100+ Things to Do in Vermont
Stowe, Vermont
In the spirit of “100 Places to See Before You Die” and inspired by the UVM Class Councils’ “100 Things to Do Before You Graduate UVM” I tried brainstorming 100 things people should do in Vermont, whether they are visitors or residents. Here’s what I came up with. I started brainstorming with Burlington, where I live, and then radiated out to the rest of the state. I welcome additions to the list. If you can think of something I missed, please add it to the comments section below, and this will become a “living list”.
- People-watch on Church Street
- Sample something from every food cart on Church Street
- Have a picnic in Waterfront Park
- Watch the sunset from Perkins Pier
- Go for a bicycle ride on the Burlington Bike Path
- Spend the day at North Beach
- Climb Mt. Pisgah
- Go swimming in Lake Willoughby (a glacial lake)
- Climb to the top of Mt. Mansfield in Stowe
- Go leaf-peeping in the fall
- Go kayaking
- Go fishing
- Visit a working farm
- Go on the cheese-making tour of the Cabot Creamery in Cabot
- Eat real maple syrup
- Eat a cider donut
- Do the Vermont Teddy Bear factory tour
- Do the Ben & Jerrys factory tour
- Do the brew tour at Magic Hat
- Attend Discover Jazz Festival
- Catch a free concert in Battery Park
- Read a book outdoors
- Make a snowman
- Make snow angels
- Go snowshoeing
- Go skiing
- Ride a snowmobile
- Visit Shelburne Museum
- Check out the Echo Lake Aquarium
- Visit the Fairbanks Museum and Planetarium in St. Johnsbury
- Climb Camel’s Hump
- Go swimming in a lake
- See the Whale Tails beside I-89 (between exits 12 and 13)
- Go apple picking
- Go berry picking
- Go to the Champlain Valley Fair
- Try Al’s Fries
- Listen to a band at Nectar’s
- Go to First Night
- Go camping under the stars
- See a movie at the Sunset Drive-in
- Go ice skating
- Pick your own pumpkin to carve for Halloween
- Go boating on a lake
- Take the ferry across Lake Champlain
- Go to a farmer’s market
- Go on a walking tour of murals and street art in Burlington
- Go on a ghost tour of Burlington
- Ride the city bus (CCTA)
- Get free ice cream from Ben & Jerry’s on Free Cone Day
- Get a soft ice cream from a seasonal creamy stand
- Attend the Vermont Brewers Festival
- See a show at the Flynn Center
- Go on the Lake Champlain Chocolate Factory Tour
- Check out an exhibit at the Fleming Museum
- Attend a UVM Hockey game
- Visit the Morgan Horse Farm in Weybridge
- Go to a wine tasting at a winery
- Play golf
- Go on a bicycle tour of Vermont
- Attend the Vermont Maple Festival in St. Albans
- Participate in the Zombie Walk
- Participate in the Naked Bike Ride
- Do the Penguin Plunge
- See the Haunted Forest in Williston
- Participate in the Annual Pumpkin Regata
- Crew in the Dragon Boat Festival
- Have breakfast at an old-time diner
- See a parade
- Try to spot Champ in Lake Champlain
- Buy vegetables from a roadside farm stand
- Go to a Vermont Lake Monsters baseball game
- Go on a First Friday Art Walk
- Go snowboarding
- Get lunch from Beansie’s Bus
- Go to Karaoke Night at JP’s Pub
- Have breakfast at Sneakers in Winooski
- Play Frisbee on the lawn at Waterfront Park
- Find a hill and go sledding
- Try to spot a moose or other native Vermont wildlife
- Listen to the loons on a lake
- Visit an old-time country store
- See Quechee Gorge
- Visit the Simone Pearce Factory
- Check out the covered bridges of Vermont
- Take a tour of the Rock of Ages granite quarry in Barre
- Visit the Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller State Park in Woodstock, Vermont’s only National Park
- Visit Moss Glenn Falls and Texas Falls
- Watch a race at Thunder Road Speedbowl in Barre
- Visit Hildene, a Georgian Revival mansion and summer home of Robert Todd Lincoln, only son of Abe Lincoln
- Visit the State Capitol in Montpelier
- Hike Mt. Philo
- Visit a maple producer during Maple Open House Weekend
- Try a slice of rhubarb pie
- Visit the Haskell Free Library and Opera House, which is located on the border, half in Derby Line, Vermont and half in Stanstead, Quebec
- Go for a horse-drawn sleigh ride
- See some classic works of art at the St. Johnsbury Athenaeum
- Check out the Burlington Earth Clock at Blanchard Beach on the bike path
- Visit Hope Cemetery in Barre, which has very unique and artistic headstones
- Eat sugar on snow.
on Mar 25th, 2011 at 4:22 pm
101. (From Sabina Lohr): Visit the von Trapp Family Lodge in Stowe.
on Mar 26th, 2011 at 2:22 am
More things to do from readers on Facebook:
102. Go for a Robert Frost walk in the Green Mountain National Forest.
103. Visit Cold Hollow Cider Mill in Waterbury Center.
104. Eat fresh grilled corn on the cob with maple salt.
105. Eat even more maple products–maple walnut ice cream, maple ham stick, smoky maple cheddar cheese
on Apr 3rd, 2011 at 4:14 pm
106. While I do have “visit a working farm” as a catch-all, I was advised that Shelburne Farms is so much more than just a working farm. There are more reasons to visit than the farm itself, including the historic house and extensive walking trails on property. I agree, it is a very worthwhile visit.
on Apr 4th, 2011 at 1:03 am
I wanted desperately to add something to your list since I love Vermont and hope to move there one of these days but you covered most of my highlights. I can only add (and yes it’s off topic by about a mile) the beautiful house, grounds and art of St Gauden’s in Cornish, NH.
on Apr 4th, 2011 at 1:46 am
Oooh, New Hampshire. Them’s fighting words, James. Just kidding. :-)
on Apr 4th, 2011 at 1:47 am
A post by Chris Gray Faust at ChrisAroundTheWorld just reminded me of a huge oversight on this list:
107. Go see a performance by Bread and Puppet Theater.
on Apr 21st, 2011 at 9:16 am
We made our first visit to Vermont this past winter and managed to do # 15, 26 & 80 although we never saw a moose. We did however manage to lock ourselves out of our room in the middle of a freezing night… we survived. Hope to return to check a few more numbers off soon.
-David
on Apr 21st, 2011 at 10:36 am
Oh, no, David! You do not want to be stuck outside at night in the winter. Brrr. Glad you survived that. Moose-spotting is rare for short-time visitors, but it can be accomplished. You just need to know where to go to increase your odds. Come back when it’s warmer. Vermont is really beautiful in the summer and fall.
on Jun 22nd, 2011 at 2:57 pm
My son went to the University of Vermont for a few years before transferring so I went to visit on a few occasions. Loved eating at the cooking school in Burlington – though I can’t remember if it was associated with the university. I highly recommend it.
on Jun 22nd, 2011 at 4:39 pm
I used to love that place, too, Leigh. No, it wasn’t affiliated with UVM, NECI is its own school.
on Sep 7th, 2011 at 11:33 pm
Visit Smuggler’s Notch State Park (on Mt. Mansfield, but not at the peak) just northwest of Stowe. Great for scenic drives, camping, walks, fall foliage, and sheer beauty.
on Sep 8th, 2011 at 10:30 am
Good one, Traci!
on Sep 8th, 2011 at 8:29 pm
As someone born in VT , with a degree from UVM, & I hate to say it but over 50 years living in the Green Mountain state I went through your list expecting a would have done some & have a bunch that I haven’t & would never want to. I have done 62, so that leaves 38 that I have not done.
Now how many of that 38 do I wish to do? – 2: Go for a horse-drawn sleigh ride & Do the Vermont Teddy Bear factory tour (I have gone on horse & buggy rides plus rode on a horse drawn sled as a kid many times collecting maple syrup. And I do have a Vermont Teddy Bear — so “close but no cigar” on the 2 I care about.
From Gray’s additions I have only failed to eat fresh grilled corn on the cob with maple salt.
on Sep 10th, 2011 at 3:29 pm
@KittyHere Wow? You’ve done 62 of them? That is definitely the sign of a native Vermonter. :-) I’m impressed.
on Sep 18th, 2011 at 3:37 pm
[...] in Vermont is one of the things that you should do in Vermont. (Reference Post: 100+ things to do inVermont by Solo Friendly ) In Green Mountain State, we choose Breadloaf Wilderness for an overnight hiking. [...]
on Mar 1st, 2012 at 4:34 am
Must be tough to list them out.Great work.
on Mar 1st, 2012 at 1:24 pm
Thanks, Hai.
on Mar 7th, 2012 at 11:20 pm
Re: Go on a First Friday Art Walk
Vermont has so many talented artist, Art Walk is an incredible event.
on Mar 8th, 2012 at 6:16 am
Great idea, Aaron! I know this event happens in Burlington…do you know if other Vermont towns offer it, too?
on Apr 1st, 2012 at 4:30 pm
Unfortunately, the NECI restaurant on Church Street in Burlington, is closed :(
on Apr 1st, 2012 at 5:27 pm
I know, it’s too bad, right, Ann?
on Apr 8th, 2012 at 9:19 pm
Had to laugh at the fact that, like KittyHere, I have also done 62 of these. Lived in VT for 45 years – ran across this list as I am planning a vacation with a friend. I wanted to show him the best of VT and this reminded me of so many things. We will be doing several (hopefully some that are even new to me).
Consider adding: visit some of the battlefields, especially when they hold reenactments, ride the Killington Gondola during foliage season, experience some great local theatre at Weston Playhouse, attend the hot air balloon festival in Quechee, visit the Proctor Marble Museum and wander through parts of Proctor to see wonderful ways marble was used to build the town, go to a horse show.
on Apr 9th, 2012 at 5:12 am
Those are great suggestions, Lyn. Thank you!
on Apr 20th, 2012 at 1:16 pm
It’s too bad the other side of Lake Champlain, the New York side, doesn’t offer similar promotional touristy things, even though the Adirondack region is already fairly touristy, it’s not promoted in Plattsburgh NY for example as well as BTV
does it.
The entire Lake Champlain region, from it’s northern point to southern point on both the New York and Vermont side is really a special destination in the USA. I’m surprised how many people in other parts of the US have never really heard of this region and have no idea of it’s vibrant history. from the Green Mountain Boys, the War of 1812, all the Forts along the lake, and even the Olympics,(2 of ‘em), have all happened in this area.
Burlington and Vermont in general, is one of the nicest small cities/states anywhere in North America.
on Apr 20th, 2012 at 5:07 pm
So true, Michael. I’m glad you appreciate this region as much as I do!
on Apr 26th, 2012 at 8:19 pm
A visit to Stephen Huneck’s Dog Mountain is great fun even if you don’t have a canine friend. Lots of wildflowers (especially Lupine) and raspberry bushes for picking in late summer. The studio will make you smile and the dog chapel will make you cry.
on Apr 26th, 2012 at 8:26 pm
Great suggestion, Tracey. Thanks!
on May 7th, 2012 at 12:01 pm
I would love to travel to Vermont, I think that HGTV had a house there as one of its prizes a couple of years back and I was quite envious of the winner (beautiful scenery from the deck).