List of museums in Vermont explained

This list of museums in Vermont encompasses museums defined for this context as institutions (including nonprofit organizations, government entities, and private businesses) that collect and care for objects of cultural, artistic, scientific, or historical interest and make their collections or related exhibits available for public viewing. Museums that exist only in cyberspace (i.e., virtual museums) are not included.

For Wikipedia links to institutions similar to museums in Vermont, consult the "See also" section.

The list

Name	Town/City	County	Area of study	Summary/Website
Abenaki Indian Museum			Native American	Rotating Abenaki museum that is displayed throughout the state, operated by the Ndakinna Cultural Center ^[1] ^[2]
Adam's Grist Mill Museum			Local history	Operated by the Bellows Falls Historical Society^[3]
American Museum of Fly Fishing			Sports	History of angling, including rods, reels, flies, tackle, art, photographs, manuscripts and books
American Precision Museum			Industry	Historically significant machine tools and techniques of precision manufacturing
Barnard Historical Society Museum		Windsor	Local history	Located in the former village one-room school^[4]
Barre Museum		Washington	Local history	Part of the Aldrich Public Library^[5]
BCA Center			Art	Operated by Burlington City Arts, contemporary art
Bennington Museum		Bennington	Art	Decorative arts including Vermont-made furniture, Bennington pottery, glass, fine art by area artists, Grandma Moses paintings^[6]
Benson Museum		Rutland	Local history	^[7]
			Industry	Historic mill building with many past uses, includes woodworking shop and blacksmith forge^[8]
Bethel Historical Society Museum		Windsor	Local history	^[9]
Bill Wilson House		Bennington	Biographical	Birthplace and living memorial of Alcoholics Anonymous co-founder Bill Wilson
Billings Farm and Museum			Agriculture	working dairy farm, restored late 19th century period farmhouse, museum displays of cycle of rural life and work^[10]
Birds of Vermont Museum			Natural history	Displays more than 475 biologically accurate woodcarvings of Vermont birds
Black River Academy Museum		Windsor	Local history
Bradford Historical Society			Local history	Located in the Woods Academy Building^[11]
Braintree Hill Meeting House		Orange	Local history	Operated by the Braintree Historical Society
Brandon Museum at the Stephen A. Douglas Birthplace			History	Story of local antislavery movement in contrast to politics of native son Stephen A. Douglas, Democratic Party nominee for president in 1860. Other local history.^[12]
Brattleboro History Center		Windham	Local history	Operated by the Brattleboro Historical Society^[13]
Brattleboro Museum and Art Center		Windham	Art	Features changing exhibits by regional and international artists, located in a former train station
Bread and Puppet Museum			Puppets	Puppets and masks from the Bread and Puppet Theater
			History	Local history, operated by the Georgia Historical Society,^[14] also operates the Gordon's Mill Agricultural Museum
Cavendish Historical Society Museum		Windsor	Local history	Located in the former town hall
Chaffee Art Center			Art	Includes exhibit gallery
Chester Historical Society Museum		Windsor	Local history	^[15]
Chimney Point State Historic Site			History	Historic tavern, exhibits on area Abenaki, French and American Colonial settlers
Corinth Academy Museum		Orange	Local history	Operated by the Corinth Historical Society
		Orange	Agriculture	Operated by the Corinth Historical Society^[16]
Dorset Historical Society Museum		Bennington	Local history	Area history, culture, marble industry, pottery, stencils^[17]
Dover History Center		Windham	Local history	Located in the 1820 Harris House and blacksmith shop, operated by the Dover Historical Society^[18]
Eaton Hall Museum		Rutland	Local history	Operated by the Pittsford Historical Society^[19]
ECHO, Leahy Center for Lake Champlain			Multiple	Natural history, maritime history and ecology of Lake Champlain
Enosburgh Historical Society Museum		Franklin	Local history	Operated by the Enosburgh Historical Society
Estey Organ Museum		Windham	Organ Manufacturing	Preserving, displaying, and the work of the Estey Organ Co.^[20]
Ethan Allen Homestead Museum			Historic house	Late 18th-century home Vermont's founder Ethan Allen^[21]
Eureka Schoolhouse			Education	Late 18th century one room schoolhouse
Fairbanks Museum and Planetarium			Multiple	Natural history, regional history, ethnography, public planetarium ^[22]
Fairfax Historical Society Museum		Franklin	Local history	Operated by the Fairfax Historical Society^[23]
Farrar-Mansur House			Historic house	Mid 19th-century period house^[24]
First Congregational Church Museum		Franklin	Local history	Operated by the Berkshire Historical Society
Fleming Museum of Art			Art, Anthropology	Part of the University of Vermont, art and artifacts from Ancient Egypt, Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Americas. 25,000 objects. Opened in 1931.^[25]
Franklin Historical Society Museum		Franklin	Local history	Located in a late 19th-century log cabin
Garipay House		Windsor	Historic house	Operated by the Hartford Historical Society^[26]
General Wait House		Washington	Local history	Operated by the Waitsfield Historical Society^[27]
Goodrich Memorial Library			Local history	Includes display cases and exhibits of local historical items, natural history displays and art
Goodwillie House Museum			Local history	Operated by the Barnet Historical Society, open fall foliage weekends and by appointment^[28] ^[29]
Gov. Jonas Galusha Homestead		Bennington	Local history	Operated by the Shaftsbury Historical Society, exhibits of local history in the 1783 house
Grafton Historical Society Museum		Windham	Local history	^[30]
		Windsor	Education	19th-century private high school^[31]
Guilford Historical Society Museum		Windham	Local history	Located in the old town hall^[32]
Halifax Historical Society Museum		Windham	Local history
Hartland Historic Society Museum		Windsor	Local history	^[33]
Hartness-Porter Museum of Amateur Telescope Making		Windsor	Science	Collection of amateur telescopes, located in the historic Governor James Hartness Mansion, open during selected hours during the weekend of the annual Stellafane Convention^[34]
Helen Day Art Center			Art	^[35]
Henry Sheldon Museum of Vermont History			Local history	Includes the early 19th-century Judd-Harris House with collections of 19th and 20th century Vermont furniture, paintings, and household objects, and the Walter Cerf Gallery with changing exhibits of art and area history^[36]
Higley House Museum		Rutland	Local history	Operated by the Castleton Historical Society^[37]
Hildene		Bennington	Historic house	Early 20th century summer mansion of Robert Todd Lincoln
Historical Society of Wilmington Museum		Windham	Local history	Located in the Barber House
		Rutland	Military	Visitor center exhibits about the Battle of Hubbardton in the American Revolutionary War
Hughes Barn Museum		Orange	Local history	Operated by the Thetford Historical Society, artifacts of farming, trades and rural life in the 19th century^[38]
Hyde Log Cabin			Historic house	Late 18th century period log house
		Franklin	Local history	Includes 1840 schoolhouse, 19th-century blacksmith shop and 19th-century log cabin
John Strong Mansion Museum		Addison	Historic house	Late 18th-century brick home, operated by the Vermont Daughters of the American Revolution^[39]
Justin Smith Morrill Homestead			Historic house	19th century home of United States Senator Justin Smith Morrill
Lake Champlain Maritime Museum			Maritime	Includes shipwrecks, boats, maritime artifacts
Lincoln Historical Society		Addison	Local history	18th-century farmhouse and 19th-century barn museum^[40]
Londonderry Arts & Historical Society		Windham	Local history	Located in the 1814 Rev. E. H. Newton House^[41]
Madsonian Museum of Industrial Design		Washington	Design	website, design and manufactured objects
Main Street Museum			Art	Eclectic display space for material culture and an experiment in a new taxonomy
Marlboro Historical Society Museum		Windham	Local history	Located in the Custer Sharp House^[42]
Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park			Historic house
Marvin Newton House		Orange	Local history	Operated by the Brookfield Historical Society
Middlebury College Museum of Art			Art	Includes antiquities, Asian art, and American and European painting and sculpture from the Renaissance through the 19th century ^[43]
Middletown Springs Historical Society Museum		Rutland	Local history	Located in the Adams House on the Green^[44]
Miller Art Center		Windsor	Multiple	Operated by the Springfield Art & Historical Society, local history, fine art, decorative arts, photos, clothing, dolls, military artifacts^[45]
Montshire Museum of Science			Science	Includes exhibits on anatomy, math, astronomy, mechanics, and natural history, trails and live animals
Mount Holly Community Historical Museum		Rutland	Local history	Located in the Adams House on the Green^[46]
Mount Independence State Historic Site		Addison	Military	Museum and American Revolutionary War archaeological site
Museum of the Creative Process			Sculpture, Modern Art, Painting	Includes exhibits on religion, psychology, creativity, and politics
The Museum of Everyday Life		Orleans	Art	website, eclectic collection of everyday objects
Nature Museum at Grafton		Windham	Nature center	^[47]
New England Maple Museum			Food	^[48]
Norman Rockwell Exhibit		Bennington	Art	Focuses on Norman Rockwell's art and years in Arlington from 1939 to 1953, framed magazine covers, ads, and illustrations^[49]
North Hero Historical Society Museum		Franklin	Local history	Known as the "Hookenspoon", open seasonally on weekends^[50]
Northfield Historical Society Museum		Washington	Local history	^[51]
Norwich Historic Society Museum		Windsor	Local history	^[52]
Noyes House Museum			Historic house	Operated by the Morristown Historical Society, 19th-century life, includes furniture, textiles, military objects, clothing, photographs, pottery, folk and fine art, tools and objects of daily life^[53]
Old Constitution House			Historic house	18th century tavern, birthplace of the Vermont Republic and the Constitution of the State of Vermont
Old Mill Museum		Windsor	Mill	Early 20th-century period grinding mill
Old Stone House Museum			Open air	19th century life in northern Vermont, including furniture, textiles, photographs, pottery, folk and fine art, tools and utensils of daily life; includes six buildings on 55 acres in the Brownington Village Historic District, operated by the Orleans County Historical Society
Park-McCullough Historic House		Bennington	Historic house	Mid-19th-century mansion
Peacham Historical Association Museum		Caledonia	Local history	Operated by the Peacham Historical Association^[54]
Poultney Historical Society		Rutland	Local history	Includes an 1896 schoolhouse, Melodeon Factory and late 18th-century period Union Academy schoolhouse^[55]
President Calvin Coolidge State Historical Site			Historic house	Early 20th century period family homestead of President Calvin Coolidge
President Chester A. Arthur State Historic Site			Historic house	Reconstructed childhood home of President Chester A. Arthur
Randolph Historical Society Museum		Orange	Local history	Located above the police station^[56]
Reading Historical Society Museum		Windsor	Local history
Readsboro Historical Society Museum		Bennington	Local history	^[57]
Reverend Dan Foster House			Historic house	Operated by the Weathersfield Historical Society, 18th-century house with local historic items including Civil War memorabilia, a children's school room, tools, clothing and textiles^[58]
Richford Historical Society Museum		Franklin	Local history	Located in a 1908 firestation^[59]
Robert Frost Stone House Museum		Bennington	Historic house	Home of early 20th century poet Robert Frost^[60]
Rokeby Museum			Historic house	18th-century house that served as a safe house along the Underground Railroad
Rupert Historical Society Museum		Bennington	Local history	^[61]
Rutland Historical Society		Rutland	Local history	Located in the 1860 Nickwackett Fire House^[62]
Saxtons River Historical Society Museum		Windham	Local history
Shelburne Farms			Multiple	National Historic Landmark, includes guided tours and seasonal art exhibits
Shelburne Museum			Multiple	Includes folk art, Americana, 1950s House, Impressionist and American paintings, quilts and textiles, decorative arts, furniture, 17th-to 20th-century artifacts, historic buildings, Ticonderoga (steamboat), decoys
Shores Memorial Museum			Local history	Operated by the Lyndon Historical Society^[63]
Shrewsbury Historical Society Museum		Rutland	Local history	website, open seasonally on Sunday afternoons
Southern Vermont Arts Center	Manchester	Bennington	Art	Includes the Elizabeth de C. Wilson Museum with 19th and 20th century works, including works by Luigi Lucioni, and a sculpture park^[64]
Southern Vermont Natural History Museum		Windham	Natural history	Includes animal mounts and live animals
St. Albans Museum			Local history	Operated by the Saint Albans Historical Society^[65]
St. Johnsbury Athenaeum			Art	Features American and European art
St. Johnsbury History & Heritage Center	St. Johnsbury	Caledonia	Local history	^[66]
Stowe Historical Society Museum			Local history	^[67]
		Washington	History	History of Norwich University^[68]
Swanton Railroad Depot Museum		Franklin	Railroad	Operated by the Swanton Historical Society^[69]
T. W. Wood Gallery & Arts Center		Washington	Art	Features works of Thomas Waterman Wood and many of his artistic colleagues and contemporaries, and art from the state's Federal Art Project collection^[70]
Town House Museum		Caledonia	Local history	Operated by the Sheffield Historical Society
University of Vermont Natural History Museum	Burlington	Chittenden	Natural history	Includes the Pringle Herbarium and the Thompson Zoological Collections. Website
Vermont Heritage Galleries	Barre	Washington	History	Operated by the Vermont Historical Society, changing exhibits of state and local city history^[71]
Vermont History Museum	Montpelier	Washington	History	Operated by the Vermont Historical Society, state history from 1600 to the present
Vermont Marble Museum			Industry	Contributions of Vermont marble and the Vermont Marble Company
			Art	Contemporary art and design ^[72]
Vermont National Guard Library and Museum			Military	History of the Vermont National Guard, both Army and Air Force, and the military heritage of the State of Vermont and its veterans^[73]
Vermont Scale Museum	Weston	Windsor	Commodity	Located in the Vermont Country Store, collection of scales and measures
			Sports	Vermont's skiing and snowboarding history
			Toy
Vernon Historians		Windham	Local history	Located in a one-room schoolhouse
Waterbury Historical Society Museum		Washington	Local history	Located in the Waterbury Public Library^[74]
Westminster Historical Society Museum		Windham	Local history	Located on the second floor of the town hall^[75]
Whitingham Historical Society Museum		Windham	Local history
Williamstown Historical Society Museum		Orange	Local history	Open by appointment
Wilson Castle			Historic house	19th century estate
Windham County Historical Museum		Windham	Local history	Operated by the Historical Society of Windham County^[76]
Winhall Museum		Bennington	Local history
Woodstock History Center		Windsor	Local history	Operated by the Woodstock Historical Society^[77]

Defunct museums

• Cornish Colony Museum, Windsor, closed about 2010
• National Museum of the Morgan Horse, Shelburne^[78]
• Precision Valley Corvette Museum, Springfield, formerly part of the Springfield Diner^[79]

See also

• Aquaria in Vermont (category)
• Nature Centers in Vermont

External links

• Vermont Museum and Gallery Alliance

Notes and References

1. http://www.ndakinna.org abenaki
2. Web site: Ndakinna Abenaki Indian Museum, Cultural Center & Gift Shop . Vermont Travel . 13 January 2015 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20130627103818/http://www.vermonttravelplanner.org/TravelPlanner/ItemDetail.aspx?outsideLink=false&spID=25803 . 27 June 2013 .
3. Web site: Windham County Historical Societies. Vermont Historical Society. 14 January 2015.
4. Web site: Windsor County Historical Societies. Vermont Historical Society. 14 January 2015.
5. Web site: Barre Museum. Aldrich Public Library. 13 January 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150112052142/http://www.aldrichpubliclibrary.org/museum-and-archives/. 12 January 2015. dead. dmy-all.
6. Web site: Bennington Museum - Grandma Moses - Vermont art, history and innovation. www.benningtonmuseum.org.
7. Web site: Rutland County Historical Societies. Vermont Historical Society. 14 January 2015.
8. Web site: Official site. Ben's Mill. 13 January 2015.
9. Web site: Museum. Bethel Historical Society. 14 January 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150212063450/http://bethelvermont.com/our-museum/. 12 February 2015. dead. dmy-all.
10. Web site: Billings Farm & Museum - Rural History Museum in Woodstock, Vermont. Billings Farm and Museum.
11. Web site: Orange County Historical Societies. Vermont Historical Society. 14 January 2015.
12. Web site: Brandon Museum at the Stephen A Douglas Birthplace - Welcome to Brandon Vermont. brandon.org.
13. Web site: Brattleboro History Center. Brattleboro Historical Society. 14 January 2015.
14. Web site: Franklin and Grand Isle Counties Historical Societies. Vermont Historical Society. 13 January 2015.
15. Web site: Chester Historical Society . Town of Chester, VT . 14 January 2015 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20150406230554/http://www.chester.govoffice.com/index.asp?SEC=AC9C6466-06FE-4241-A699-E46CC830EF3C&Type=B_BASIC . 6 April 2015 .
16. https://corinthvt.org/culture/corinth-historical-society/ Corinth Historical Society
17. Web site: Museum. Dorset Historical Society. 13 January 2015.
18. Web site: Historical Society. Dover, Vermont. 14 January 2015.
19. Web site: Official site. Pittsford Historical Society. 14 January 2015.
20. Web site: Official site. Estey Organ Museum. 13 January 2015.
21. Web site: Official site. Ethan Allen Homestead Museum. 13 January 2015.
22. http://www.fairbanksmuseum.org Fairbanks Museum & Planetarium
23. Web site: Official site. Fairfax Historical Society. 13 January 2015.
24. Web site: Museums. Weston, VT. 13 January 2015.
25. Web site: Fleming Museum - Home. webmaster:[e-mail]. www.uvm.edu.
26. Web site: Official site. Hartford Historical Society. 14 January 2015.
27. Web site: Official site. Waitsfield Historical Society. 13 January 2015.
28. Web site: Historical Society. Barnet, VT. 13 January 2015.
29. Web site: Caledonia County Historical Societies. Vermont Historical Society. 13 January 2015.
30. Web site: Official site. Grafton Historical Society. 13 January 2015.
31. Web site: Official site. Green Mountain Perkins Academy and Historical Association. 14 January 2015.
32. Web site: Official site. Guilford Historical Society. 14 January 2015.
33. Web site: Official site. Hartland Historical Society. 14 January 2015.
34. Web site: Stellafane Museum Home Page. Bert Willard, Ken Slater for The Springfield Telescope Makers. Inc.. stellafane.org.
35. Web site: Home - Helen Day Art Center. www.helenday.com.
36. Web site: Official site. Henry Sheldon Museum of Vermont History. 13 January 2015.
37. Web site: Castleton Historical Society . Castleton, VT . 14 January 2015 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20150201082331/http://castletonvermont.org/castleton-historical-society/ . 1 February 2015 .
38. Web site: Hughes Barn Museum. Thetford Historical Society. 14 January 2015.
39. Web site: Official site. John Strong Mansion Museum. 13 January 2015.
40. Web site: Lincoln Historical Society. Lincoln, Vermont. 13 January 2015.
41. Web site: Londonderry Arts & Historical Society. Londonderry, VT. 14 January 2015.
42. Web site: Official site. Marlboro Historical Society. 14 January 2015.
43. Web site: Middlebury College Museum of Art. museum.middlebury.edu.
44. Web site: Official site. Middletown Springs Historical Society. 14 January 2015.
45. Web site: Official site. Springfield Art & Historical Society. 14 January 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20141224112839/http://www.springfieldartandhistoricalsociety.org/. 24 December 2014. dead.
46. Web site: Official site. Mount Holly Community Historical Museum. 14 January 2015.
47. Web site: Welcome. The Nature Museum.
48. Web site: NE Maple Museum. maplemuseum.com.
49. Web site: Official site. Norman Rockwell Exhibit. 13 January 2015.
50. Web site: Official site. North Hero Historical Society. 13 January 2015.
51. Web site: Official site. Northfield Historical Society. 13 January 2015.
52. Web site: Official site. Norwich Historical Society. 14 January 2015.
53. Web site: Official site. Noyes House Museum. 13 January 2015.
54. Web site: Official site. Peacham Historical Association. 13 January 2015.
55. Web site: Official site. Poultney Historical Society. 14 January 2015.
56. Web site: Official site. Randolph Historical Society. 14 January 2015.
57. Web site: Readsboro Historical Society. Town of Readsboro. 13 January 2015.
58. Web site: Weathersfield Historical Society. Weathersfield, VT. 14 January 2015. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20141221184036/http://www.weathersfieldvt.org/ourcommunity/historical-society. 21 December 2014.
59. Web site: Richford Historical Society. Richford, Vermont. 13 January 2015.
60. Web site: Official site. Robert Frost Stone House Museum. 13 January 2015.
61. Web site: Bennington County Historical Societies. Vermont Historical Society. 13 January 2015.
62. Web site: Official site. Rutland Historical Society. 14 January 2015.
63. Web site: Official site. https://web.archive.org/web/20130117184108/http://home.comcast.net/~arbjlb/historic.htm. dead. 17 January 2013. Lyndon Historical Society. 13 January 2015.
64. Web site: Official site. Southern Vermont Arts Center. 13 January 2015.
65. Web site: Official site. St. Albans Historical Society and Historical Museum. 13 January 2015.
66. Web site: Official site. St. Johnsbury History & Heritage Center. 13 January 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20140227023441/http://stjhistory.org/. 27 February 2014. dead.
67. Web site: Official site. Stowe Historical Society. 13 January 2015.
68. Web site: Sullivan Museum and History Center.. Norwich University. 13 January 2015.
69. Web site: Official site. Swanton Historical Society. 13 January 2015.
70. Web site: Official site. T. W. Wood Gallery & Arts Center. 13 January 2015.
71. Web site: Vermont History Museum. Vermont Historical Society. 13 January 2015.
72. Web site: Vermont Museum of Contemporary Art + Design.
73. Web site: Vermont National Guard Library and Museum. Vermont National Guard. 13 January 2015.
74. Web site: Official site. Waterbury Historical Society. 13 January 2015.
75. Web site: Official site. Westminster Historical Society. 14 January 2015.
76. Web site: Official site. Historical Society of Windham County. 14 January 2015.
77. Web site: Official site. https://web.archive.org/web/20060722000517/http://www.woodstockhistorical.org/. dead. 22 July 2006. Woodstock Historical Society. 14 January 2015.
78. Web site: Morgan horse museum leaving Shelburne. WCAX News. 13 January 2015. July 26, 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20151019173553/http://www.wcax.com/story/12872874/morgan-horse-museum-leaving-shelburne. 2015-10-19. dead.
79. Web site: Links . www.northshorecorvettes.com . 2 February 2022 . https://archive.today/20120904064805/http://www.northshorecorvettes.com/links.html . 4 September 2012 . dead.