What you do when visiting Burlington, Vermont may involve a blend of seasonal activities and events and attractions that are available year-round. Year round attractions to check out when visiting Burlington include the Robert Hull Fleming Museum, with its local and international visual arts; the Shelburne Museum with its folk art collection; or the Middlebury College Museum of Art.
Outdoor activities to take advantage of when visiting Burlington include alpine and cross-country skiing, snowboarding, and snowmobiling, for which Vermont is famous. In the summer, hiking, kayaking, canoeing, and tennis are all popular. You can watch the Vermont Lake Monsters, a minor league Expos/Nationals club play a game and even find a game of cricket or Australian rules football.
If history is one of the facets you’d like to explore while visiting Burlington, the Ethan Allen Homestead Museum, closed November through April, gives a look at life in the 1700’s through the person of one of Vermont’s important early families. If you are willing to drive a bit, you can also see the President Chester A. Arthur State Historic Site in Fairfield, the President Calvin Coolidge Homestead in Plymouth, or the Robert Frost Stone House Museum in South Shaftsbury, Vermont.
If you want to shop when visiting Burlington, check out the Church Street Marketplace, where you’ll find over 100 shops including national chains such as Border’s Books and Old Navy, as well as local shops such as Boutilier’s Art Center, Vermont Folk Instruments, Lake Champlain Chocolates, Frog Hollow — a Vermont State Craft Center gallery, and the Peace & Justice Center, which has a store featuring international items., Speaking of local, remember that this is a rural state, so you’ll find food, quilts, pottery, and more for sale by individual Vermonters at their homes and studios if you venture out on the back roads, as well as local farmer’s markets during the growing season.
Of course visitors need to eat, and if you want to do something more than just grab a bite, there are fine restaurants to explore when visiting Burlington. Check out Chef’s Corner Café and Bakery for wonderful food and exciting pastry, Café Shelburne for French fare, Penny Cluse Café for a scrumptious breakfast, and the New England Culinary Institute (NECI) restaurants, such as the Inn at Essex and Butler’s Restaurant. For Asian food, check out India House, Asiana House for fusion Japanese, A Single Pebble for Chinese, and Parima Restaurant for Thai cuisine.
