bring your curiosity about Vermont's native wildlife to this museum on Hogback Mountain. Six hundred specimens of hundreds of New England bird and mammal species are here for your perusal, along with minerals, wildflowers, live birds of prey. fish, and reptiles. You can do hiking and mountain biking next to the museum; access to state and national forests is nearby.
Hours: Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; weekends 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Open daily, year-round.
Admission: Adults, $5; children, $2; seniors, $3

Birds of Vermont Museum

900 Sherman Hollow Road Huntington, VT Phone: 802-434-2167

Exhibits feature carvings of over 450 species of birds, including an archaeopteryx and other extinct and endangered species. There is a wild bird observation area, as well as nature trails, carving demonstrations and a gift shop.
Hours: May 1-October 31, daily, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; in winter by appointment
Admission: Adults, $6; seniors, $5; children age 3-17, $3; family, $15.

St. Johnsbury Athenaeum

1171 Main Street St. Johnsbury, VT Phone:

The 1873 St. Johnsbury Athenaeum was built in French Second Empire and it is one of the few public libraries named a National Historic Landmark. The collection includes Albert Bierstadt’s colossal The Domes of the Yosemite; many works of the Hudson River School by artists like Asher B. Durand, Sanford Gifford, James and William Hart, and Samuel Colman. Forty-five thousand finely bound books are part of the offerings. The interior charms visitors with Arts and Crafts-style details and ornate balconies. Open year-round, daily except Sundays.

Black River Academy Museum

14 High Street Ludlow, VT, 05149 Phone: 802-228-5050

The three-story academy building, which once housed the Academy (Calvin Coolidge's alma mater), is now a historical museum for the town of Ludlow. There are academy memorabilia, 19th-century furnishings, costumes, tools, farm implements, a Finnish exhibit, Coolidge memorabilia, and a textile school offering courses in weaving, spinning and quilt making. Hours: June-Columbus Day, Tuesday–Saturday, 1–4 p.m.; winter hours by appointment. Information: www.bramvt.org/

Norman Rockwell Exhibition

Route 7A and Sugar Shack Lane Arlington, VT, 05250 Phone: 802-375-6747

Display of Norman Rockwell’s artistry, featuring work he did while living in Arlington from 1939 to 1953. There are Saturday Evening Post covers, illustrations, prints, and gift shop in the former 19th-century church. In mid-May there is an annual reunion of the townspeople who posed as Rockwell’s models. Admission: $1. Hours: Call for hours of operation

Vermont Ski Museum

One South Main Street at The Perkins Building Brandon, VT, 05672 Phone: 802-253-9911

This museum contains exhibits that focus on the history of skiing in Vermont. Hours: Daily except Tuesday, noon-5 p.m. Admission: Suggested donation is $3 per person or $5 per family. Information: www.vtssm.com

New England Maple Museum

Route 7 Rutland, VT Phone: 802-483-9414

Visitors to this museum will learn all about the manufacture of Vermont maple syrup. Exhibits include demonstrations of sap collecting, candy-making, and syrup making. A slide show and tastings are included, and a gift shop is open on the premises.
Hours: late May -October 31, daily, 9-5 p.m.; November 1-December 23, daily, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; January and February, closed; mid-March-late May, daily, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

Vermont Folklife Center

88 Main Street Middlebury, VT, 05753 Phone: 802-388-4964

The Vermont Folklife Center preserves and presents the folk arts and cultural traditions of Vermont through exhibits, media, publication and educational projects. The center has made preservation of the spoken word the core of its endeavors, and its archive now comprises more than 3,800 taped interviews, which have been transcribed and electronically indexed. Hours: Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Information; http://www.vermontfolklifecenter.org/

American Museum of Fly Fishing

Route 7A Manchester, VT, 05254 Phone: 802-362-3300

The American Museum of Fly Fishing, home to the world’s largest collection of angling art and angling-related items, brings the history of fly fishing alive for anglers and others. The museum contains an impressive exhibit gallery space, a library and reading room, a museum store, and other resources. The exhibit’s opening section contains an illustrated timeline, which takes the visitor from Aelian’s comments on fly fishing in 200 A.D. to the sport today.
Hours: Year-round, Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
Admission: Adults, $5; children over age 10, $3.

Henry Sheldon Museum of Vermont History

1 Park Street Middlebury, VT, 05753 Phone: 802-388-2117

One of Vermont's premier collections of furniture, art, textiles, tools and other artifacts displayed in an 1829 brick Federal style marble merchant's home. Extensive archival collections in the Stewart-Swift Research Center. Changing art and history exhibits in the Cerf gallery. Museum Shop, gardens, public programs and special events year round. Hours are Spring, Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Summer and Fall schedule also includes Sunday, 1-5 p.m. Admission fee is charged. Information: www.henrysheldonmuseum.org/

Chaffee Center for the Visual Arts

16 South Main Street (Route 7) Rutland, VT, 05701 Phone: 802-775-0356

The Chaffee Art Center represents more than 200 artists working in virtually every medium from painting, sculpture, and photography to ceramics, printmaking, and fine furniture. Housed in a Victorian mansion. A gift shop is open on the premises. Hours: Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Thursday, noon-5 p.m. Closed Sunday and Monday Information: www.chaffeeartcenter.org

Southern Vermont Arts Center

West Road Manchester, VT, 05254 Phone: 802-362-1405

The Elizabeth de C. Wilson Museum, is a secure repository and display space for the Arts Center’s permanent collection, now approaching 800 pieces, of 19th and 20th century works, including the world’s largest collection of works by Luigi Lucioni, and a venue in which to host major national and international traveling exhibitions. Admission: Adults, $8; students, $3. Hours: Year-round, Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sunday, noon-5 p.m. Information: www.svac.org

Morse Farm Sugarhouse and Museum

Main Street East Montpelier, VT, 05651 Phone: 802-223-2740

Visitors are welcome to tours the sugar house and taste the maple, at no charge. Film and other displays in a theater in a real woodshed, nature trail, country store, and museum of Vermont farm life. Throughout the grounds are carved folklife characters created by Burr Morse. Hours: Year-round, daily, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Information: www.morsefarm.com

Old Stone House Museum

109 Old Stone House Road Brownington, VT, 05860 Phone: 802-754-2022

The Old Stone House, built as a school dormitory in 1834-36, now houses 25 rooms of exhibits focusing on 19th century life in northern Vermont. The collection includes furniture, textiles, photographs, pottery, folk and fine art, and many of the tools and utensils of daily life.
Season: May 15-October 15, Wednesday-Sunday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
Hours: Call for hours of operation. Admission is by guided tour only. There is no tour schedule; when a visitor arrives, a tour guide will begin.
Admission: Adults, $8; students, $5.
Information: oldstonehousemuseum.org.

Adams Old Stone Grist Mill Museum

Mill Street Under-the-Hill Bellows Falls, VT, 05101 Phone: 802-376-6789

This historic museum features 19th century milling equipment, farm tools and machinery. The structure houses much of its original equipment, including all the grain elevators and storage bins. Implements from the Vermont Farm Machinery Company are also stored in the building, as well as household articles, antique signs, and hand tools used by various craftsmen that were there when the business closed in the early 1960s, and the original sleigh for the Mill, as well as the family sleigh, all belonging to the Adams Family. Hours: Memorial Day to Columbus Day, Saturday and Sunday and by appointment. Information: http://bit.ly/ZohKEP

Vermont Historical Society Museum

109 State Street Montpelier, VT, 05602 Phone: 802-828-2291

Headquarters of the state historical society, the museum offers exhibits and programs revolving around Vermont's history and historical figures.
Hours: Tuesday–Saturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
Admission: Adults, $5; seniors, students, children, $3; families, $12.
Information: www.vermonthistory.org

Brattleboro Museum and Art Center

10 Vernon Street Brattleboro, VT, 05301 Phone: 802-257-0124

Brattleboro Museum & Art Center is a small, on-collecting museum housed in a historic train station. Compelling new exhibits by regional and internationally acclaimed artists are shown each season. Hours: Monday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.; Wednesday and Thursday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.; Friday, 11 a.m.-7 p.m; Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sunday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Admission: Adult, $8; seniors, $6; student, $4. Information: www.brattleboromuseum.org

TW Wood Gallery and Arts Center

46 Barre Street Montpelier, VT, 05602 Phone: 802-249-5352

The gallery maintains a continuous display of the paintings of Thomas Waterman Wood. The gallery shares a building with the Monteverdi Music School and the River Rock School. Exhibitions displaying the work of regional contemporary artists and craftsmen. Hurs: Tuesday-Saturday, noon-4 p.m. Information: www.twwoodgallery.org

Saint Albans Historical Museum

Church and Bishop Streets St. Albans, VT, 05478 Phone: 802-527-7933

The museum building is the former Franklin County Grammar School. The three-story Renaissance revival style structure was completed in 1861 and was used for public education until 1969. Museum features a military room, railroad room, civil war exhibit, and local exhibits. Hours: May 18-October 16, Tuesday through Friday, 1-4 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Admission: Adults,$5; children age 6 to 14, $2. Information: www.stamuseum.com/

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