Saint Johnsbury can be explored through several clearly distinct interests: art and the library, the town’s history, public arts events, and experiences in nature and on trails. The range extends from the combination of a library and art gallery to exhibitions, a cemetery tour, and views in the Town Forest. As you plan, you can decide whether you would rather focus on art, local history, or outdoor trails. The offerings differ both in subject and in format.

Art and Local History

The St. Johnsbury Athenaeum is a private, nonprofit public library and art gallery in Saint Johnsbury. If you are weighing art against local history, the Athenaeum, with its library and gallery, offers a different focus from the St. Johnsbury History and Heritage Center. Its permanent and changing exhibitions cover the history of Saint Johnsbury, including the people and industries that shaped the region.

The tour of Mount Pleasant Cemetery includes more than 70 short stories. Alongside the Heritage Center’s exhibitions, it offers a different way to explore local history: a tour at a specific cemetery site in Saint Johnsbury. The difference is clear when choosing: exhibitions about the region’s people and industries versus a tour featuring many short stories.

Catamount Arts in Saint Johnsbury is a year-round center offering classes, productions, and public arts events. It also includes a regional box office, an event center, a gallery, and a cinema. Its scope therefore extends beyond a single type of event; individual offerings vary. In contrast to exhibitions focused on local history, Catamount Arts centers on a broad range of public arts and cultural formats.

Planetarium and Butterflies

The Lyman Spitzer Jr. Planetarium offers tours of the cosmos and is located in Saint Johnsbury. The Shippee Family Eye Care Butterfly House, which is associated with the Fairbanks Museum in Saint Johnsbury, offers a different focus: it features a living collection of native butterflies and their host plants. The offerings also differ in format: guided tours of the cosmos on the one hand, and a living collection of native butterflies and their host plants on the other.

Trails and Views

The trail network in the St. Johnsbury Town Forest offers views back toward town and along the Moose River. Another named trail section is Three Rivers Transportation Path & Lamoille Valley Rail Trail Phase 1A. It runs from the Three Rivers Bike Path on Mont Vernon Street to Chanel Drive on the other side of Joe’s Pond in West Danville. While the Town Forest is characterized by its views, Phase 1A is defined by these endpoints. As you plan, you can consider different trail experiences.

First, consider whether you mainly want to plan for culture and local history, or whether you would also like to make time for outdoor trails.

Discover more destinations: Waterford, Lyndon.

For the broader travel overview: Caledonia.