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Vermont offers magnificent scenic beauty and the cultural charm of a New England state. Despite its small size, Vermont packages a broad range of recreation activities within its borders.

Vermont boasts many cultural attractions. The state’s many museums preserve and interpret a wide range of subjects to enjoy. The Brattleboro Museum and Art Center in Brattleboro, a non-profit organization established in 1972, whose mission is to inspire, educate, and engage people of all ages with art and ideas; each season brings new exhibits by regional or internationally acclaimed artists. The Elizabeth de C. Wilson Museum at the Southern Vermont Arts Center in Manchester displays the Arts Center’s permanent collection of nearly 800 pieces of 19th and 20th century works, in addition to hosting major national and international traveling exhibitions. The Robert Hull Fleming Museum at the University of Vermont, Burlington, is home to Vermont’s most comprehensive collection of art and anthropology, with approximately 20,000 objects from around the world. The Shelburne Museum in Shelburne features over 150,000 works exhibited in 39 exhibition buildings, 25 of which are historic, and includes Impressionist works, folk art, and artifacts ranging from the 17th to the 20th centuries.

ECHO at the Leahy Center for Lake Champlain in Burlington is home to the Lake Aquarium and Science Center, housing over 60 species of fish, amphibians, and reptiles, in addition to many hands-on and traveling exhibits; also of note is its Lake Champlain Navy Memorial. Science lovers will also enjoy the Fairbanks Museum and Planetarium in St. Johnsbury, founded in 1889. Known as northern New England’s largest museum of natural history, it contains a collection of approximately 175,000 natural history objects, 95,000 historical artifacts, and 55,000 archival photographs and documents. At Northern Forest Heritage Park in Berlin, visitors can learn about the legacy of those who worked and lived in the Northern Forest. The American Museum of Fly Fishing in Manchester pays homage to American angling, with the world’s largest collection of angling and related items, as well as collections and exhibits showcasing the sport, art, and craft of fly fishing. At the American Precision Museum in Windsor, this former armory and machine shop, a National Historic Landmark built in 1846, showcases a collection of hand and machine tools. Hildene in Manchester preserves the 1905 Georgian Revival home of Robert Todd Lincoln, the only child of Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln to survive to adulthood, and features gardens, trails, woods, and farmland for touring. The Old Stone House Museum in Brownington preserves the remnants of a 19th century stone schoolhouse and dormitory built by Rev. Alexander Twilight, the worlds’ first African American college graduate, and state legislator; its collection features furniture, textiles, and other paraphernalia of daily life.

Performing arts fans have several venues to choose from in Vermont. Orchestral music lovers should enjoy the Vermont Symphony Orchestra in Burlington. Fans of the stage will enjoy watching the Oldcastle Theatre Company in Bennington; the Waterfront Theatre in Burlington; or the Weston Playhouse, Vermont’s oldest professional theatre, located in Weston. Opera aficionados can revel in performances at the Barre Opera House in Barre, which hosts up to 100 events each year; and the Vermont Opera Theatre in Montpelier, featuring local professional talent in opera, operetta, and original programs with varying themes. The Vermont Ballet Theater in Essex should appeal to fans of ballet.

Vermont is home to several family friendly attractions to suit all ages. The Montshire Museum of Science in Norwich gives visitors a hands-on approach to exhibits pertaining to natural and physical sciences, ecology, and technology; additionally it boasts a pleasant outdoor exhibit known as Science Park, in addition to a network of trails to enjoy. Children can learn much about Vermont’s rural heritage at the Billings Farm and Museum in Woodstock, which celebrates the rural past of the Green Mountain State by preserving the farm of 19th century Vermonter, Frederick Billings, and continues to operate as a working farm today. Ice cream lovers will no doubt rejoice at the Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream Factory Tour in Waterbury, featuring a guided factory tour that shows visitors how the company’s ice cream is made, and features samples of the day in its "FlavoRoom" at the tour’s end. Animal lovers will enjoy the Vermont Raptor Center, with over 30 non-releasable North American raptors on display such as bald eagles and great gray owls. Its adjacent Vermont Institute of Natural Science (VINS) Nature Center offers hiking and snow-shoe trails, and other fun attractions. Anyone who has loved a teddy bear, or who wants to purchase a specially made gift, will enjoy the Vermont Teddy Bear Company Factory Tours, home of the largest producer of hand-crafted American made teddy bears.

Vermont’s historic heritage is preserved at several historic sites throughout the state. Chimney Point State Historic Site in Addison preserves Native American and French artifacts at one of the earliest and most intensely settled sites in the Champlain Valley, where humans have lived for the past 7,500 years. The Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park preserves historic and contemporary examples of conservation stewardship, and protects 400-year-old hemlocks, covered bridges, and stone walls as part of its legacy. The Hubbardton Battlefield State Historic Site in East Hubbardton was the site of the 1777 Battle of Hubbardton, the only Revolutionary War battle fought entirely in Vermont. The Bennington Battle Monument in Old Bennington is a monument to that American Revolution battle where the British aimed to capture a store of American weapons and food for their own use. The Mount Independence State Historic Site in Orwell maintains the site of a military complex built in 1776 for the Revolutionary War for 12,000 soldiers; in its day it was one of the largest communities in North America. The Old Constitution House State Historic Site in Windsor marks the birthplace of the Vermont constitution in 1777, the first constitution in America to prohibit slavery, allow men to vote without property ownership requirements, and authorize a public school system. The Eureka Schoolhouse near Springfield is one of the few surviving structures from the 18th century, and is the oldest one-room schoolhouse in the state. The Hyde Log Cabin in Grand Isle, built n 1783, is one of the oldest log cabins in the U.S. The President Chester A. Arthur State Historic Site in Fairfield commemorates the birthplace of the 21st President of the United States, Chester A. Arthur. At the President Calvin Coolidge State Historic Site in Plymouth Notch, visitors can witness the birthplace of the 30th President of the United States, with the original homestead unchanged since Coolidge took office; it is considered one of the best preserved Presidential sites in the country. The Joseph Smith Birthplace Memorial in South Royalton marks the birthplace of the founder of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, also called the Mormon religion, and features a granite monument dedicated on the 100th anniversary of his birth, as well as a visitor center. The Justin Smith Morrill Homestead in Strafford preserves the Gothic Revival cottage of the U.S. Congressman Justin Smith Morrill, who established the Land Grant Colleges, considered the forerunner to many of today’s state universities. Perhaps most intriguing of all is the Lake Champlain Underwater Historic Preserve; shared by the states of New York and Vermont, the preserve provides public access for divers to some of the lake’s historic shipwrecks, and protects them from anchor damage and artifact collection.

Outdoor recreation opportunities abound in the Green Mountain State. Vermont boasts accessible and scenic mountains for hiking, mountain biking, and skiing, as well as ample lakes and streams for fishing and other water activities, providing an outdoor paradise. The famous Appalachian National Scenic Trail (also called the A.T.) is a 2,175 mile (3,500 kilometer) footpath extending through 14 eastern states from Maine to Georgia along the scenic Appalachian Mountains. The Long Trail is known as America’s oldest long distance hiking trail, stretching 270 miles (435 kilometers) along the main trail, which crosses Vermont’s highest peaks. The Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge is a 7.2 million acre (29,137 square kilometer or 2,913,737 hectare), four-state watershed, one of the few which also protect fish, and in which millions of people coexist with other species. The Missisquoi National Wildlife Refuge, located on the eastern shore of Lake Champlain, is a 6,642 acre (27 square kilometer or 2,688 hectare) refuge comprised of quiet waters and wetlands attracting large flocks and migratory birds; this wildlife viewing locale is one of a link of refuges for birds along the Atlantic Flyway between northern breeding grounds and southern wintering areas. Burton Island State Park in St. Albans is a 253 acre (1.02 square kilometer or 102 hectare) park on Lake Champlain featuring hiking trails, camp sites, and a nature museum. The Mount Philo State Park is Vermont’s oldest state park, and offers views of the Lake Champlain Valley and New York’s Adirondack Mountains, in addition to providing camp sites. Other notable state parks include Camel’s Hump State Park, offering primitive camping; Lake Carmi State Park, with over two miles of lake frontage on Lake Carmi and the state’s largest campground; Alburg Dunes State Park, featuring sand dunes along Lake Champlain, as well as wetlands and bogs; and Jamaica State Park, famed for whitewater canoeing on the West River; among several others. Green Mountain National Forest stretches across approximately 400,000 acres (1,619 square kilometers or 161,874 hectares) and features ample outdoor recreational opportunities, as well as quieter hollows, within a setting of the rugged Green Mountains.

Vermont is a ski lover’s dream come true. Among the many resorts in the Green Mountain State are Sugarbush Resort in Warren; Okemo Mountain Resort in Ludlow; Killington Resort in Killington; Mount Snow Resort in West Dover; Ascutney Mountain Resort in Brownsville; Middlebury College Snow Bowl in Middlebury; Mad River Glen in Waitsfield; Stowe Mountain Resort in Stowe; Magic Mountain in Londonderry; Smugglers' Notch Resort in Smugglers’ Notch; Burke Mountain in East Burke; Cochran Ski Area in Richmond; Stratton Mountain Resort at Stratton Mountain; Suicide Six Ski Area in Woodstock; and Bromley Mountain in Peru.

Vermont is famous for its rural charm, and Vermonters are proud to showcase the many products on their farms. Agritourism has taken hold as a fun way to experience the Green Mountain State. Vermont is the top producer of maple syrup in the U.S., and many sugar houses producing maple syrup are open to visitors year round, outside of the four to six week maple season. Vermont is also home to fine cheese makers, such as Cabot Creamery, which offers a factory tour for visitors to learn about cheese making. Many farms across the Green Mountain State are available for touring, making the agricultural legacy of Vermont accessible to all.

With its wonderful scenery and New England heritage, Vermont offers four seasons of recreational enjoyment for everyone.

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