6 of the Best Museums To Visit In & Around Woodstock Vermont
Nov 06, 2018 08:18PM ● By Kevin
Billings Farm & Museum
Regarded as one of the finest outdoor history museums in the country, you won’t have to go far to get to this interesting attraction. There are a host of things you can do, including visiting the Jersey dairy farm where you can meet award-winning Jersey dairy cows, draft horses, and sheep, and heading into the museum to explore educational exhibits and interactive programs and events. The farm house Billings Farm & Museum on the property was built in the late 1800s and has since been restored for your pleasure. Billings Farm also makes its own cheddar cheese, which you can sample during your visit.
Vermont Toy Museum
Located inside the Quechee Gorge Village shopping complex, this isn’t just a place to take the kids. People of all ages will experience nostalgia as they see the toys of decades past, dating all the way back to the 1800s. There are more than 100,000 toys on site and between May and October, there are amusement rides for children to enjoy. Vermont Toy Museum is free, but donations are encouraged. Of course, there’s a gift shop, as well, where you can bring home a trinket from memory lane, including unique toys, trains, t-shirts, and other gifts.
Main Street Museum
While the location has moved a few times over the years, the Main Street Museum – highlighting the unorthodox history of White River Junction – resides within the old firehouse on Bridge Street. The building houses many old documents, journals, and artifacts local to the area, telling the unique stories of the streets and times of White River Junction. There’s also a donations-based reading room containing books that cover off on a wide variety of topics. Tours are by appointment only, so make sure you call ahead to reserve yours.
Sugarbush Farm Maple Syrup & Cheese
The seasonal enthusiast will love a trip over to Sugarbush Sugarbush Farm, where maple syrup and waxed cheeses reign supreme. The farm has been with the Luce family for three generations and spans 500 acres just outside of Woodstock. Visitors can sample 15 types of cheese and four grades of maple syrup while on site. The gift shop also dons many jams, jellies, mustards, spreads, and meats to take home. Take in the beauty of Vermont with beautiful outdoor views or stroll inside to the sugarhouse to learn about the tree tapping process, or to the work, room to watch the hand wrapping and hand waxing process of the various cheeses available. There’s plenty more to do, so make sure you schedule a lot of time to walk the grounds of the farm. Admission is free.
Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site
Old Constitution House
Yet another historic property in the area, the Old Constitution House is on North Main Street in Windsor. Its historic reputation comes from being the building where – you guessed it – the Constitution of the State of Vermont was drafted. It was also the birthplace of the Vermont Republic. The museum is open seasonally, from May to October, and the property also contains a walking trail around Runnymede Lake. Inside, you can observe Elijah West (longtime owner)’s taproom, tea room, kitchen, dining room, parlor, bed chamber, and large chamber, all while taking in the history of Vermont through the museum’s permanent exhibits – “A Free and Independent State,” and “Welcome Resort of Weary Travelers.”