Discover Castleton through two distinct highlights: the village’s historic architecture and the cultural offerings on campus. When planning your trip, it helps to distinguish building history from events with specific dates. That way, you can tailor your stay to the subject that interests you most.
Historic Streets and Collections
The historic Main Street is a mile long, shaded by trees and lined with historic houses. Most of these houses were built between 1800 and 1840. The houses and public buildings of Castleton Village are in the Federal and Greek Revival styles; almost the entire village is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Higley House was built in 1810 and 1811. It features antiques, furnishings donated by local families, and artifacts relating to early sports, agriculture, trade and commerce. There are also six historic carriages made locally. Check before your trip to see which items are currently on display.
The history of the Old Cobbler Shop is also connected to local museums: the Castleton Historical Society acquired the building in 1947 and converted it into its first museum in 1954. The annual Castleton Colonial Day Historic House Tour includes more than a dozen sites in the village. If you would like to plan your trip around it, check the event date in advance.
Campus Culture and Events
Built in 1821, the Castleton Medical College Chapel still stands on the campus of Castleton State College. The campus is also home to the Casella Theater in the Fine Arts Center; it is the venue for Vermont State Castleton. Theater productions, concerts and special events take place there throughout the year.
VTSU Castleton Theatre Arts students put on four productions each academic year: a Mainstage musical in the fall, a Mainstage play in the spring, and one Black Box production each in the fall and spring. Check performance dates for your travel dates. This means the student theater program is spread across the fall and spring, while the outdoor pavilion hosts a concert series every summer.
The Christine Price Gallery on the Castleton campus features rotating exhibitions of student art as well as traveling exhibitions by nationally renowned artists. Other campus features include a snowboard park and a skatepark.
Planning Your Trip and Accommodation
You can take the Ethan Allen Express from Castleton train station. As schedules may change, check the connection for your travel dates. This ensures your rail plans are based on your actual travel date.
For a particular performance or the annual Historic House Tour, the event date is key; a stay focused on architecture, on the other hand, can be planned around the historic houses and when they were built. If the exhibitions at the Higley House are part of your plans, check in advance which items are currently on view.
Discover more destinations: Shrewsbury, Brandon, Chittenden, Rutland, Danby, Killington, Mendon.
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