The 10 Best Budget-friendly Things to do in Vermont, United States

February 26, 2022 Frederic Celentano

Whether you’re exploring Vermont’s covered bridges, visiting Quechee Gorge or skiing at Killington, you’ll find Vermont to be picture-perfect. If you’re the outdoorsy type, you’ll love Vermont. In winter, of course, there’s plenty of skiing and snowboarding. In the warmer months, however, Vermont offers plenty of opportunities for hiking, biking, fishing and boating. If you enjoy boating, swimming and fishing, a vacation rental on Lake Champlain might be perfect for you.
Restaurants in Vermont

1. Lake Willoughby

East Burke, VT 05860
Excellent
83%
Good
13%
Satisfactory
2%
Poor
1%
Terrible
1%
Overall Ratings

5.0 based on 166 reviews

Lake Willoughby

A scenic lake in Vermont that is called "America's Lucerne."

Reviewed By j3ffr3y111 - Middlebury, United States

Maybe the most beautiful lake in Vermont. There is hiking all around, most notably the mount Pisgah hike provides amazing views!

2. Shelburne Museum

6000 Shelburne Rd, Shelburne, VT 05482-6009 +1 802-985-3346 http://www.shelburnemuseum.org
Excellent
82%
Good
14%
Satisfactory
3%
Poor
1%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

5.0 based on 1,194 reviews

Shelburne Museum

Museum in Vermont that displays approximately 80,000 items of folk art and similar works.

Reviewed By 750johna750 - New Jersey, United States

We passed this place many times on our way to Burlington. We finally took the time to check it out. This place is beyond amazing. Even if you are typically not into museums, this place has something for everyone. It's like 50 museums in one place. It's like exploring the back lot of a movie studio, only everything here is real. You will see art, sculptures, barns, trains, dolls, toys, hats, gardens, a covered bridge, church, school, ferry, lighthouse, merry-go-round, circus memorabilia and so much more. I could have spent all day in the doll exhibit. So creepy and awesome. Plan to spend hours here, if not a whole day. As a photographer, I was in absolute heaven.

3. Stowe Recreation Path

Stowe, VT 05672 +1 802-253-7321 [email protected] http://www.gostowe.com/recreation-path
Excellent
79%
Good
18%
Satisfactory
2%
Poor
0%
Terrible
1%
Overall Ratings

5.0 based on 1,432 reviews

Stowe Recreation Path

Between the West Branch River and Route 108 is a biking trail full of scenic vistas and small town atmosphere.

Reviewed By Turkish340

Rent some good bikes and do it. Did it with family, youngest is 10. No probkem at all as the entire path is pretty much flat and paved so it is really easy to ride. Beautiful scenery all the way through, and some really magical spots to stop and admire the area.

#30 Not-A Road, Wilmington, VT 05363 +1 802-464-5523 [email protected] http://skipmorrow.com
Excellent
89%
Good
11%
Satisfactory
0%
Poor
0%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

5.0 based on 112 reviews

The Art of Humor Gallery

The Art of Humor Gallery, a collection of seriously funny fine art, features the work of artist/cartoonist Skip Morrow. On display are limited edition giclee prints, watercolor originals, books and greeting cards. Skip's internationally published illustrations include New York Times best selling books, greeting cards, magazine articles and advertising for national and international corporations. The 3000 foot gallery is situated on 14 acres of a scenic mountainside in the Green Mountains of Vermont, just minutes from the village of Wilmington and Mount Snow Ski area. Admission: $5 (credited toward purchase) Hours: Friday to Sunday 10 to 5 but because of VT COVID travel restrictions you will need to call for an appointment. A 14-day quarantine or 7 days followed by a negative COVID-19 test is required for all out of state travelers. Thank you for your cooperation.

Reviewed By KB3AZO

Skip's wife Laraine organizes and maintains a wonderful gallery of his art, on display and for sale. The grounds are beautifully kept, the whole museum is a great legacy of Skip's acheivements and his sense of humor and creativity. Laraine is very warm and welcoming, and offers a very personal experience for visitors.

5. Quechee Gorge

Route 4, Quechee, Hartford, VT +1 802-295-1550 http://www.quecheegorge.com
Excellent
53%
Good
35%
Satisfactory
10%
Poor
1%
Terrible
1%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 984 reviews

Quechee Gorge

Locals think of this 165-foot gap as "Vermont's Grand Canyon."

Reviewed By 365syl-ga - San Antonio, United States

Visited Quechee Gorge on Fall Foliage tour and it was a gorgeous site. The Gorge looked beautiful with the fall colors and there is a trail that goes along the river if you are able be sure to take the short hike to the falls well worth the trip. Colors are beautiful and the falling leaves in the breeze so lovely!!!

6. Vermont Institute of Natural Science

149 Natures Way, Quechee, Hartford, VT 05059-3158 +1 802-359-5000 [email protected] http://www.vinsweb.org/
Excellent
71%
Good
23%
Satisfactory
5%
Poor
1%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 354 reviews

Vermont Institute of Natural Science

We offer locally-relevant and compelling environmental education programs and services to a wide audience. Our programs combine environmental science concepts with hands-on exploration to build empathy for nature and empower individuals to care for local natural ecosystems. VINS Nature Center offers special daily educational live bird programs! Admission includes entrance to exhibits, NEW forest canopy walk, nature trails, outdoor classroom and 17 State of the Art Bird Enclosures. ADA/ABA accessible. Open picnic areas, and gifts, beverages and snacks are available at the Nature Store. The VINS Nature Center is located 1/2 mile west from the Quechee Gorge. Open everyday except Thanksgiving and Christmas days. For special events and classes visit web-site for full schedule. We are a non-profit since 1972. Mission: is to motivate individuals and communities to care for the environment through education, research and avian wildlife rehabilitation.

Reviewed By Vt43 - Quechee, United States

Always a favorite with the many birds and exhibits, this location has really upped its game with its new CANOPY WALK through the trees. It is only 1 of 4 in the whole country and provides an amazing experience. If you are in the area, do NOT miss this place

7. Hildene, The Lincoln Family Home

1005 Hildene Rd, Manchester, VT 05254 +1 802-362-1788 [email protected] http://www.hildene.org/
Excellent
77%
Good
19%
Satisfactory
3%
Poor
0%
Terrible
1%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 1,359 reviews

Hildene, The Lincoln Family Home

Historic home of Robert Lincoln, only child of President and Mary Todd Lincoln to survive to adulthood. The estate has beautiful gardens, restored 1903 wooden Pullman palace car, goat farm and cheesemaking facility, 12+ miles of walking trails, teaching greenhouse and cross-country skiing in winter.

Reviewed By aschwartz10100 - Brooklyn, United States

After visiting Manchester dozens of times, we finally went to HIldene and can't believe we didn't go before. The entrance fee seemed pretty high, but surely that is needed to support the maintenance and operation. You could spend much of a day touring the historic house and restored Pullman car (with great docents to give insight into what you're seeing), visiting the goats and farm, and hiking or skiing the trails.

8. Bennington Museum

75 Main St, Bennington, VT 05201-2885 +1 802-447-1571 [email protected] http://www.benningtonmuseum.org/
Excellent
57%
Good
36%
Satisfactory
5%
Poor
1%
Terrible
1%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 366 reviews

Bennington Museum

Bennington Museum - a Museum of Art, History, and Innovation. Home to the largest public collection of Grandma Moses paintings and 19th-century Bennington Pottery, it also presents Battle of Bennington memorabilia and weaponry, and Gilded Age Vermont, highlighting the industrial and cultural innovation of the late 1800s to the 1920s including the 1924 Wasp Touring Car, paintings by William Morris Hunt, and works by Lewis Comfort Tiffany. Bennington Modernism Gallery celebrates the art created from the early 1950s through the mid-1970s by a group of avant-garde artists working in and around Bennington who led the nation in artistic thought and innovation. Artists may include Pat Adams, Paul Feeley, Helen Frankenthaler, Patricia Johanson, Vincent Longo, Kenneth Noland, and Jules Olitski. Early Vermont Life Gallery presents life in Vermont from the time when the earliest European settlers arrived in 1761 to the early 1800s. 14 galleries. Changing exhibitions. Museum Store & more.

Reviewed By Ilanfreedman

This museum has a collection of paintings, furniture, and firearms, even an antique automobile. I liked the Grandma Moses exhibit on display. I also liked the painting of a sleigh.

9. Smugglers Notch State Park

6443 Mountain Rd, Stowe, VT 05672-5111 +1 802-253-4014 http://www.vtstateparks.com/htm/smugglers.cfm
Excellent
75%
Good
21%
Satisfactory
3%
Poor
1%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 357 reviews

Smugglers Notch State Park

This narrow path through thousand-foot cliffs, once a smuggling route into Canada, is now a park used for biking, hiking, picnicking and rockclimbing.

Reviewed By MaryJ071597 - Spokane, United States

We stayed a night in Stowe during the peak color season and this drive was recommended to us. We are so glad we did it. It was gorgeous! We had limited time so we were very disappointed we didn't get to experience more of this area. We made it to Smugglers Notch though and captured some beautiful shots. The road is very winding up there. It was super windy and we watched the leaves getting blown off the trees. We definitey recommend this scenic drive.

10. Billings Farm & Museum

69 Old River Rd Rte. 12 North, Woodstock, VT 05091 +1 802-457-2355 [email protected] http://www.billingsfarm.org
Excellent
70%
Good
23%
Satisfactory
4%
Poor
2%
Terrible
1%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 699 reviews

Billings Farm & Museum

An award-winning outdoor history museum and fully-operating dairy farm, combining a herd of Jersey cows, draft horses, and other animals with educational exhibits, daily interactive programs, and a yearlong calendar of fun, family-friendly events. See our website for Covid-19 safety standards. Hours and attractions are subject to change, see website for up to date information.

Reviewed By martharZ302TN - White River Junction, United States

We spent a lovely post-Christmas day here. The sun was out, we walked the barns full of cows, sheep, goats, and chickens, and enjoyed a self-tour of the holiday-decorated homestead. We also took a horse-drawn wagon ride through the property, under blanketed warmth provided by the farm, and then indulged in some to-die-for maple fudge from the lovely little gift shop. Great place, great people... a must visit if you happen to find yourself anywhere in Vermont....

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