7 Best Sights in Shelburne, Northern 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

From U.S. 7, you'll see rows and rows of organically grown vines. Visit the attractive tasting room and learn how wine is made, relax on the lawn during a weekly Friday Bluegrass & BBQ event in the summer, or take in jazz or comedy in the winery during the colder months. Also available on-site are natural wines from IAPETUS, an experimental label from winemaker Ethan Joseph, and spectacular ciders from Vermont-based Eden Ciders, which merged with Shelburne Vineyard in 2023.

On the 30-minute tour of this fun-filled factory you'll hear more puns than you ever thought possible, while learning how a few homemade bears sold from a cart on Church Street turned into a multimillion-dollar business. Parents and children can relax, eat, and play under a large canvas tent in summer, or wander the beautiful 57-acre property.