Montpelier, VT - On Saturday, May 25, seven Vermont state-owned historic sites will open their doors for the 2019 season. This exceptional collection of sites is comprised of more than 80 historic structures and hundreds of acres of forest and farmland.
“These sites house impressive museum collections and feature educational exhibits that chronicle the story of our region beginning with the first inhabitants who settled the area approximately 9,000 years ago,” said Vermont State Historic Preservation Officer Laura V. Trieschmann. “Historic sites across the state, including prehistoric camps, Revolutionary War sites, and the homes of U.S. Presidents all shed light on the remarkable history of Vermont.”
Sites Opening May 25
- President Calvin Coolidge – Plymouth, Vermont
- Opening day at the President Calvin Coolidge State Historic Site in Plymouth Notch will also mark the opening of the special exhibit Presidential Menagerie: The Coolidges and Their Pets. This exhibit tells noteworthy and often humorous stories surrounding the menagerie of domestic pets and exotic animals that made their home at the White House during the Coolidge presidency. This exhibit is funded through a grant from the Alma Gibbs Donchian Foundation.
- Chimney Point – Addison, Vermont
- For the 2019 International Year of the Salmon, Chimney Point State Historic Site in Addison will be hosting Salmon and People in a Changing World. This traveling exhibit from the Lake Champlain Basin Program and Champlain Valley National Heritage Partnership explores the successful reintroduction of the Atlantic Salmon into Lake Champlain.
- Old Constitution House – Windsor, Vermont
- This year’s temporary exhibit, Curator’s Choice, opens June 15. The Old Constitution House has been collecting rare and unusual items from the Windsor, Vermont, region for more than a century. This special exhibit highlights some of our favorite pieces in the collection, a few of which have never been publicly shown.
Other sites opening May 25 include Hubbardton Battlefield in Hubbardton, Justin Morrill Homestead in Strafford, Mount Independence in Orwell, and Eureka Schoolhouse in Springfield.
More than seventy public events and programs are scheduled this season at Vermont’s State Historic Sites. Highlights include:
- 4th of July Presidential Birthday Celebration at the President Calvin Coolidge State Historic Site.
- Revolutionary War Encampment at the Hubbardton Battlefield on July 6 and 7.
- 5K Road Race and Bennington Battle Day Weekend celebrations at the Bennington Battle Monument on August 17 and 18.
- ‘Soldiers Atop the Mount’ at Mount Independence on August 31 and September 1.
- 19th Century Apple & Cheese Festival at the Senator Justin S. Morrill State Historic Site on September 29.
Events, activities, and programs have been planned for all ages and levels of interest. For further information and event listings, visit us online at www.historicsites.vermont.gov and like us on Facebook at Vermont State Historic Sites. We can be reached by phone at 802-828-3051. The Vermont State Owned Historic Sites are Where History Happened.
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