The Vermont Archaeology Heritage Center is open Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9:00am-4:00pm or by appointment. If you need assistance regarding collections or archives curated at VAHC, please contact Jess Robinson at jess.robinson@vermont.gov.
VAHC, with the primary center located in Barre, serves as the central warehouse for artifacts and archives of Vermont’s past. The center is open to the public to explore our 13,000 years of history through exhibits, workshops, and lectures. The collection is currently based on more than 750 known archaeological sites, with reports and artifacts available to qualified researchers. The VAHC shares space with the Vermont History Center & Leahy Library in the historic Spaulding Graded School, making it a wonderful destination for anyone interested in the people, stories and materials of Vermont’s heritage. Founded in 2006, VAHC is funded through legislation created in 2009 and through a partnership with VTrans (Amended 2009, No. 47 § 4).
A secondary center is located at the Mount Independence State Historic Site in Orwell. This western center holds the artifact collection and archival sources from the archaeological investigations conducted by the Vermont Division for Historic Preservation and the Vermont Agency of Transportation at Mount Independence and Chimney Point State Historic Site in Addison. The western center is not yet open to the public for research.
Mission Statement: As the publicly funded repository for archaeological collections from federal and state compliance projects and private individuals, the Vermont Archaeology Heritage Center (VAHC) holds its collections in trust for the public. VAHC is committed to enhancing understanding of Vermont's human past through stewardship, education, research, public outreach and volunteer programs.