50 Best Sights in Northern Vermont, Vermont

You can trace much of New England's history simply by wandering through the 45 acres and 39 buildings of this museum. Some 25 buildings were relocated here, including an old-fashioned jail, an 1871 lighthouse, and a 220-foot steamboat, the Ticonderoga. The outstanding 150,000-object collection of art, design, and Americana consists of antique furniture, fine and folk art, quilts, trade signs, and weather vanes; there are also more than 200 carriages and sleighs. The Pizzagalli Center for Art and Education is open year-round with changing exhibitions and programs for kids and adults.

The brewery that launched a beer revolution in Vermont with its Heady Topper welcomes guests to its shop, tasting room (known as the Beer Café), and seasonal beer garden. Tours of the brewery last about 40 minutes, and include insight into the brewery's impressive sustainability mission as well as how the beer gets made, a commemorative tasting glass, and a can of beer.

The pick-your-own apples at this seventh-generation farm are amazingly tasty—if you're here at harvest time, don't miss out. The farm also has a petting area with donkeys, miniature horses, sheep, goats, and other animals. At the store, you can buy cheeses, dried fruit, homemade pies, and maple creemees.

On the aptly named Gin Lane, Vermont's top distillery crafts award-winning spirits from raw honey. Stop in for a tasting and tour, but be sure to hang around for a classic Bee's Knees or G&T; Barr Hill's cocktail program was a finalist in the 2024 James Beard Awards' Outstanding Bar category, and rightfully so. 

The closest thing you'll get to a Willy Wonka experience in Vermont, the 30-minute tours at the famous ice cream brand's factory are unabashedly corny and only skim the surface of the behind-the-scenes goings-on, but this flaw is almost forgiven when the samples are dished out. To see the machines at work, visit on a weekday (but call ahead to confirm if they will indeed be in operation). Another highlight is the "Flavor Graveyard," where flavors of yore are given tribute with tombstones inscribed with humorous poetry.

Burlington’s Saturday farmers’ market is an absolute must-see when visiting in summer or fall. Set up in a spacious lot in the city's South End, the market is jam-packed with local farmers selling a colorful array of organic produce, flowers, baked goods, maple syrup, meats, cheeses, and prepared foods. Local artisans also sell their wares, and there’s live music.

For more than 40 years, this pedestrian-only thoroughfare has served as Burlington's center of commerce, dining, and entertainment, with boutiques, cafés, restaurants, and street vendors the focus by day, and a lively bar and music scene at night. On sunny days, there are few better places to be in Burlington.

Founded in 1962 by Jackson and Lydia Clemmons, this 138-acre farm is one of a handful of Black-owned arts and culture nonprofit organizations in the state, and one of the 20-plus landmarks on Vermont's African American Heritage Trail. Along with acres of lush farmland, forest, meadows and ponds, six historic buildings offer space for artist residencies, art exhibits, creative studios, retreats, small performances, and community events celebrating the African diaspora. The Storytelling Room in the Barn House is a community hub for arts, sciences and culture programs, including featured exhibits and speakers' series.

You can watch apples pressed into possibly the world's best cider on a vintage rack-and-cloth press at this working mill and sample it right from the tank. Its store sells all the apple butter, jams and jellies, and Vermont-made handicrafts you could want, plus the legendary cider doughnuts. Kids love watching the "doughnut robots" in action, which can make up to 15,000 doughnuts per day. The tasting room is open daily with numerous hard ciders on tap, and an on-site café serves Vermont classics for breakfast and lunch.

Acclaimed brewer Todd Haire spent 13 years at Magic Hat Brewing Company and another two years at Switchback Brewing Co. before opening his own Burlington operation alongside fellow co-founders Bobby Grim, Sam Keane, Jon Farmer, and Dani Casey in 2016. Since then, Foam has gained international praise, including a spot as one of the world's 10 best new breweries—bestowed by BeerAdvocate—the year they opened. The brewery sources more local ingredients than just about any other beermaker in the state: all their beers have at least a portion of local hops, all the barley is grown regionally in New England, and all the wheat is grown in Vermont. Some limited edition brews even incorporate produce, in a collaboration with area organic farms. A limited menu of charcuterie and bar snacks is available for noshing either in the family-friendly taproom or on the outdoor patio with stunning views of the Lake Champlain waterfront. Attached sister restaurant Deep City has the best brunch in town.

It is difficult to quantify owner and master brewer Shaun Hill's contribution to the international explosion of craft beer. Hill Farmstead has won Best Brewery in the World eight times since 2012, and it's a key player in Vermont tourism, where beer contributes as much to the state economy as skiing and hiking. Since opening in 2010, Hill's eighth-generation family farmstead off a rural mountain pass, miles from cell service, has drawn millions of local and international travelers pilgrimaging for a coveted pint and a growler to-go. A beautiful bar is surrounded by acres of woods and lawnspace, and a small pond sits at the bottom of a sloping field—a nice spot for pondering over a pint.

Montpelier's regional rival, Barre, the "Granite Capital of the World," may lack the polish and pedigree of the state capital, but it's home to this gorgeous cemetery filled with superbly crafted tombstones by master stonecutters. A few embrace the avant-garde, while others take defined shapes like a race car, a biplane, and a soccer ball.

Sugaring for eight generations, the Morses may be the oldest maple family in existence, so you're sure to find an authentic experience at their farm. More than 5,000 trees produce the sap used for syrup (you can sample all the grades), candy, cream, and sugar—all sold in the gift shop. Grab a maple creemee, take a seat on a swing, and stay awhile. Surrounding trails offer pleasant strolls in summer and prime cross-country skiing in winter.

Founded in the 1880s as a private estate for two very rich New Yorkers, this 1,400-acre farm is much more than an exquisite landscape: it's an educational and cultural resource center with a working dairy farm, an award-winning cheese producer, an organic market garden, and a bakery whose aroma of fresh bread and pastries is an olfactory treat. It's a brilliant place for parents to expose their kids to the dignity of farmwork and the joys of compassionate animal husbandry—indeed, children and adults alike will get a kick out of hunting for eggs in the oversize coop, milking a cow, and watching the chicken parade. There are several activities and tours daily, and a lunch cart serves up fresh-from-the-farm soups, salads, and sandwiches. Frederick Law Olmsted, the co-creator of New York City's Central Park, designed the magnificent grounds overlooking Lake Champlain; walk to Lone Tree Hill for a splendid view. If you fall in love with the scenery, arrange a romantic dinner at the lakefront mansion, or spend the night.

This formerly derelict industrial district and railroad depot underwent a remarkable transformation in the late '80s and early '90s into a gorgeous stretch of green, with a boardwalk lapped by the lake. It's also a linchpin for a number of sights and facilities, with the Echo Center on the south end, a bodacious skate park on the north, four seasonal creemee stands, and the Burlington Bike Path running through it all. Sunsets are particularly popular.

Recognized as one of the world's leading craft-beer producers, Shaun Hill runs his brewery out of a bucolic Greensboro farm. Though it's off the beaten path down a relatively empty dirt road, beer lovers find their way here to sample and buy whatever is available. Many restaurants and pubs throughout the state serve some of Hill's offerings, but this is the only place to buy bottles, cans, and growlers. The selections change regularly—check the website for details. This one's a must for craft brew aficionados.

This park has one of the longest sandy beaches on Lake Champlain and some fine examples of rare flora and fauna along the hiking trails. The wetlands are also an important area for wildlife refuge, providing a safe habitat for breeding, feeding, and nesting for surrounding animals like deer and wild turkey. Amenities: parking (fee). Best for: solitude, swimming, walking.

This ramshackle barn houses a surrealistic collection of props used by the world-renowned Bread and Puppet Theater. The troupe has been performing social and political commentary with the towering (they're supported by people on stilts) and eerily expressive puppets for more than 50 years. In July and August, there are performances on Saturday and Sunday afternoons, with museum tours before Sunday shows.

After a day on the lake, kids and adults can explore what goes on in the lake at the interactive science and nature museum directly on its shores, which details the forces (natural and man-made) that have shaped the Lake Champlain basin through the museum's more than 100 interactive exhibits. Visitors can experiment with lasers through fog mist, step through a steam devil (a small, overwater whirlwind), or even play with a hands-on 3D water projection sandbox, as well as get an up-close look at 70 species of indigenous animals—including a sort of nursery for baby eastern spiny softshell turtles, an endangered species—or immerse digitally in the natural world at the 3D theater, which presents science and nature films every day.

When Vermont hero Ethan Allen retired from his Revolutionary activities, he purchased 1,400 acres on the northern side of Burlington, including 350 acres of prime farmland directly along the Winooski River, and built this modest cabin in 1787. The original structure is a real slice of 18th-century life, including such frontier hallmarks as saw-cut boards and an open hearth for cooking. The kitchen garden resembles the one the Allens would have had. There's also a visitor center, a recreated mid-19th century Abenaki hunting village with traditional gardens, and miles of biking and hiking trails. In warmer months, climb Ethan Allen Tower at the south end of neighboring Ethan Allen Park for stupendous views of Lake Champlain and the Green Mountains.

Don't forget mosquito repellent.

While it's grown over the years, there still isn't much to the tasting room here, but there doesn't need to be: Fiddlehead only cans a few of its celebrated beers, making this the best place to sample the full variety on tap. Decide which one you like best and buy a growler to go—or, better yet, enjoy it with a pie from Folino's Pizza next door; they're mighty fine.

You'll find hiking trails, boat rentals, and shore fishing at this 226-acre park, the most-visited of Vermont's state park campgrounds.

This is a wonderful place to discover Vermont's outdoor wonders. The center's 255 acres of diverse habitats are a sanctuary for all things wild, and the 5 miles of trails provide an opportunity to explore the workings of differing natural communities. Events include bird-monitoring walks, wildflower rambles, nature workshops, and educational activities for children and adults.

Rising behind the Vermont State House and stretching 200-plus acres, this heavily forested park offers locals (and their happy, leash-free dogs) 7 miles of pretty trails and wildlife to enjoy. On its highest peak is a romantic stone tower that looks out to 360-degree views of the surrounding mountains.

Built in 1783, this log cabin on South Hero is often cited as the country's oldest surviving specimen. It's now home to the Grand Isle Historical Society.

This museum documents centuries of activity on the historically significant lake. Climb aboard a replica of Benedict Arnold's Revolutionary War gunboat, learn about shipwrecks, watch craftsmen work at traditional boatbuilding and blacksmithing, or take a rowing lesson or tour on the open water.

The cliffs of Mt. Pisgah and Mt. Hor drop to the edge of Lake Willoughby on opposite shores, giving this beautiful, deep, glacially carved lake a striking resemblance to a Norwegian fjord. The trails to the top of Mt. Pisgah reward hikers with glorious views. Take note: the beach on the southern end is Vermont's most famous nude beach.

Nora Ganley-Roper and Adam Polonski crisscross the United States tasting whiskies from independent distilleries, choosing only the most interesting to bottle and sell under their Lost Lantern name. Their tiny Vergennes tasting room is the place to go to sample what they find, sometimes before it's released to the world or long after its bottles have sold out. Flights rotate seasonally, but bottles are always for sale.

On the mainland east of the Alburgh Peninsula, the refuge consists of 6,729 acres of federally protected wetlands, meadows, and woods. It's a beautiful area for bird-watching, canoeing, and walking nature trails.

For many Vermont kids, this is their first hike, thanks to the relatively easy, gently rising, paved road that snakes around the sides to the top, where fabulous views of the lake and landscape await. If less inclined to walk, feel free to drive.