Wilson's Castle is worth a visit. It's currently going through renovations which it needs. I will…read morehave to visit when the renovations are finished. Smaller than it looks. It is kinda spooky and is located in beautiful Vermont. I visited in October, went through a short tour and we were free to explore on our own. I would recommend

Hidden gem well worth the trip! The castle is full of intricate trinkets and oddities, especially…read moresince we visited around Halloween time. We especially loved the painted ceilings and stained glass. And the tour guides showed us such hospitality! They even let us play the antique organ

"Unzipping The Earth" by Chris Miller, billed as the largest zipper in North America. It's 74'…read morelong, situated in an alley next to the Studio Arts Building. Lion and I went to check it out recently on a clear day. I am a lover of the oddball and kitschy. This meets the bill. It's made of granite, stretches down a narrow alleyway. It was pretty cool, really looks like a zipper. Simple but effective. Definitely worth a stop when visiting Barre.

This is a sculpture--a cool piece of public art as nice as others in much larger…read morecities--confusingly sounding like a roadside attraction as it appears as "Largest Zipper in North America" if you're lucky enough to notice it by accident on Google maps. I found this on the map that way when passing through Barre, so we stopped to check it out. The surprise of seeing what it is when we got to it, and sharing the experience with other visitors to town was all well worth it. Plus, we parked the car and got to some local spots, and visited the very nice library. It was a good little visit to town. So, if you're in the vicinity of Barre, definitely don't miss this. I was thinking maybe not worth it to drive more than an hour out of your way... but then again, if it's worth it to you, why not?

Easy little hike to the tower and the payoff is nice and peaceful. Great for kids and dogs.read more

Cool little park with an easy walk/hike up to the historic Ethan Allen Tower. It's pretty easy to…read moreget up to the top of the tower and has a great view once you're there!

Located alongside US-7 just north of Pittsford, this marker points out some of the early industrial…read morehistory of the town that is no longer. There is parking nearby so that you can read the sign. On the front, "In 1791, Israel Keith built an iron blast furnace two miles east of here, adjacent to what is now Furnace Brook. Materials for the smelting process included iron ore, manganese, and charcoal from Chittenden, with limestone flux from Pittsford. In 1826, Simeon Granger & Sons purchased the furnace from Keith's successor, Nathan Gibbs. The furnace was rebuilt after a fire and in 1829, the Grangers erected a foundry nearby. Worker housing, a company store, school, and the Granger family's brick house surrounded the foundry to form the village of Grangerville." And on the rear, "At its peak, the Granger foundry produced 300 tons of cast iron stoves a year for kitchens, laundries, parlors, and bedrooms, which were shipped across the eastern seaboard. They also produced kettles, griddles, basins, flatirons, and door hardware. Later owners included C. & E.L. Granger; Granger, Hodges & Co.; Pittsford Iron Co.; Vermont Iron Co.; and Jeremiah Pritchard. Under Pritchard, sixty men were employed at the furnace, foundry, mines and charcoal kilns. As local resources were depleted, iron ore from eastern New York was shipped by rail to Pittsford. In 1882, operations ceased and Vermont's last operating iron furnace closed. Several stoves are in the collection of the Pittsford Historical Society Museum." The marker was erected in 2016 by the Vermont Division of Historic Preservation. [Review 18482 overall - 81 in Vermont - 2004 of 2022.]

If you find yourself in Vermont, and in particular Proctor, VT you can stumble upon the Vermont…read moreMarble Museum. The museum is up on the second floor but for those that need it they do have an elevator as well. As you would expect you get there and are immediately surrounded by the different types of Marble. There is a nominal cost to get in and you will find a fairly large display that should please many a museum geek. You will find some hand carved work, lots of pictures of where and how marble is used and several self running history of marble and such videos you can watch. Of interest to us was both the section on marble faces of many of the nations presidents along with the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and how not only it was built but how they moved it. For the shopper out there they also had a rather large store that had many different items such as trivets, rolling pins, desk accessories, jewelry and more.

Pretty dull, even for a museum about marble. Spent lots of floor space on bad example of using…read moremarble in the kitchen and bathroom, lot of space of photo of monuments they supplied marble to. Then just had photo of actual marble mining. There really isn't much need for the physical museum itself. It is most photo that can be online and examples of home decorating, The staff is nice, the museum is just a nothing.

The Gorham Covered Bridge carries Gorham Bridge Road across Otter Creek in a rural area of…read morePittsford and Proctor, Vermont. It is a single span, 114-foot long Town lattice truss that is supported by concrete-faced stone abutments. Under the 18 foot broad road deck, laminated beams have been added to strengthen the bridge. One of Vermont's oldest remaining covered bridges, the bridge dates to 1841. Together with Nicholas M. Powers, who was at the time Owen's apprentice, Abraham Owen constructed it. One of the most well-known bridge builders of the 19th century, Vermont native Powers is recognized with building a significant number of covered bridges. It was one of three still standing Vermont bridges that were known to have been constructed by Powers at the time this bridge was added to the National Register in 1974. Because the bridge has a clearance and a weight limit posted, both of which my van is well under, I opted to cross and did so with no issues. It is a lovely bridge and worth visiting! [Review 18480 overall - 79 in Vermont - 2002 of 2022.]

What a gem! We visited the area from San Diego and a friend suggested to stop over at the Grant…read moreCottage. This is a great move for any history buff. The home is in the original condition the way President Grant and his family would have experienced it, meticulously maintained by a knowledgeable staff and volunteers. I had a great time and learned a lot. Highly recommend!

My visit to Grant's Cottage was amazing. I learned so much about his last days and how he provided…read morefor his family. The staff and tour guide here are all very informative and friendly. The grounds are well kept and the cottage itself is well preserved. I have no words to describe the breathtaking outdoor overlook. It is not to be missed. Everything within Grant's Cottage is well maintained and you truly feel as if you are brought back to the 1800's. You will enjoy the tour whether you are a history buff or just looking to gain knowledge about President Grant. I highly recommend!!

The Old Round Church is worth a side trip if you happen to be in the area. Richmond is a very nice…read moreold New England town. It is pretty lively for how small it is. We went in winter and it was beautiful with snow and ice everywhere, but I believe it would be equally pretty when it's warmer and one could wander about a bit more. There is a pretty library nearby as well and a nice truss bridge. It is closed in winter (after October?) so we'll have to back for a better look.

The Old Round Church in Richmond is a scenic spot for a wedding-- and everyone seems to know it…read more In the summer, if you drive through Richmond between 10am and 4pm you will nearly always see vestiges of wedding. Because the Church is not a practicing church (there are no weekly services) they do as many as three weddings there a day on Saturdays and Sundays May-October. The up side of this is that your date is unlikely to be fully blocked out. The down side to this is that you have little buffer on either side of the ceremony to decorate and un-decorate the building. The inside of the church is well-restored and if you're into a super-new-england-yankee aesthetic, you're in for a treat. It's unique inside and out and the views of the surrounding mountains outside add to the ambiance. Another tiny set-back (but not enough to knock a star off in my opinion, there are too many great things about the space) is that those Yankee Protestants of the early 1800s were by an large a lot smaller than we are today, so the pews can be a little tight for larger (or pregnant) guests. Also, it's BYO - officiant-- so you can have the scenic, yankee, vermonty setting in a church and you can have your ceremony be any denomination you want...or none. Fab.

The American Revolutionary War's Battle of Hubbardton took place in the Vermont village of…read moreHubbardton during the Saratoga campaign. The New Hampshire Grants were a disputed region at the time that was claimed by New York, New Hampshire, and the independent government of Vermont. After leaving Fort Ticonderoga, British forces led by General Simon Fraser caught up with the American rear guard of the retreating soldiers early on July 7, 1777. It was the only battle in Vermont during the revolution as the Battle of Bennington was actually fought in New York. The marker for that battle is in Bennington https://www.yelp.com/biz/bennington-battle-monument-bennington?hrid=2mYSueSCcpnX9G-6ZwZAuA. This obelisk monument is about 20 feet tall made of white stone denoting "The only battle fought in Vermont during the Revolution" and "The Green Mountain Boys Fought Bravely." The British soldiers suffered enough casualties from the engagement that they decided not to pursue the main American army any farther. While the majority of the British soldiers traveled to Skenesboro to reunite with Burgoyne's army, the numerous American prisoners were sent to Ticonderoga. The majority of the dispersed American survivors moved on to join St. Clair's force as it advanced toward the Hudson River. Here at the Hubbarton Battlefield State Historic Site, there is a walking path and caption signs throughout that denote some of the more crucial locations of the engagement. You can expect to spend an hour or so walking the route. [Review 18478 overall - 77 in Vermont - round number 2000 of 2022.]

This is a great place to visit and explore history a little deeper. The grounds are well kept. The…read morefield has memorials and snapshots of what took place during the Battle of Saratoga. There is a gift shop on-site and the staff is very personable. Great place for the family to visit.