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Burlington, Vermont, is a must-see city in New England. Nestled between New Hampshire, New York, and the province of Quebec, it offers a thriving arts scene, independent shops and eateries, galleries galore, and cool mountain vibes. While my friends and I explored in the fall, it’s truly a year-round destination.
“Leafers” come in droves in the autumn to take in the beauty of the Green Mountains, boaters enjoy lazy summer days on Lake Champlain, and skiers flock to nearby Stowe every winter.
In any season, the Green Mountains and Lake Champlain are natural highlights of the area as is Mount Mansfield. At 4,395 feet, it is the highest point in Vermont. The Green Mountains are a subrange of the Appalachian Mountains and run primarily south to north, extending approximately 250 miles from the border with Massachusetts to the border with Quebec, Canada.
We enjoyed exploring the mountains, stopping to take photos whenever we could, and, as many signs remind you, keeping an eye out for moose.
10 Reasons to Visit Burlington, Vermont
1. Shelburne Museum
Feeling like a village, which was the intent of its founder, the Shelburne Museum contains a vast collection of objects, including circus art, American folk art, furniture, quilts, weathervanes, and more.
Founded by Electra Havemeyer Webb who grew up in New York, where her parents were collectors, she followed suit collecting American art, filling her homes in New York and Shelburne.
Founding the museum in 1947, the collection grew, and she added historic buildings discovered in the countryside throughout New England and New York and moved them here to provide appropriate settings for her collections.
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Houses, barns, a one-room schoolhouse, a lighthouse, a jail, a general store, a covered bridge, and the 220-foot steamboat Ticonderoga are all found here now.
Watch the video on how they moved the steamboat to the museum. She worked with a landscape design team to situate them within a welcoming environment that today includes lush gardens, enticing views, and an amazing collection with artists including Claude Monet and Andrew Wyeth.
2. Ben & Jerry’s
If you haven’t had Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, you’re in for a treat (pun intended)! A trip to nearby Waterbury provides an opportunity to see how the ice cream is made with a Factory Tour at their headquarters.
You can visit the grounds and watch grazing cows, grab a seat with a mountain view, and let the kids enjoy the playground. Also, here is the Ben & Jerry’s Flavor Graveyard, where you can pay your respects to flavors that have left us. Oh, Cool Britannia, how I miss thee!
Its visitor center has a gift shop and an ice cream stand. The tour sells out, so purchase your tickets in advance. Stay in the area to visit more Waterbury or continue nearby Stowe.
3. Church Street Marketplace
Church Street Marketplace offers much to those needing a “shopping fix” or a good meal. Located in downtown Burlington and lined with shops, cafes, and restaurants, locals and tourists alike enjoy coming here for the variety.
My friends and I had a terrific time checking out all the shops, doing a little people-watching, and enjoying hot cocoa from Lake Champlain Chocolates.
With 60+ shops and over 30 eateries, this pedestrian-only zone stretches out four blocks and offers events year-round. Ben & Jerry’s, Frog Hollow Craft Association and Gallery, and several booksellers will also be found. Many shops and restaurants are locally owned, and you’ll feel like a local when you shop here.
The Church Street Marketplace is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and designated as one of America’s Great Public Spaces by the American Planning Association.
4. Champlain Valley Dinner Train
Champlain Valley Dinner Train operates through the summer and into October, offering passengers a three-course gourmet dinner during the three-hour round-trip train ride. The adventure begins when you board the train near Lake Champlain at the foot of Main Street.
With the beautiful Vermont landscape rolling by your window, you’ll be treated to a carefully curated menu that includes Vermont Cider Pork Loin and a Stuffed Filet of Sole.
Libations include cleverly named cocktails such as the Engineer (thyme-infused Tito’s vodka, pomegranate juice, ginger beer, and lime juice) and the Locomotive (vanilla rum, Vermont apple cider, fall spiced simple syrup, and lemon juice). Sit back and relax inside a 1930s railcar and enjoy the scenery.
All aboard for a good time!
5. Spirit of Ethan Allen
Spirit of Ethan Allen offers seasonal cruises on Lake Champlain. This provides an opportunity to see the lake, lighthouses, the Green Mountains, and Burlington from aboard a ship.
Offering narrated scenic tours in the daytime and at sunset, as well as various brunch, lunch, and dinner cruise options, this affords you vista upon vista. The Spirit of Ethan Allen has three decks, one of which is accessible.
The scenic narrated tour takes you north toward Lone Rock Point. It then loops around Juniper Island, past Rock Dunder, and into Shelburne Bay before returning through the south end of Burlington.
Lighthouse lovers will spy three lighthouses at the end of the breakwater and the old Juniper Island Lighthouse. Evening trips may take a different route because the captain knows where the prettiest sunsets are!
6. Fleming Museum of Art
Fleming Museum of Art at the University of Vermont has enticed art lovers since 1931. Located on the university’s campus, the museum features exhibitions drawn from its collection of over 24,000 works of art and cultural heritage objects. Visitors can also enjoy video installations and a variety of events.
The Museum shares :
“As a meeting place for inspired learning and critical thinking, the Museum is a place of gathering and exchange, shaped by water and stewarded by ongoing generations of Indigenous peoples.
As a container for shared knowledge and resources, it is essential to acknowledge the continued existence and contributions of Indigenous people who have owned, lived on, and cared for this land for thousands of years.
Shared leadership with our communities is in harmony with our mission, a reminder of our past, and a beacon for our interconnected futures.”
Check in advance for opening hours and exhibitions.
7. ECHO Leahy Center for Lake Champlain
ECHO Leahy Center for Lake Champlain is a favorite destination for families. Part aquarium, part zoo, and entirely enjoyable, it educates and encourages stewardship of nature. Frogs, fish, turtles, eels, and snakes are displayed as you learn about life around the Lake.
Educational exhibits are interactive and plentiful. The Wildlife Kayak Adventure allows you to “paddle” down the river and virtually journey through Vermont’s incredible Missisquoi National Wildlife Refuge — 6,700 acres of protected wetland and wildlife habitat.
Elsewhere, kids can try their hand at reporting in the WCAX Lake News Studio, visit baby turtles, and hop over and see various frogs. The Northfield Savings Bank 3D Theater shows a variety of films, and the museum store provides the chance to grab some educational (and fun) souvenirs.
8. Ethan Allen Homestead Museum
The Ethan Allen Homestead Museum will please both history and nature lovers. Exploring the museum is like stepping back in time. It shows what everyday life was like on the New England frontier during and after the American Revolution.
The 1787 Allen House provides a guided tour, exhibits, and a short film, Allen. Ethan Allen (1738-1789) was an American farmer, writer, military officer and politician. He is best known as one of the founders of Vermont and for the capture of Fort Ticonderoga during the American Revolutionary War.
He also led the Green Mountain boys. There is a recreated 18th-century colonial garden and gift shop. There are seasonal hours.
The Ethan Allen Homestead Park is a public park owned and operated by the Winooski Valley Park District. The park maintains public hiking and cycling trails (open year-round).
9. Get in the Spirit(s) along Pine Street
Burlington is a foodie and adult beverage paradise. An array of small, independent breweries dot the map, including Queen City Brewery and Zero Gravity Brewery, both located on Pine Street.
Zero Gravity offers a variety of brews and food in its beer hall, with a coffee and waffle menu available daily from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Queen City Brewery (Burlington is nicknamed the “Queen City”) has a selection of beer with international influences.
Located in Burlington’s South End, Pine Street and the surrounding neighborhood were once the city’s industrial hub. You’ll find art, food and drink, artisans and makers these days.
The area has undergone a renaissance, and you can spend a day, evening, and more perusing it and sampling the fare. Besides breweries, you can quench your thirst at the quirky Speeder & Earl’s Coffee or hop into Citizen Cider to sip a hard cider or seltzer.
10. Green Mountains
The Green Mountains are stunning at any time of the year. There is something so welcoming about the topography that’s hard to put into words.
The Mountains beckon you to explore. Whether you are driving a car, viewing them from Lake Champlain, skiing in Stowe, or stopping for lunch and a tour at Trapp Family Lodge -the Mountains are all around you, from downtown and beyond.
Pleasant short hops from Burlington include Stowe, Montpelier, Richmond, Waterbury, and St. Albans City, which all offer their take on mountain towns and are happy to share their vistas with you.
Burlington has so much to offer, and while these are among the top destinations, there are many things to do and see in the area for all ages and all seasons. For more information about Burlington, visit www.helloburlingtonvt.com and www.vermontvacations.com.
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Author Bio: Mary Casey-Sturk is an Editor and Writer for Living Magazines (Kentucky) as well as a contributor to Smoky Mountain Living Magazine (North Carolina). Mary is also a content developer, freelance travel, food, wine and features writer and the author of “Eating Cheese Curds with Strangers”.
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