Situated on the scenic shores of Lake Champlain, in northern Vermont, is the vibrant city of Burlington. This city has a nice blend of small town charm and urban city excitement and while it is Vermont’s largest city, it is still relatively small with just over 40,000 people. Burlington Vermont is a great place to spend a few days with its waterfront activities, iconic marketplace and amazing dining options.
From its iconic Marketplace to its picturesque Waterfront Park and the surrounding areas, Burlington offers lots of fun and interesting things to do in any season. Summer and Fall are the most popular but it is also a nice winter escape with its close proximity to ski resorts. The city is only 90 minutes from Montreal, Quebec so you may want to bring along your passport.
We spent 2 days exploring the area during July and had a wonderful time. Here are our top picks on some family fun things to do.
Explore Church Street Marketplace
A visit to Burlington, Vermont would not be complete without a trip to its famous Church Street Marketplace. This quaint, brick lined promenade is lined with lots of little shops and restaurants and we really enjoyed spending the afternoon shopping.
As we walked around it reminded me of a mini version of Boston’s Faneuil Hall with its unique shops, open-air dining, street performers and public art displays.
Since we were within walking distance, we stopped by several times and made a point to visit Lake Champlain Chocolates to satisfy our chocolate craving and grabbed an ice cream from Ben & Jerry’s.
At night, the Marketplace was pretty quiet with many restaurants not serving food after 9:00 PM or 10:00 PM.
Check out Burlington’s Public Art
While wandering about the Marketplace, you are sure to see the life size statue of the popular local jazz artist Big Joe Burrell. This is only one of many public art displays you will find at the marketplace as well as throughout the city.
While walking along the brick walkway, be on the lookout for the bricks engraved with international city names. This is part of a public art project called Earth Line. Burlington Vermont is unique in that it is the only city that falls directly on the Earth Line which is the longitudinal line at W73° 13.
The international city names you find scattered throughout, including Boston and New York, are those cities closest to the longitude of the Earth Line. Visit the Church Street Marketplace website for more information on this and other interesting public art you will see at the Marketplace.
Visit Waterfront Park
Just a few blocks downhill from the Church Street Marketplace is Waterfront Park, where you will be greeted with magnificent views of Lake Champlain and the Adirondack Mountains of New York. This area is bustling with activity with people walking and biking along the promenade.
Get Out on Lake Champlain
Just as we arrived, the Spirit of Ethan Allen Ferry was about to head out for a Sunset cruise so we bought tickets and jumped aboard.
The 2 1/2 hour ferry tour took us around the lake and over to the New York side while we enjoyed a beautiful sunset on the cruise back into dock. Food and drinks are served a-la-carte but there is a dinner option where you can have reserved seating in some of the prime viewing spots.
For a more intimate experience, you may want to consider a cruise on one of the sail boats which are located at the same dock or rent a canoe or kayak at the Community Boathouse adjacent to the dock.
Fun Facts About Lake Champlain
- The oldest known coral reef in the world is located in Lake Champlain off the coast of the Isle La Motte. While Chazy Reef is no longer alive, there are fossils over 480 million years old which remain. The reef was named a National Natural Landmark in 2009.
- Folklore has it there is a mysterious lake creature, similar to the Loch Ness Monster, that still lurks below the waters. Over the centuries, many alleged sightings have been recorded of Champ, the Lake Champlain Monster. Today, Champ is protected by law and is considered Lake Champlain’s mascot whether he exists or not.
Eat at a Floating Restaurant
Adjoined to the boathouse is Splash, a floating restaurant, where you can enjoy some casual eats while overlooking Lake Champlain.
Try a Creemee
While you’re in Burlington, be sure to try a Creemee (That’s what Vermonters call soft serve ice cream). Vermont’s signature maple flavor which is the best!
Visit Shelburne Farm
Shelburne, the next town over from Burlington, has several fun things to do. We decided to visit Shelburne Farm, where we were pleasantly surprised to find a beautiful 1400 acre farm with a network of walking trails that meandered through pastures, fields and woodlands.
While the store was not open to visitors for browsing, a sampling of their homemade cheddar cheese, maple syrup and other items were available for purchase at the windows.
Shelburne Farm has a variety of walking trails that you can take. Depending on the route you choose, you’ll have the chance to go past several buildings on this working farm.
We choose one of the longer trails which took us past the Farm Barn where we got to see how cheddar cheese is made and the Coach Barn where educational workshops are held. We were also able to take a walk through the Formal Gardens at the Shelburne Inn, the original lakeside estate, which provided stunning views of the Lake Champlain.
Watch the Sunset at Oakledge Park
Oakledge Park is a hidden gem just a few miles from Waterfront Park and the perfect place to watch the sunset. When you arrive, look for the path near the playground which leads to the lake and you’ll find an outcropping of rock ledges where you can sit and enjoy the waves or take a dip in the lake. On the other side of the park there is also a small beach.
This spot was a spectacular place to watch the sunset and one of the highlights of our trip.
Insider Tip: When we arrived, the parking lot was very full and we were lucky to grab the last spot so you may want to get there early. There is a parking kiosk so don’t forget to pay for parking or you may end up with a ticket like we did!
Hit the Bike Trails
Biking your way around Burlington is a great way to explore the city and one of the most popular activities to do when visiting.
The Island Line Trail is a 14 mile bike path that runs along the waterfront providing stunning views of Lake Champlain and the Adirondack Mountains. Commonly known as the Burlington Bike Path, it is actually the combination of the Burlington Greenway Bike Path and the Colchester Causeway.
Burlington Greenway Bike Path: An 8 mile paved trail that runs along the waterfront beginning in Oakledge Park to the Winooski RIver.
Colchester Causeway: This gravel trail runs through the middle of Lake Champlain was once the old Rutland Railroad. To follow the trail through to South Hero, you will need to take a quick ferry ride to bypass the cut in the road.
Biking the Colchester Causeway was very high on our bucket list but it almost didn’t happen due to the weather and our limited time.
We went to Local Motion located near Waterfront Park to rent bikes and learned it was an 8 mile ride (16 mile round-trip) just to get to the Colchester Causeway from the bike shop. Since we were leaving that day, we only had a few hours so that was not going to work for us. Instead, we found Burlington Segway and were able to rent bikes and pick them up right in Colchester, a couple blocks from the start of the causeway at Airport Park.
The bikes we rented were E-Bikes which means they are pedal-assisted, making it even easier for us to cover ground quickly. While a little more expensive than a standard bike day rental, we thought they were well worth it and a lot of fun.
Riding the causeway was truly an amazing experience. It was an easy, flat ride which had some outlets to stop along the way to take pictures.
Towards the end is what they call the “Cut”, an opening in the causeway to allow boats to sail through. A Bike Ferry operated by Local Motion will shuttle you across the cut (seasonally) to continue on to South Hero Island for a suggested donation of $10.
We had planned to grab lunch on the island but just our luck the restaurant we planned to go to was closed that day. Instead, we headed back which turned out to be a good decision since it started raining just as we reached Airport Park.
Mission accomplished!
Check out University of Vermont
Burlington is home to the University of Vermont (UVM), which helps contribute to its lively atmosphere. With a rising senior in the car, taking a drive through the UVM campus was a must before we left Burlington.
Visit Ben & Jerry’s Factory
On our way back to Massachusetts, we couldn’t resist stopping at Ben & Jerry’s flagship factory in Waterbury for some ice cream before the long ride home.
While we were there, we were lucky to catch a trial run of a new outdoor tour of the Flavor Graveyard. This tour was quite interesting and gave some insight into how flavors end up in the graveyard and how they can be resurrected. I made it a point to give them great feedback so hopefully these tours will continue.
There are lots of things to do here besides sampling the numerous pop culture flavors of ice cream. You can roam the grounds to find the time-capsule, get your picture on a cover of Half Baked, visit the gift shop for souvenirs or make your own tie-dye shirts to take home.
Just remember, this is a popular stop and you will likely need to spend some time in line at the Scoop Shop to get your ice cream but it will definitely be worth it.
The Bottom Line
Burlington is a lively destination with a thriving arts scene, great shopping, incredible dining options and cool local breweries. This quaint little town located on the shores of Lake Champlain has a beautiful waterfront park with community boathouse. Its extensive bike trails take you along the shore and connects to the Colchester Causeway. Neighboring Shelburne offers several fun day trips to round off your stay. Visit Burlington any time of year and you are certain to find something fun to do while you are there.
Have you been to Burlington, Vermont? What is your favorite thing to do in this quaint city in Northern Vermont?
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