Vermont State Historic Sites are opening for the season
June 5, 2021 | By Waterbury Roundabout
Mount Independence State Historic Site in Orwell is open for visitors this summer. Special events there include guided nature and history hikes, historical lectures, archaeological investigations, a living history weekend and the reading of the Declaration of Independence. Courtesy photo
Several of Vermont’s State Historic Sites have opened for the 2021 season and others will be opening in early July.
The President Calvin Coolidge State Historic Site in Plymouth Notch, Mount Independence State Historic Site in Orwell, and Bennington Battle Monument in Bennington are all open and welcoming visitors now, according to the Vermont Division for Historic Preservation.
The observation deck of the Bennington Battle Monument is open again this season, affording visitors 360-degree views.
On Friday, July 2, Hubbardton Battlefield in Hubbardton and Chimney Point in Addison will open to the public and the Justin Morrill State Historic Site in Strafford will open its doors on Saturday, July 3.
The President Coolidge site celebrates the decade during which Coolidge became president with the special exhibit, “The Roaring Twenties: Fashions, Fads, and All That Jazz.” This exhibit brings the era to life and illustrates its influence on residents of the White House. Public programs presented throughout the season will highlight this dynamic period in the nation’s history. The President Coolidge site will also host the Champlain Valley National Heritage Partnership’s Women’s Vote Centennial exhibit that interprets the generations-long struggle for suffrage in New York, Vermont, and Quebec.
New outdoor interpretive panels along the walking trail at the Hubbardton Battlefield recount pivotal points and key players in the only Revolutionary War battle fought in what is now Vermont. In addition to this new installation, the historic sites provide opportunities for recreational activities as well as forested and open walking and hiking trails, gardens, and lakeside vistas.
The sites are good spots for picnics and hikes while also touring historic buildings, participating in a guided bird walk or photography class, and taking in a variety of exhibits that share Vermont’s history.
In addition to these historic sites on land, the Lake Champlain Historic Underwater Preserves are also open. These sites provide public access for divers to some of the lake’s historic shipwrecks and are managed by the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum. Access to the sites is free but divers are asked to register once for the year. See the website for details.
State-owned Historic Sites will be operating this year in accordance with recommendations outlined in the Governor’s Vermont Forward Plan. At least initially, masks will be required in buildings and when in the presence of others out of doors. Due to social distancing requirements, some spaces will not be open to visitors.
Some schedule changes may be made in the coming weeks. For the most up-to-date information, please online at historicsites.vermont.gov, or call (802) 828-3051.