If you’re new to living in winter weather that can last three or four months, you might be wondering how Vermonters make the most of the season, besides all that skiing, riding, snowshoeing, and sledding. Supplement all that outdoor fun with some indoor activities, too. Joining an indoor pickleball, hockey, or tennis league, finding a winter camp where the kids can learn to make igloos or juggle, or heading to a historic theatre to take in a play, live music, or a comedy show are great ways to make the most of the winter season inside. Here’s your inside guide to things to do in Vermont this winter.
1. Visit a Museum
Vermont museums offer hands-on fun for the whole family and an opportunity to learn about the state’s natural history and conservation efforts. Whether you visit a few times a year or invest in a membership, museums are immersive places where repeat visits mean more opportunities to take it all in. More than 150 scientific exhibits await at Norwich’s Montshire Museum of Science, which uses interactive displays to teach kids about weather, astronomy, energy, and more. Trails wrap around the museum, which also holds outdoor igloo-building days during the winter. Explore natural history at the Fairbanks Museum in St. Johnsbury, a Victorian-era collection of taxidermy and curiosities dating back to the 19th century, also home to the state’s only public planetarium. Sit back in comfort and warmth to immerse yourself in celestial beauty, observing and learning about the constellations visible in Vermont, or take part in the museum’s Night Owl Club, a monthly science and astronomy discussion group for skywatchers. In Burlington, the Echo Leahy Center for Lake Champlain houses a small aquarium, sensory-friendly experiences, including exhibits on the natural history of Lake Champlain, as well as spaces for birthday parties and hands-on STEM learning for all ages. In Quechee, the Vermont Institute of Natural Science is home to a wide range of rehabilitated raptors, wild predator birds that serve as ambassadors for their species. See them up close, explore the Forest Canopy Walk, which travels to the tops of the trees where eagles nest, soak in silence and birdsong in the songbird aviary, and explore 2.5 miles of trails connecting to nearby Quechee State Park. VINS also offers youth programming about the natural world in winter, as does Vermont Audubon. Take in the history of snow sports at Stowe’s Vermont Ski and Snowboard Museum, showcasing the sport’s history from fashion to gear design. In Manchester, explore American history at Hildene, the Lincoln Family Home, built in 1906 by Robert and Mary Lincoln, son of Pres. Abraham Lincoln. The grounds include an original Pullman trail car and a working goat dairy. Also nearby, local multicultural exhibits draw crowds at the Brattleboro Museum and Art Center.
2. Focus on Health and Wellness
From walking on a rail trail to shopping at a farmers’ market, health and wellness are part of Vermont culture year-round. Find balance, calm, and community at yoga studios statewide (hot yoga sounds particularly enticing during the winter!). Vermont Salt Cave in Montgomery offers relaxing and destressing halotherapy experiences for respiratory and anti-inflammatory health and wellness. Discover local spa treatments made with maple sugar, cider, and craft beer at Vermont resorts like Topnotch Resort, the Woodstock Inn, and Stoweflake Mountain Resort and Spa. Sauna company SAVU offers the chance to experience a private sauna, alone or with a group, in minimalist wooden huts at remote locations statewide. Making sauna time a hallmark of winter can have both mental and physical health benefits.
3. Active Family Fun
Vermont is home to two family-friendly indoor waterparks. Jay Peak’s Pump House Waterpark features a big river with rapids, a surfing experience, hot tubs, and four waterslides, including one that drops straight down for the ultimate adrenaline rush. In St. Albans, the Hard’ack Recreation Area pool is open year-round, cozy under a protective dome, and offers both one-time entry and annual memberships, with slides and water features for kids. Both waterparks, as well as Williston’s Monkey Do indoor playground, Colchester’s Spare Time Entertainment, and Rutland’s Fortress of Fun indoor play area make for great places for kids’ birthday parties, too. Escape rooms such as Escape Room 60 in Williston, the Great Escape Room in Burlington, and Stratton Escape Room offer unique challenges, including one on Vermont history, for families or other groups to solve puzzles and work together to beat the clock. At Smugglers Notch Resort, consistently voted No. 1 resort for families in America, discover a 26,000-square-foot playground with fun for kids and adults, including laser tag, an arcade, a climbing wall, warrior courses, and more. Manchester’s Pastime Pinball is home to more than 60 vintage and new pinball machines – spend hours playing and enjoying the on-site restaurant with craft beers and local offerings. See how high your family can bounce at Get Air Trampoline Park in Williston, which also offers event and birthday party space rentals.
4. Get Hands-On
Taking a class can be an immersive way to spend time indoors honing a new skillset during the winter months, whether you choose a one-day class or a weeks-long immersive experience. Little River Hot Glass Studio in Stowe offers lessons in shaping and sculpting hot glass. Watch experienced glassblowers at work at Simon Pearce in Woodstock. Pottery lessons at Woodstock’s Farmhouse Pottery or Colchester’s Mudcraft can be an inspiring way to learn more about how clay becomes a bowl, a vase, a mug, or more. Already know your way around a pottery wheel? Renting studio space with other potters at studios like Mudcraft, Blockhouse Studio in Waitsfield, or Brattleboro’s Wheelhouse Clay Studio is a great way to stay in touch with your creative side. Introductory and advanced classes at Norwich’s King Arthur Baking meet bakers where they’re at, from kids taking their first steps in the kitchen to home bakers wanting to level up their game, offering day-long experiences to weeks-long professional courses. Build kitchen fundamentals, take your baking to the next level, and get hands-on instruction, at Vermont baking schools like Sugar Glider Kitchen in Hartford or Brot Bakehouse in Fairfax. Go behind the scenes with an award-winning bartender and learn about spirits and craft cocktail making, from classic American whiskey cocktails to rum drinks and custom workshops, at the Little House of Cocktails in Rutland. Paint-and-sip experiences throughout Vermont give you a chance to set your creativity free on canvas under the helpful eye of experienced instructors. Taking a class in improv or sketch comedy at Burlington’s Vermont Comedy Club will have your group laughing all evening – and once you’ve honed your skills, head back for open mic night. In the Northeast Kingdom, Circus Smirkus offers a winter circus camp where kids aged 6-14 can learn juggling, clowning, trapeze arts, and more. For little ones in grades 1-3, Billings Farm offers its Winter Wonders camp in February, including sledding, winter crafts, hot chocolate, and more. Vermont Audubon and Vermont Institute of Natural Science both offer youth programming about the natural world in winter.
5. Entertainment and Nightlife
Vermont’s historic theatres and stages elevate the experience of seeing a play, concert, or talk. Rutland’s 1913 Paramount Theatre, Burlington’s 1930 Flynn Theatre, the historic Vergennes Opera House, and Northern Stage are just a few stages that draw crowds with stunning architecture and design. In Brattleboro, the Old Stone Church is now a live music venue, from intimate folk gatherings to rambunctious metal shows and anything in between. In Burlington, enjoy an evening with local and nationally known comedians at Vermont Comedy Club, or head to Nectar’s or Higher Ground for live music. Take in a movie, along with a heaping helping of local food and donuts, at Waitsfield’s Big Picture Theatre, or, if you’re in the Northeast Kingdom, check out a live dance or music performance or a film screening at Catamount Arts in St. Johnsbury or Highland Center for the Arts in Greensboro.
6. Indoor Recreation
Vermont has plenty of recreation opportunities to offer indoors, too, whether you’re looking for a single day of fun or a local league to join where you can keep active and get to know your Vermont community. Join an indoor cornhole league, play floor hockey, throw it back with an indoor flag football league, or explore the rest of Game On VT’s Chittenden County offerings. Pickleball is gaining popularity nationwide; join a league in Rutland or South Burlington. Indoor ice skating rinks offer a chance to enjoy the ice regardless of the weather, and many have indoor hockey leagues for adults and kids, like Waterbury’s Ice Center, Williston’s Full Stride Hockey, and Jay Peak Resort’s Ice Haus rink. Break a sweat playing indoor volleyball in South Burlington, Williston, and Bennington. Not into fat biking, but still want to pedal? Try indoor spinning classes at RIDE in Stowe, Alpenglow Fitness in Montpelier, or REV Indoor Cycling in Burlington. Throw axes at wood targets and channel your inner lumberjack at BurlyAxe Throwing in Burlington. Indoor climbing gyms offer an adrenaline rush and a chance to safely hone your rock climbing skills. In Waterbury, Parro’s Gun Shop is home to Vermont’s only indoor range, featuring 10 lanes, allowing shooters to practice year-round in a safe, controlled environment. Beginners will appreciate the opportunity to rent firearms and be instructed in safe use, as well as monthly and annual membership opportunities. Many towns are also home to bowling alleys with leagues of their own, like Colchester’s Spare Time Entertainment, also home to an arcade and laser tag, or Bennington Lanes, which also offers indoor golf. Rutland’s Stonehedge Indoor Golf and Gonzo’s HD Sports in Burlington offer indoor golf simulation, too. Hone your tennis game at indoor courts in Rutland, Middlebury, Stratton or more locations throughout the state.
7. Food and Beverage Experiences
Vermont’s farm-to-table dining culture nourishes the body and soul. Local foods treat your palate to substantial fare that’s Green Mountain from the ground up, like craft cider made with Vermont-grown heirloom apples. Get to know your local farmers at an indoor winter farmers’ market and signing up for a CSA both supports the local food system in your community and keeps your grocery list supplemented with fresh food grown nearby. Explore winter CSAs using the Northeast Organic Farmers Association of Vermont’s directory. Chefs at local restaurants use what’s in season to craft menus that offer a sense of place; if you’ve been outside all day, a little après is in order at a Vermont eatery.
There’s always more of Vermont to explore, even for locals. Visit every stop on the Vermont Cheese Trail, tour the state on the chocolate trail, visit a winery for a tasting, or participate in a guided brewery tour that takes the driving out of your hands so you can safely savor the experience. The Vermont Brewers Association has put together a handful of beer trails regionally, including one for dog owners. This Vermont checklist will guide you to explore more of your home state.
