Things to Do in Brattleboro, Vermont
The best things to do in Brattleboro, Vermont, are the Brattleboro Museum & Art Center, the First Friday Gallery Walk downtown and the hands-on Estey Organ Museum. Brattleboro is a town of 12,184 people in Windham County, where the West River meets the Connecticut, about 10 miles north of Massachusetts.
In the 1800s Brattleboro was known for its water cure, which ran from 1844 to 1871. It was also home to the Estey Organ Company, one of the largest organ makers in the world. Rudyard Kipling settled here after marrying a local woman in 1892 and wrote The Jungle Book in town.
Brattleboro Museum & Art Center
BMAC opened in 1972 in the town’s old Union Station, after two groups of residents teamed up to save it from demolition. It shows rotating exhibits of contemporary art, plus outdoor art and window displays. Programs range from a yearly LEGO contest to the Sucka Punch Graffiti Jam.
★ Good to know Admission is pay as you wish, and the galleries close between exhibitions, so check the calendar before you go.
First Friday and Gallery Walk
On the first Friday of each month, downtown turns into a block party with galleries open late. Elliot Street closes to cars for a makers’ market with 30-plus artists, and Harmony Lot hosts free live music, food trucks and a beer garden. A printed map leads you to downtown’s murals and public art.
★ Good to know Gallery Walk runs May through December; the Downtown Brattleboro Alliance posts each month’s program online.
Estey Organ Museum
Estey made reed organs, pump organs and pipe organs in Brattleboro for about a century, starting in the 1850s. The museum sits in one of the company’s slate-shingled factory buildings on Birge Street. It’s hands-on, so you’re invited to play the organs.
★ Good to know It’s open weekend afternoons, May through October, and admission is by donation; plan on at least 30 minutes.
Retreat Farm
This 500-acre nonprofit farm conserves forests, fields, trails and waters on the edge of town. You can spend time with the farm animals and walk the trails. The farm market sells Vermont cheese, maple syrup and local drinks, with cheese tastings.
★ Good to know The market is open daily, and the farm hosts free seasonal events like its fall Oktoberfest.
New England Center for Circus Arts
NECCA is a nonprofit circus school that trains professionals and teaches recreational classes. Its Trapezium is a custom-built training space with a 40-foot ceiling. Visitors can try a flying trapeze class or catch a student show.
★ Good to know Classes and shows need advance booking, so look at the schedule before your trip.
Creamery Covered Bridge
Built in 1879, this 80-foot lattice truss bridge is Brattleboro’s last 19th-century covered bridge. It crosses Whetstone Brook in West Brattleboro, about 1.5 miles west of downtown, just south of Route 9. It’s closed to cars, so you can walk through.
★ Good to know It’s a quick stop on the way out Route 9 toward Marlboro.
Also in town
The 1938 Latchis Hotel and Theatre, one of Vermont’s two surviving Art Deco buildings, still hosts films and events, and the Vermont Jazz Center is also in town.
When is the Brattleboro Gallery Walk?
On the first Friday of each month. The season runs May through December, with galleries open late, a makers’ market on Elliot Street and free music in Harmony Lot.
Did Rudyard Kipling live in Brattleboro?
Yes. Kipling settled in Brattleboro after marrying local woman Carrie Balestier in 1892, and he wrote The Jungle Book there.
Is the Brattleboro Museum & Art Center free?
Admission is pay as you wish. The museum is in the old Union Station at 10 Vernon Street and is open Wednesday through Sunday.
What other southern Vermont towns pair with Brattleboro?
Bennington is west across the mountains on Route 9. See our small towns in Vermont for more.
Where to find them
- Brattleboro Museum & Art Center 10 Vernon St., Brattleboro, VT 05301 Website Directions
- First Friday and Gallery Walk Elliot St., Brattleboro, VT 05301 Website Directions
- Estey Organ Museum 110 Birge St., Brattleboro, VT 05301 Website Directions
- Retreat Farm Brattleboro, VT 05301 Website Directions
- New England Center for Circus Arts Brattleboro, VT 05301 Website Directions
- Creamery Covered Bridge Guilford Road at Route 9, West Brattleboro, VT 05301 Website Directions
Plan your trip: for events and current visitor info in Brattleboro, see the official visitor site →
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Where to stay in Brattleboro
Keep exploring
Manchester, VTAbout 30 miles as the crow fliesLincoln's summer home, a mountain toll road and Orvis's hometown.Things to do in Manchester →
Bennington, VTAbout 32 miles as the crow fliesVermont's tallest monument, Grandma Moses and Robert Frost's grave.Things to do in Bennington →
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