Great Things To Do in VT
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.
Follow these links for : Museums & Galleries - Outdoor Adventures - Beach Areas - State & Local Parks
19 places to visit
Mountain Top Resort
So many things to do at this mountain resort all year round, you’re going to need a long list
195 Mountain Top Road Chittenden, VT 05737 802-483-2311 If you’re not a list-maker, you need to become one before you head to Mountain Top Resort, where there are just so many things to do! In the winter, this resort perched on a central Vermont mountain, surrounded by meadows and a pristine lake, offers cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, horse-drawn sleigh rides, sledding and its own ice rink for skating. In the warmer months, you can ask for a picnic lunch to take on a scenic hike or head to the private beach for kayaking, paddle boarding and canoeing (or just finishing that book from your lounge chair). Go fishing, play disc golf, get up a game on the sand volleyball court, take clay bird shooting lessons. And don’t forget horseback riding at the equestrian center. (See? We said you’d need a list!)
Liberty Hill Farm & Inn
Recharge, relax and reconnect at this farm inn, with a full slate of engaging activities
511 Liberty Hill Road Rochester, VT 05767 802-767-3926 Yes, there is wi-fi at the Liberty Hill Farm & Inn, but you’ll be surprised how infrequently you use it – because there are so many fun things to do! Family-friendly farm activities include exploring the hay loft, milking a cow (or bottle-feeding a calf), picking berries or veggies for that evening’s dinner – or just cuddling a kitten in the barn. In the winter, grab some snowshoes or skis from the inn and head out on the trails. In the summer, go swimming or fly-fishing for trout or salmon. Walk through fields of wildflowers or just hunker down in a porch rocking chair to read or, at night, to watch the stars come out. Fabulous home-cooked meals are served around a big dining room table.
Scott Farm
Over at the farm, they’re up for some fun-filled activities this year
707 Kipling Road Dummerston, VT 05301 802-490-2865 There’s a lot happening at the farm! At Scott Farm, there’s everything from monthly crêpe nights to tastings to concerts (check the website for dates and times), as well as Heirloom Apple Day on October 12. And, of course, the farm is once again the happy site for picking your own apples and peaches. Stop by the Farm Market, where offerings include fine fruits, homemade baked goods and cider, as well as Vermont products from cheese, maple syrup, and honey to pottery and wooden cutting boards. Plan for lunch or just a pleasant break at Pippin’s Café, where the menu includes sweet and hard cider, coffee, baked goods, sandwiches and, sometimes, even delicious open-faced pies.
Crab Apple Whitewater (VT)
Outdoor fun for all experience levels
289 Handle Road West Dover, VT 05356 800-553-7238 Looking for an unforgettable outdoor adventure in Vermont? Crab Apple Whitewater delivers just that with exhilarating rafting trips on the scenic West River. The 8-mile journey features Class II to IV rapids, offering just the right mix of excitement for both beginners and experienced rafters. Available in the spring and fall, these trips are great for families (minimum age is 11) and include all necessary gear like helmets, lifejackets, and top-quality self-bailing rafts. With experienced guides and stunning natural surroundings, it’s one of the best ways to experience Vermont’s beauty.
Crab Apple has been operating since 1983, and also has locations in Maine and Massachusetts.
Crab Apple has been operating since 1983, and also has locations in Maine and Massachusetts.
Elegant Consignments, Décor with Pizza, Local Art
VT 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.
Play on the Trails, in the Water, at Montshire
Norwich, VT 802-649-2200 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.
Enjoy Views of the Mountains from Dover
Dover, VT 05341 The Dover Town Forest Trail, located near Dover and on the eastern edge of the Green Mountain National Forest, offers an east, three-mile walk along a well-maintained trail that follows an old roadbed along a ridge to the Rock River. The trail offers views of Mount Snow and Haystack Mountain to the west and East Dover and South Newfane to the east. From the center of West Dover, take Valley View Road to Cooper Hill Road. Just before the Cooper Hill Inn turn onto Rice Hill Road. Parking and entry to the forest can be found at the end of Rice Hill Road.
Mad River Antler – How Wild Does That Sound?
Waitsfield, VT 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.
Forest Canopy Walk at VINS
Quechee, VT 802-359-5000 Vermont Institute of Natural Science, or VINS, at 149 Natures Way in Quechee presents 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.
Stone Valley Byway Traverses Mountain Slopes
VT 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.
Beautiful Place, Refined Pottery
VT 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)
Mad River; Lovely Byway
VT 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.
Independent Bookseller Welcomes Book-Loving Folks
Montpelier, VT 05602 802-229-0774 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.
Ride the Trails on an Icelandic Horse
Waitsfield, VT 05673 802-496-7141 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.
Spectacular Views, Hikes, Exploration at Merck Forest
VT Located on top of Rupert Mountain, off Route 315 on Rupert, Merck Forest and Farmland Center is thousands of acres of open land available for hikes and other activities. Parts of the property are actively farmed, with concentration on organic, sustainable agriculture. Visit the farm, explore the forest or stay overnight in a rustic cabin or lean-to. With 30 miles of trails for hiking, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and horseback riding Merck Forest has a multitude of recreational opportunities. Open daily, from dawn to dusk, year-round.
Wonderful Artwork and Trails for Natural Beauty
Manchester Center, VT 802-362-1405 The Southern Vermont Arts Center at 930 Southern Vermont Arts Center Drive in Manchester is a respite of natural beauty and human artistry. Located within 100 acres of forest in the Green Mountains, the Center offers a changing exhibitions, a sculpture park, woodland hiking on the Boswell Botany Trail, and live music in the summer at the Arkell Pavilion. Art is on display in the 28-room Yester House Gallery (formerly a mansion) and three other galleries. On the grounds: hiking, snowshoeing and cross-country skiing. Prepare to be dazzled.
Meet Vermont's Covered Bridges
VT 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.
Dive Into the Life of the Mind at the Athenaeum
St. Johnsbury, VT 802-748-8291 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.
Byway Follows Victory Route of Colonial General
VT 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 Molly Stark Byway winds through valleys and past historic villages, busy downtowns, and the spectacular Green Mountain National Forrest. It is 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. (photo: Brattleboro VT chamber of Commerce)