Vermont museums & galleries serve interests from art to old technology

Vermont museums guide visitors through many worlds, from Revolutionary War history to shipwrecks at the bottom of Lake Champlain, and much more. A museum visit is a grat day's activity for families with children and other adults on a VT vacation or weekend getaway

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Bennington Museum

75 Main Street Bennington, VT 05201 Phone: 802-447-1571 Fax: (802) 442-8305

Any time of year is a wonderful time to visit

Items include the largest public collection of paintings by the great American folk artist Grandma Moses, which draws visitors from around the world. Also on permanent exhibit is Vermont-made furniture, Ralph Earl’s painting of Bennington in 1798, a 1924 Martin Wasp touring car, one of 20 made in Vermont by Carl Martin, and Bennington pottery featuring Norton pottery, Fenton pottery and Redware. The Flag Gallery features one of the oldest “stars and stripes” in existence – the Bennington Flag.

As the largest art and heritage repository in southern Vermont, the museum houses diverse collections reflecting the history of early Vermont and historically associated areas of New York and Massachusetts. Art and artifacts range in date from the early 18th century to the present.

Informational Listings Courtesy of VisitNewEngland.com
Central Northern Southern
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American Precision Museum

196 Main Street Windsor, VT 05089 Phone: 802-674-5781

Open: late May-October 31, daily, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

The museum preserves the heritage of the mechanical arts, celebrates the ingenuity of mechanical inventors and draftsmen, and explores the effects of their work on our everyday lives. Housed in the original Robbins & Lawrence Armory, the museum holds the largest collection of historically significant machine tools in the nation. Cost: Adults, $6; students, $4; family, $18.

Bethel Historical Society Museum

Church Street Bethel, VT 05032 Phone: 802-234-9413

Open: July-August, Sunday, 2-5 p.m. or by apppintment

The museum is located on the upper floor of the Brick Church on the green (1816). There are written records, paintings, photographs from the Bethel area, 18th and 19th century room vignettes. Exhibits change annually. Admission is free.

Black River Academy Museum

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

Open: June-Columbus Day, Tuesday–Saturday, 1–4 p.m.; winter hours by appointment

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.

Chaffee Center for the Visual Arts

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

Open: Monday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sunday, noon-4 p.m., closed Tuesday

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.

Farrar-Mansur House Museum

Route 100, On the Green Weston, VT 05161 Phone: 802-824-8190

Open: Memorial Day-July 1, Saturday-Sunday, 1-4 p.m.; July 1-Labor Day, daily, 1-4 p.m.

Originally built as a tavern in 1797, the house is now operated as a historic house museum by the Weston Historical Society. Collection includes 18th and 19th century decorative arts and furnishings. Cost: Adults, $2.

Green Mountain Perkins Academy

Route 106 South Woodstock, VT 05071 Phone: 802-457-3779

Open: July-August, Sunday, 2-5 p.m.

The 3-story, 19th-century school in original condition serves as a repository and archival center for material related to the academy and 19th-century community activities in South Woodstock. Admission is free.

Henry Sheldon Museum Of Vermont History

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

Open: Tuesday-Saturday 10 a.m.-5 pm.

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. Cost: Adults, $5; youth age 6-18, $3; students, $3.50; seniors, $4.50; family, $12.

Historical Society Museum

Town House on the Common Royalton, VT 05068 Phone: 802-763-8830

Open: By appointment

A local history museum in a restored 1840 town hall with exhibit rooms, a library, and 1844 schoolhouse. Articles relate to the town’s history.

Hubbardton Battlefield and Museum

5696 Monument Hill Road Hubbardton, VT 05732 Phone: 802-759-2412

Open: May 27-October 9, Wednesday-Sunday, 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m.

On July 7, 1777, American and British forces clashed on this site. A visitor's center features exhibits on the battle and the American Revolution.

Lake Champlain Maritime Museum

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

Open: May 22-October 31, daily, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

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. Cost: Adults,$10; seniors, $9; students age 5-17, $5.

Middletown Springs Historical Society Museum

On the Green Middlebury, VT 05757 Phone: 802-235-2561

Open: Memorial Day- October 31, Sunday, 2-4 p.m. and by appointment

Exhibits focus on the history of Middletown Springs, including botanical specimens, artifacts from the horsepower factory, the Montvert Hotel and photographs. Cost: Free admission.

Montshire Museum of Science

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

Open: Year-round, daily, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; closed Thanksgiving Day, Christmas, and New Year’s Day

This hands-on museum offers dozens of exhibits relating to the natural and physical sciences, ecology, and technology. The building is located on a 110-acre site near the Connecticut River, and the museum’s outdoor environment is a large part of the visitor experience. Science Park is a two-acre exhibit area in a park-like setting. Also outside is a network of easy-to-moderate walking trails for visitors of all ages and fitness levels. Cost: Adults, $9; children age 3 to 17, $7.

Morse Farm Sugarhouse and Museum

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

Open: year-round, daily

Free sugar house tours and tasting, multimedia displays in a real woodshed theater, a nature trail, country store, and an outdoor Vermont farm life museum make up the Morse Farm experience, and whimsical carved folklife characters.

New England Maple Museum

Route 7 Rutland, VT 05763 Phone: 802-483-9414

Open: Daily, 8:30 a.m.-5:30 pm.

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.

Norman Rockwell Museum of Vermont

Route 4 East Rutland, VT 05701 Phone: 802-773-6095

Open: Daily, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

A comprehensive and chronological display covering the entire span and diversity of Rockwell's career. The collection shows the development of Rockwell as a commercial illustrator and reflecting the political, economic and cultural history of the united Sates in the first three quarters of this century. Collection dates from 1911 until his death in 1978. Gift shop and gallery, in-house matting and custom framing.

Old Constitution House and Museum

Main Street Windsor, VT 05089 Phone: 802-672-3773

Open: Late May- mid-October, Wednesday-Sunday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.

The tavern where Vermont's first state constitution was written. The museum includes exhibits of New England antiquities, as well as the little known "Republic of Vermont." The Old Constitution House features period rooms that reflect its use as an early tavern. A large interpretive area in the early 20th century tea room examines the events surrounding the signing of the Vermont Constitution. Cost: Adults, $2.50; children 14 and younger, free.

Porter Music Box Museum

US Route 66 Randolph, VT 05060 Phone: 802-728-9694

Open: May-October, Monday-Saturday, 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m.; mid-August-mid-October, Sunday, noon-4 p.m.; closed November-April

Collection of antique music boxes, musical automata, and a Steinway reproducing piano. The museum houses an exquisite collection of music boxes, including several from the collections of Louis Hoone and Ruth Bornand.

Poultney Historical Society Museum

2751 Vt Route 140 East Poultney, VT 05764 Phone: 802-287-2330

Open: June-August, Saturday- Sunday, 1–4 p.m. and by appointment.

The society has several buildings it has restored as museums: the Victorian High School (1896), the Melodeon Factory (1854), and the former Union Academy building (1791). Displays are of local clothing, tools, melodeons, carriages, furniture, and metalworks.

Randolph Historical Museum

Salisbury Street Randolph, VT 05061 Phone: 802-728-5398

Open: First Sunday of the month., 2-4 p.m. and by appointment

This museum features three furnished period rooms, the gravestone of Justin Morgan, and a turn-of-the-century drugstore.

The Vermont Folklife Center

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

Open: Call for hours of operation

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.

TW Wood Gallery and Arts Center

36 College Street Montpelier, VT 05602 Phone: 802-828-8743

Open: Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday-Sunday, noon - 4 p.m.; Thursday, noon-8 p.m.

On the Vermont College campus in Montpelier, the gallery maintains a continuous display of the paintings of Thomas Waterman Wood. Exhibitions displaying the work of regional contemporary artists and craftsmen. Dinner Auction in the fall. Illumination in early December.

USS Montpelier Museum

39 Main Street Montpelier, VT 05601 Phone: 802-828-0622

Open: Year-round during regular business hours

A museum based on the naval history of United States ships are named Montpelier. This city, the state capital, is the birthplace of Admiral George Dewey.

Vermont Historical Society Museum

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

Open: May–October, Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; Sundays, noon-4 p.m.

Headquarters of the state historical society, the museum offers exhibits and programs revolving around Vermont's history and historical figures. Cost: Adults, $5; seniors, students, children, $3; families, $12.

Vermont Institute of Natural Science Nature Center

6565 Woodstock Road (Route 4) Quechee, VT 05059 Phone: 802-359-5000

Open: Year round, daily, May 1-October 31, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; November 1-April 30, Wednesday-Sunday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day

Outdoor exhibits of owls, eagles, falcons and other birds of prey, flight demonstrations, ecology programs about the landscape and wildlife of Vermont, walking trails, and a nature shop featuring science kits, field guides, binoculars, toys and gifts. Cost: Adults: $8; children 3-16, $6.50.

Vermont Marble Museum

62 Main Street Proctor, VT 05765 Phone: 802-459-2300

Open: May-late October, 9 a.m.-5:30 p.m.

One of the world's largest displays of marble features historic exhibits, sculpting demonstrations, carvings of U.S. presidents. A gift shop and movie theatre are also on site. Cost: Adults, $7; seniors, $5; teens, $4.

Vermont Ski Museum

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

Open: Every day except Tuesdays, noon-5 p.m.; closed mid-April to Memorial Day and Halloween to Thanksgiving.

This museum contains exhibits that focus on the history of skiing in Vermont. Cost: $3 per person; $5 for families.
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Birds of Vermont Museum

900 Sherman Hollow Road Huntington, VT 05462 Phone: 802-434-2167

Open: May 1 - October 31, daily, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.; in winter by appointment

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. Cost: Adults, $6; seniors, $5; children age 3-17, $3; family, $15.

Bread and Puppet Museum

753 Heights Road Glover, VT 05839 Phone: 802-525-3031

Open: June through October, 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.

A fascinating exhibit of masks and puppets. The museum is housed in a mid 19th century barn. Admission is free.

Echo at the Leahy Center for Lake Champlain

1 College Street Burlington, VT 05401 Phone: 802-864-1848

Open: Tuesday-Sunday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

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. Cost: Adults over age 18, $9; seniors over age 62 and students, $8; children age 3-17, $7.

Fairbanks Museum and Planetarium

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

Open: Year-round, Tuesday-Saturday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sunday, 1 - 5 p.m.; also open Monday, 9 a.m.- 5 p.m., April- October. Call for planetarium show times.

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. Cost: Adults, $6; seniors and children age 5-17, $5; family, $18; planetarium show, $5.

Georgia Historical Society Museums

Route 7 Georgia, VT 05468 Phone: 802-524-4539

The society has two museum locations and a library. The Brick School at Ethan Allen Highway, Georgia Center, (open Monday, Wednesday, Saturday, 2 p.m. – 4 p.m.; information at 802-524-4539) is exhibiting the life of women at the turn of the century. The Gordon's Mill Agricultural Museum at Georgia Plain (open by appointment only; information at 802-524-6311) is featuring the tools and wagons used on earlier Georgia farms. The library has over 5,000 photos with captions, genealogical books and local family genealogy sources.

Helen Day Art Center

School Street Stowe, VT 05672 Phone: 802-253-8358

Open: Summer hours through October 12, Tuesday-Sunday, noon-5 p.m.; December hours through first weekend of January, Tuesday-Sunday, noon-5 p.m.; Winter hours through Memorial Day weekend, Tuesday-Saturday, noon-5 p.m.

Art and cultural center features exhibits of local and regional artwork.

National Museum of the Morgan Horse

122 Bostwick Road Shelburne, VT 05482 Phone: 802-985-8665

Open: Open: May 1- October 31, Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday, 9 a.m.- 4 p.m. and Saturday, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Winter hours: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday, 1-4 p.m. and Saturday, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

Exhibits on the history and breeding of the Morgan Horse, including cavalry and the Civil War. Cost: Admission is by donation.

Old Stone House Museum

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

Open: May 15- October 15, Wednesday-Sunday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.; closed Monday and Tuesday

The Old Stone House, built as a school dormitory in 1834-36, now houses 25 rooms of exhibits focussing 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. Cost: Adults, $5; students, $2.

Saint Albans Historical Museum

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

Open: Mid-June-September, Monday-Friday, 1-4 p.m.

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. Cost: Adults, $5.

Shelburne Museum

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

Open May - October

Shelburne Museum is one of the nation’s most eclectic museums of art, Americana, and design, displaying over 150,000 objects on 45 acres in Vermont's beautiful Lake Champlain Valley. Collections of folk art, decorative arts, tools, toys, and textiles, are exhibited as are American paintings and Impressionist masterpieces by Monet, Manet, Degas, and others. The museum's 25 historic New England buildings include period houses, a lighthouse, and a 220-foot paddlewheel steamboat. New exhibits in 2006 include paintings by Georgia O'Keeffe, the art of Tasha Tudor, contemporary Knoll design, and kaleidoscope quilts.

Vermont Fine Art Gallery

1880 Mountian Rd. #3, Gale Farm Center Stowe, VT 05672 Phone: 802-253-9653

Open: Call for schedule

Specilizing in award-winning Vermont artists likeGary Eckhart, Bob Aiken, Elizabeth Allen, and Peter A. Miller; exhibiting Vermont work by nationally recognized visiting artists such as Carolyn Walton, Tom Nicholas N.A. and Loren Blackburn andthe work of artist/owner Elisabeth Wooden Prior. Ongoing exhibitons of fine quality artwork, sculpture, and prints. Featuring special events and showings through the entire year.

Vermont Veterans' Militia Museum

789 Vermont National Guard Road Colchester, VT 05446 Phone: 802 338-3360

Open: May 1-October 1, Tuesday – Thursday, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.; October 1-May 1, Tuesday 10 a.m.- 3 p.m. and by appointment

An exhibit of military artifacts used by Vermont veterans, from the American Revolution to the present day. Admission is free.
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Adams Old Stone Grist Mill Museum

Mill Street Under-the-Hill Bellows Falls, VT 05101 Phone: 802-463-4280

Open: July-August, Saturday-Sunday, 2-4 p.m. or by appointment

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.

American Museum of Fly Fishing

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

Open: Year-round, daily, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; closed major holidays

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 developments and issues surrounding the sport today. Cost: Adults, $5; children over age 10, $3.

Brattleboro Museum and Art Center

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

Open: 11 a.m.-5 p.m.; closed Tuesday and Wednesday except by appointment

Brattleboro Museum & Art Center is a small, cutting-edge, non-collecting museum founded in 1972 and housed in a historic train station. Compelling new exhibits by regional and internationally acclaimed artists are shown each season. The mission statement of the center is to present art and ideas in ways that inspire, educate, and engage people of all ages. Admission: Adult, $6; seniors, $4; student, $3; free to members and children ages 5 and younger. Information: www.brattleboromuseum.org

Norman Rockwell Exhibition

3772 Vt Route 7A Arlington, VT 05250 Phone: 802-375-6423

Open: May 1-October 31, daily, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; November 1-April 30, daily, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

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. Cost: $1.

Southern Vermont Arts Center

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

Open: Year-round, Tuesday - Saturday, 10 a.m.- 5 p.m.; Sunday, noon- 5 p.m.

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. Cost: Adults, $ 8; students, $ 3.

Southern Vermont Natural History Museum

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

Open: Late October through Memorial Day; hours vary; please call ahead.

This natural history museum in the foothills of the Green Mountains offer mounted specimens of 600 native New England birds and mammals as well as live hawks and owls. The museum presents an amphibian and reptile exhibit and a wildflower exhibit in the summer and fall. A good side trip is a hike up nearby Mount Olga. The museum has one of the largest collections of mounted birds to be found in New England, containing over 600 birds in 100 small dioramas. Raptor center has live exhibits of owls and hawks. Cost: Adults, $5; children, $2; seniors, $3.