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Shelburne Museum - Shelburne, Vermont

Shelburne Museum is probably the number one "must-see" attraction in the State of Vermont. Over the past decades, school field trips from all around the area have journeyed to this wonderful museum. The S. S. Ticonderoga and the adjacent Colchester Reef lighthouse are easily two of the most impressive attractions. The lighthouse was built in 1871, dismantled and moved to the Shelburne Museum in 1952.

The steamship S.S. Ticonderoga is a fully restored, side-wheel passenger steamer built in 1906 and moved to the Shelburne Museum grounds in 1955. When visiting the museum, you can buy a DVD or tape that shows the Ticonderoga's remarkable final journey from Lake Champlain to it's present location.

When Barns Fly?
Shelburne Museum’s round barn greets visitors the moment they arrive. However, most people have no idea that the enormous, round barn was actually moved there by helicopter in 1985-86. It was built in 1901 by Fred “Silo” Quimby, over 80 miles away in Passumpsic, Vermont. The three story barn is 60 feet tall and 80 feet in diameter. Imagine the site of such as huge structure carried by skycrane helicopter over the hills and valleys of Vermont.

However, the story is not entirely true, despite the fact that many people believe and will stubbornly attest to the fact that they did indeed, see a barn flying over the Green Mountains of Vermont. What they actually saw was just the barn’s silo, which was the round core of the barn. A remarkable feat in itself but not nearly as grandiose as some believe!

The Shelburne Museum even has a resident ghost hiding out at the Dutton House.

Take a look inside Shelburne Museum!
Slide shows:

Shelburne Museum
Owl Cottage Family Activity Center
Electra Havemeyer Webb Memorial Building
Electra Havemeyer Webb Memorial Building
Admission to Shelburne Museum is half-price for Vermont residents, thanks to a generous grant by Lois McClure. With purchase of a full-price ticket, admission for a second consecutive day is free. There is no charge for parking.

Click above to view video
The Electra Havemeyer Webb Memorial Building, built between 1960 and 1967, was constructed of new materials on its present site. Copied in part from a farmhouse in Orwell, Vermont, it is a fine example of fully developed Greek Revival architecture. The interior was designed to accommodate the replication of six rooms from Mr. & Mrs. J. Watson Webb's Manhattan apartment.