Things to do & places to visit in Montpelier, Vermont, United States

The smallest state capital in the United States, Montpelier's humble appearance belies the abundance of activity and culture humming under its surface. Hubbard and North Branch Parks offer a wealth of outdoor activities, from cross country skiing in the winter to hiking and mountain biking in warmer months. The Winooski River offers challenging whitewater rafting and canoeing. Montpelier also offers a number of cultural pursuits, from numerous galleries and museums to the gold-domed State House.

Montpelier city in Vermont, United States. Timezone: America/New_York, current date and time: Thursday, May 02, 2024, 18:13.

Top things to do (26)

Top places to visit (30 attractions) view more »

5.0 Camel's Hump (84 reviews)
- Camel's Hump, DUXBURY
State Parks • Mountains

At 4083 feet high, this peak is connected to Mount Mansfield by the Long Trail. See more..
5.0 Lost Nation Theater (42 reviews)
- Delightful Vermont summer stock at its finest!
Theaters

About"One of the best regional theaters in America" -NYC Drama LeagueMissionLNT's founder, Kim Bent, grew up in Braintree, Vermont on a hill farm that looks across the East Granville Valley toward the Braintree Mountains.One particular part of the range is known locally as "Lost Nation." For locals it is a special place. A place to dream and reflect. There's a lovely view, but it's mainly a place to camp, hike, and hunt-a challenging place to get to and to come back from.As Kim traveled the country he realized there are many "lost nations" throughout America. Almost always rural, often remote and almost never on maps, they are known only by the people who live near them.So "Lost Nation" says something real to us about our vision and our mission. It locates us out there, on the frontier, breaking boundaries, doing dramatic and courageous things. Yet it grounds us, identifies us as belonging to a place and to a community.We work hard at integrating our programs with the community. We feel privileged to have been able to make a strong positive contribution toward the "good life" here in Vermont. Despite the on-going long hours, the journey continues to be a deeply satisfying one.Commitment to Community is fundamental to Lost Nation:The Theater with Heart in the Heart of Vermont. Company OverviewLost Nation Theater prides itself on being a professional theater committed to community. Named One of the Best Regional Theaters in America by the NYC Drama LeagueDescriptionLocated in the City Hall of Vermont's capital, Montpelier, this unique 3/4 thrust stage brings unique and thought provoking theater to Vermont!General informationLNT's office hours are Tuesdays-Fridays Noon-4pm. See more..
5.0 Bear Pond Books (34 reviews)
- Quaint little book shop
Thursday: 9:00 AM - 6:30 PM Speciality & Gift Shops

Quaint little book shop that has all sorts of treasures and fun to explore in. The staff is really friendly. I would recommend stopping by See more..
5.0 The Quirky Pet (22 reviews)
- Sweet store
Thursday: 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM Spent < 1 hour Speciality & Gift Shops

The coolest pet shop in New England and possibly the world. 700 square feet of 'dynamic retail'. One of a handful of indy pet shops that only sell American mad products. The smallest pet shop to ever win 'Pet Shop Of The Year' in a major pet trade publication. Home of the legendary Bergamasco sheepdog store dogs. See more..
5.0 Caledonia Spirits (4 reviews)
- Great for folks from out of town and locals.
Distilleries

Whether you’re local, or coming in from out of town, this place is great. The food is good. The drinks are amazing. Definitely worth a visit. See more..
5.0 North Branch Vineyards (3 reviews)
- Wow
Thursday: Wineries & Vineyards

Family owned and operated, established in 2007, North Branch Vineyards is a small winery, which lies beside the North Branch River, a branch on the Winooski River in Montpelier’s picturesque valley, producing and blending unique wines using locally grown grapes. See more..
5.0 Green Mount Cemetery (2 reviews)
- Walk or drive (or sit) at your own risk.
Spent 1-2 hours Cemeteries

I had heard so much about Green Mount Cemetery, especially Black Agnes, a supposedly 'haunted' sculptured tombstone that will doom anyone who sits in her lap at midnight (right). There are several beautiful stones and statuary here. Some favorites are the Resurrection and the Life and the famous stairway to nowhere. It's a very hilly cemetery to walk through, and it's not easy to drive through either due to several narrow lanes with little ditches on either side. See more..
4.5 Morse Farm Maple Sugarworks (490 reviews)
- Took our time and had fun
Thursday: 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM Farms

Free sugar house tours and tasting, multimedia displays in a real woodshed theater, a nature trail, country store, and an outdoor Vermont farm life museum make up the Morse Farm experience, and sprinkled throughout, are whimsical carved folklife characters created by Burr Morse. See more..
4.5 Vermont State House (478 reviews)
- The most public-friendly state house I've ever seen
Architectural Buildings • Government Buildings

Gold dome building located in Montpelier. See more..
4.5 Bragg Farm Sugar House & Gift Shop (310 reviews)
- Best stop in Vermont!
Thursday: 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM Points of Interest & Landmarks

I could have spent hours here! The lady tour guide was exceptionally good at explaining how everything worked. She told us every step of how they make the maple syrup from the trees to the bottle. She was very enthusiastic and passionate about what they do and it shows in their products. We even got to try different types of syrup. Must see if traveling through Vermont!! See more..
4.5 Vermont Historical Society Museum (107 reviews)
- Enjoying the Vermont Historical Society Museum
Thursday: 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM Libraries • History Museums

Museum of history in Montpelier Vermont. See more..
4.5 Hubbard Park (71 reviews)
- Pretty tower, short hike
Parks

To visit the tower, it’s about a mile round trip from the closest parking lot. The path is wide and easy to walk on, though the way up is a bit hilly. We didn’t climb the tower, but it’s pretty just to look at. Overall, we enjoyed our short hike. See more..
4.5 Three Penny Taproom (18 reviews)
- Great hamburger and fries
Thursday: 11:00 AM - 9:00 PM Bars & Clubs

Great bar food, service, location , kind people, good bar for friends or a lunch/ dinner with kids If you’re in Montpelier VM or ski in Stowe it’s worth it See more..
4.5 Savoy Theatre (12 reviews)
- An Indie Theatre Survives (so far) - Thats wonderful
Spent 2-3 hours Movie Theaters
For those of us who rarely get much pleasure going to the Hollywood action movies that are all the thing these days, having an independent movie theatere in a small town is a major blessing. I recently was perusing a book called "Not Coming to a Movie Theatre Near You" that was lamenting the fact that so many good movies never make it to the movie theatres. Almost all the movies listed in the book had showed at the Savoy, and I had seen and enjoyed many of them. The Savoy also hosts the annual Green Mountain Film Festival every early Spring and I get to see dozens of documentaries, foreign films and even some films made locally here in Vermont. I learn so much and get so much pleasure during those dark days of "stick season" See more..
4.5 VT Dept of Tourism & Marketing (12 reviews)
- Very friendly and helpful attendant
Thursday: 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM Visitor Centers
This is the foliage hotline and location for all sorts of other tourism questions. See more..
4.5 Coburn Covered Bridge (11 reviews)
- The only one in the area
Thursday: 12:00 AM - 11:59 PM Spent < 1 hour Points of Interest & Landmarks

I was in Montpelier area and took some country roads to come see this bridge on my way to Cornish, NH. The drive itself was beautiful and peaceful. Haven't seen many covered bridges...yet, but the woodwork amazes me and the idea of how many people traveled through it on their way to and from many places is a pretty exciting one. There is a parking opportunity right next to the bridge. The fact that it's in a middle of nowhere adds to its charm. See more..
4.5 The Book Garden (6 reviews)
- Chambering Book Store
Speciality & Gift Shops

Quaint, charming book store very nice to linger and browse. Interesting selection of used books and comics. We enjoyed our visit to the Book Garden. See more..
4.5 Vermont College (6 reviews)
- Vermont College is still a charming place!
Thursday: 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM Educational sites
This campus has interesting architecture and mountain views and is home to the T.W. Wood Art Gallery. See more..
4.5 T.W. Wood Art Gallery (4 reviews)
- Hooked Rugs exhibit
Art Museums
Features 19th and early 20th-century artists. See more..
4.5 North Branch Nature Center (3 reviews)
- Great!
Thursday: 12:00 AM - 11:59 PM Spent 1-2 hours Nature & Wildlife Areas • Hiking Trails • Jogging Paths & Tracks

What a great place! We hiked the area. Such a well kept venue. Trails are fantastic. So many song birds! See more..
4.0 Ethan Allen Statue (32 reviews)
- Vermont’s most famous hero
Monuments & Statues

Located at the front of the Vermont State House. See more..
4.0 Ceres (21 reviews)
- Ceres on Top of the Vermont State House
Monuments & Statues

Statue of the Roman goddess of agriculture stands atop the dome of the Capitol. See more..
4.0 Pavilion Building (10 reviews)
- Museum of Vermont History
History Museums

This frontier-style architecture building houses the Vermont Historical Society Museum. See more..
4.0 Capitol Region Visitors Center (1 review)
- Great Little Visitors Center
Thursday: 7:00 AM - 5:00 PM Spent < 1 hour Visitor Centers
Located in a neat little red building only a block from the Capitol dome, for its size the center far exceeded the expectations. There were maps. brochures, and magazines on just about anything you could think of including sugarhouses and cheesemakers. The young lady staffing the center was friendly and full of great information. They had nice bathrooms and she said we could leave the car in the lot and walk to the statehouse if we wanted. I would make this my 1st stop if you are visiting Montpelier and the surrounding areas of Vermont. See more..
4.0 Capital City Farmers Market (1 review)
- Montpelier farmers market
Spent 1-2 hours Farmers Markets
Founded in 1977, the Capital City Farmers Market has been bringing local producers and customers from near and far together to create this eclectic community event for 40 years. The market is open year-round and held at several venues, the biggest is its outdoor summer market. Over 50 vendors gather each Saturday, from May through October, to sell locally grown and made products, unique to Vermont See more..
3.5 Capitol Theater (16 reviews)
- Interesting to see how movie theatres used to be
Movie Theaters
Old-fashioned, downtown movie theater. See more..
1.0 Historic Montpelier Train Station (1 review)
- Sad
Spent < 1 hour Historic Sites • Points of Interest & Landmarks • Architectural Buildings
They canceled my trip the same day in the morning and didn’t refund my money. I wish I could get a coupon for a next trip or something. See more..
Artisans Hand (0 review)
Thursday: 11:00 AM - 5:30 PM Spent < 1 hour Art Galleries

Artisans Hand Gallery celebrates Vermont's excellent artisans by featuring handmade jewelry, pottery, wearable art, wood, glass, photography, prints, cards and more. Established in 1978, the gallery’s warm atmosphere and knowledgeable staff make it the go-to place for that special gift. Artisans Hand is a nationally recognized, award-winning Vermont State Craft Center. Located in downtown Montpelier, it has been exhibiting the best in traditional and contemporary Vermont crafts for over four decades. The gallery features the work of over 130 artisans in a diverse selection of media: jewelry, pottery, glass, fiber, wood, metals, prints, photography and more. Visit us at 89 Main St. at City Center in downtown Montpelier for that unique, personal, and collectable gift. You may contact us to request a private or virtual shopping appointment. We also offer curbside pick-up. See more..
City Hall (0 review)
Thursday: 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM Points of Interest & Landmarks • Architectural Buildings • Government Buildings
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Studio DavAnn (0 review)
Art Galleries
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