What a treat! Highly recommend this spot to view an eclectic and vast assortment of items. Found…read morethis place on Reddit, and really didn't know what to expect. A perfect slightly-rainy day activity, but bring an umbrella. AAA and student discounts available. Open seasonally (check their website) but daily from 10am-5pm. We arrived at 10:30am and didn't leave until closing @ 5pm. They allow you to visit the following day if you show your receipt. We took our time, stopping by the cafe a couple times, only rushing a bit in the last 20 minutes, although we did not see the exhibitions in the shiny and new exhibition center near the entrance. Could definitely knock this place out in one day if you were efficient. Little shuttles available (think long, covered golf carts), running every ~15 minutes. Don't miss the Prentis and Stencil House tours (10:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m., and 3:30 p.m. 45 minutes) and Ticonderoga steamboat tours (11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. 45 minutes). The top floor of the Ticonderoga was closed off due to rain (potential slipping). Demonstrations at the blacksmith and printing house, which was a pleasant surprise (special thanks to Joe!). Plethora of impressive and comprehensive collections ranging from circus, carriage, taxidermy, furniture, dolls, paintings - really anything and everything!

We had visited here once before in 2006 and were happy to have a chance to return as we were…read morepassing through town this week. It was a rainy day which meant there were very few people here and we really enjoyed it being so uncrowded. The rain wasn't a problem at all as we had raincoats and umbrellas for traveling between buildings and we could leave our umbrellas near the door at each building so we didn't drip all over the floors. Staff were really knowledgeable and friendly as we explored all the buildings on the grounds. They don't dress as historical characters and do role playing here which is a huge plus for me. I much prefer how Shelburne just has knowledgeable staff available. They seem, overall, more geared towards adults than kids which is unique among similar history museums. We spent about 5 hours here and still didn't see everything and so this can definitely be a full day activity! Highlights are the restored ship the Ticonderoga and circus parade sculpture that is over 500 feet long and took over 25;years to complete, as well as the round barn and covered bridge. The exhibits in all of the buildings are so interesting and the general store and apothecary have so much detail ton look at, those exhibits alone are great for spending lots of time. We had a nice lunch in the cafe. The options are basic, but good. I had a chicken salad sandwich that had nice chunks of chicken, dried cranberries and cheese along with lettuce and tomato on hearty bread. Prices were reasonable. Definitely a great rainy day activity option!

You want to have an amazing Saturday with your family in Burlington - 100% recommend ECHO! Science…read moreand nature and everything in between fun for kids of all ages. As a new mom we are always looking for fun exhibits and museums. This fits the bill where you can have the children play in the area, look art eh fish, turtles and learn more about Lake Champlain and our beautiful ecosystem. The staff is super friendly and we had the opportunity to feed the sturgeons!!! It was SOOOOOO COOL!!! They look prehistoric and their skin is smooth! We can't wait to come back again soon! We loved it and shows offered! They even have a mini movie theatre! If you join and get the membership you have access to free museums worldwide!! 10/10 worth it!

It's a cool science and activity center for kids. They have 3 floors with lots of engineering and…read morebuilder sections, lots of physics experiments and a small marketplace on the third floor. For additional price, they also sell tickets for 3D movies that are about 20 minutes long. The engineering arena in first floor is really huge and has lots of items for bunch of kids to play at the same time. The second floor is mostly empty, just an eel tank. On third of are all the experiments, a library and water play area. A lot of the parts were closed for renovation. We also saw a live eel feed demo, that was underwhelming. There were bunch of live activity also ran by the associates. Gift shop was nice. Parking is not free, need to pay with ParkMobile app/site, $3 an hour + fees. We spend about an hour 40 minutes in the center.

The Fleming Museum is on the campus of UVM (University of Vermont). The hike up through the…read morecharming old neighborhoods and through the beautiful campus make the trip alone worth the walk. There was a very interesting very eclectic Exhibits. All were interesting but some of the standouts to me were the Japanese Kimonos and the inspiration for works by contemporary artists and the local artist pieces reflecting the beauty and culture of Vermont. There was a large gallery that had a huge range of works by students and faculty of UVM. The Museum is small and very doable in an hour. It is also free. You don't have to be a member of the University to get in. It is good to note that the museum follows the academic calendar - September through May and is open Tuesday - Saturday. Check their web page for more details on exhibits and hours. https://www.uvm.edu/fleming

Check out this actually free museum on the UVM campus in Burlington. It really is free admission to…read moreget in. The Fleming Museum won't take that long to get around, but you still can see a lot. Hours are crappy because it's closed when school is closed. You should come here if interested in local artists and history. Be sure to know when school is in session, because if it's not the museum will be closed. It's free. This is among the few such museums. A lot of local art. Lots of things to check out in a small space. Amazing how much is packed in. This still won't take long to get through. Among the most notable objects is the sphere object on the cover of the Phish album Round Room. This is located just inside the main entrance, so be sure to see that. Also there's some ancient stuff like the Egyptian artifacts. The paintings collection has a few notable ones among these. For sure the best thing about it is that it's free. It's been free for awhile, but unfortunately it's only open when the college is also open. There's lots to check out if interested in local artists, and Vermont.

I haven't actually been to the museum but I walked the trail behind the mill twice this spring so…read morefar! Lovely walk, not difficult and there is the river to enjoy the sound of rushing by. There are some interesting parts like waterfalls, rock steps, wooden bridges and an area with some artful graffiti. I haven't walked the whole way because of too much water (wet shoes) and darkness falling. Some day this summer I will when the days are long and the trails are dry!

Nice little trail system conveniently located on Route 15. The Snowflake Bentley exhibit is…read morecharming. The gift shop has a surprising variety of local art and hand-made items. Carefully curated with friendly service.

Excellent museum with things for kids of all ages and adults to do. We did a handful of things but…read morewe were there during the school winter break. By the time we got there 15 minutes after opening the museum was packed and we had to wait in a long line to get in. From there the museum continued to get more and more busy. Our kids couldn't get to exhibits and it was just a constant sea of people so didn't stay as long as we'd have liked. Maybe next time.

Science, steam museum. Lots of hands-on activities for different age groups. Due to weather, we did…read morenot do anything outdoors and they close certain areas when it is snowing. We stayed two hours but longer is possible. If you can make the track up to the observation deck the view is worth it. It was a good break from the snow and cold to entertain young children for a few hours. The fog room and bubbles were our favorite!!

I visited this unique museum and interactive exhibit on a rainy day in the Adirondacks because I…read morewanted something with a solid indoor option. Ironically, the weather ended up being beautiful, so I spent a lot of time exploring the outdoor area instead and had an absolute blast. I went with one other adult and no children, and I can confidently say this is a place people of any age would enjoy. The exhibits are genuinely engaging and hands on without feeling childish. There were some incredibly unique features, including an outdoor treehouse style structure, bones and skulls you could actually hold and examine yourself, and even a small exhibit showing decomposing animals being broken down by beetles. That was something I had never seen in a museum before and found surprisingly fascinating. Overall, this was not a filler stop at all. It ended up being one of the highlights of the trip and was far more fun and interesting than I expected. Whether you have kids or not, this place is absolutely worth a visit.

Our first time here was for The Wild Lights on NYE! It's an incredible photo op, there is hot…read morechocolate available inside, s'mores & fire pits, delicate lights, amazing winter vibes.. all of the things! I purchased tickets online beforehand, making for a very easy check in. A map of lights display was provided. Plenty of parking. We had so much fun. I look forward to coming back here in the summer!

A free way to experience the art culture in Burlington. They have programs for all ages! Highly…read morerecommend

Nice little gallery. Exhibits change regularly. A little small perhaps…read more Make sure to check the calendar for artist's receptions. They also offer a darkroom and digital photo lab and photography classes.

Went here with my parents as part of our Vermont Vacation on August 27th 2023. We walked in and…read morechecked out the exhibits at the front near where we parked. Then we went in and just missed the tour of the homestead. However, Tom, who was really nice, and knew alot about history, took us to the current tour of the house. There is an admission fee for the tour, and i was lucky enough that i was given a student discount because i look young for my age. I appreciate that. Also the staff was very nice, all of them. Tom took us through to the house and told us about Ethan Allen, even told us about those beautiful flowers that one can freshly cut from the garden. Tom took us to our tour in the house, where a woman took over. Very interesting and very educational. i also enjoy history, so that is a plus. After the tour, we cut fresh flowers that were beautiful and lasted our whole vermont trip! Then we went inside and watched the movie about Ethan Allen. in the movie area, there is also dress up, and one can try to weave like in the days of when Ethan Allen was living. didn't try it, but it is so cool. highly recommend for any history buff, and my favorite tour guide was Tom. He seems to know his stuff, which is great, plus admire his energy! Oh and restrooms were very clean. Was a bit confusing at first because there is 2 gender neutral bathrooms, and i did a double take to make sure that i wasn't in the wrong place. all good though, just a little confusing, as other places don't have gender neutral bathrooms.

We really enjoyed our visit today to the Ethan Allen Homestead. Was amazed with the garden that was…read moremaintained by the director Dan and his passion for nature and Fanny and Ethan Allen and crew. Noah was a great guide full of interesting facts. The tour was of the homestead and history of the Ethan Allen family and their home and Vermont history. We spent about 11/2 hours here. Only about 2 miles from the Echo Museum.

For anybody who loves birds, or art, this is the place to go. There are over 500 lovingly and…read morebeautifully carved birds by Bob Spear, founder of both Green Mountain Audubon, and the Birds of Vermont Museum. There is a juried art show each year, so there is also outstanding art all over the museum. Oh, and lots of hiking trails to see the live birds, for which different habitats are lovingly maintained. It's a little off the beaten path, but that is one of its charms.

Interesting area to see all birds!. With school trips coming their hopping to get information!…read more While looking at the carvings of different Aviones!. Reshaping birds from wood carvings is hard work but in the end it's great?. Loosing that talent is not good?. For a picnic with friends or to walk on one of many paths?.

If you have a kid under 12 y/o with you it's a good place to start teaching something about…read moregeology, otherwise I would say do not lose time...