Addison County: Culture, History and Landscapes

Addison County combines museums and historic sites with trails and landscapes along Lake Champlain. The following places and offerings provide specific examples.

Museums and History

The permanent exhibition “Seeking Freedom: The Underground Railroad and the Legacy of an Abolitionist Family” at the Rokeby Museum explores the history and enduring legacy of enslavement in the United States. It also traces the Robinson family’s changing history: earlier generations held enslaved people, while their descendants became abolitionists in the 19th century. Visitors can explore trails and nine historic buildings on the museum grounds. The Henry Sheldon Museum has welcomed visitors and researchers since 1884 and is considered the nation’s oldest community-based museum.

The Lake Champlain Maritime Museum is dedicated to regional history, archaeology and ecology. Its grounds include exhibition buildings, outdoor installations, historic boats, blacksmith shops and an archaeology lab. The different facilities offer varied ways to explore these subjects, from exhibitions and installations to historic boats and archaeological work.

Chimney Point sits on Lake Champlain’s eastern shore, at the foot of the Lake Champlain Bridge. Artifacts there tell the story of the region’s three earliest cultures: Indigenous American, French colonial and early American. Mount Independence State Historic Site is one of the most significant Revolutionary War sites in the United States. Six miles of trails pass archaeological remains of fortifications. Covered bridges are also part of the area’s historic character: four bridges are spread across Shoreham, Middlebury and Ferrisburgh, making for a scenic tour of the county and its small towns and villages. A covered bridge on an abandoned railroad line is also part of a hiking trail and is one of Vermont’s three remaining covered railroad bridges.

Water, Landscapes and Trails

Addison County has 56 miles of shoreline along glacier-shaped Lake Champlain. Lake Dunmore lies at the county’s southern edge. The 105-foot-deep lake offers opportunities for swimming, fishing, paddling and boating; camping is also available on its shores at Branbury State Park. Water activities and camping are distinct aspects to consider when planning a stay at the lake.

The Moosalamoo National Recreation Area encompasses cliffs, mountain lakes and streams, as well as a diverse range of plant and animal life. A nine-mile mountain biking loop also runs through the area: it climbs to a ridgeline and returns through Leicester Hollow to Silver Lake Campground. Its route differs clearly from the TAM, a 20-mile hiking trail that loops around Middlebury and connects several hundred acres of town land, protected properties, schools and other local attractions. Sections of Vermont’s Long Trail pass through Addison County and can be reached via side trails. Cyclists can also ride nine county bicycle loops developed by Lake Champlain Bikeways.

Events and Getting Here

Two annual events in Middlebury offer different reasons to visit. The Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival takes place in August. It showcases filmmakers who have made their first or second feature-length or short film within the preceding 24 months. The Middlebury Festival on the Green takes place each year on the weekend after July 4 on the Middlebury Green in the town center. If you are planning a trip around an event, check its dates for the year in question.

Addison County can be reached via Route 7 and Routes 17, 22A, 30, 116, 73, 74, 100 and 125. Route 7 is Vermont’s main north-south highway. The Ethan Allen Express serves the Middlebury and Ferrisburgh-Vergennes stations; check the schedule before traveling. The seasonal Fort Ticonderoga Ferry connects Shoreham, Vermont, with Ticonderoga, New York. Its ongoing crossings take six minutes; check seasonal operating dates before your trip.

Visitor information is available to help you find restaurants, lodging, shopping, services, arts, culture, museums and events. Profiles of individual communities include Vergennes, Bristol, Middlebury and Ferrisburgh, among others. The annual Champlain Valley Guide to Local Food and Farms also includes a directory of local food producers in the county.

Explore more destinations: Vergennes, Middlebury, Salisbury, Windham County, Lamoille, Essex County, Grand Isle County, Orange.

Return to the main travel overview: Vermont.