When we were visiting Ticonderoga two weekends ago, we made a day trip to Shelburne, Vermont. This was my second trip and Erika’s first visit, but there’s much to see at the Shelburne Museum that, even after two visits, I haven’t seen it all. We were so excited about our visit that we didn’t let a little rain get us down either.
While we were in town, we ended our afternoon with a delicious lunch at Folino’s pizza and fantastic beer from the neighboring Fiddlehead Brewery. Folino’s and Fiddlehead share a building and are just down the street from the museum.
The unique two-lane covered bridge is a must-see. It was built over 150 years ago, and moved to the museum not long after its 100th birthday. At 168 feet long, it’s impressive inside and out. We took shelter from the rain for quite a while, climbing on and admiring the bridge construction.
Erika and I are always casually collecting (or talking about collecting) rail miles, so we were excited to see the railroad displays, including a luxury dining and sleeping car, a train station, and the telegraph office. Locomotive 220 pulled the trains of four presidents before retiring to the Vermont country at Shelburne.
Unfortunately, we didn’t have time to explore the lighthouse up close, but it’s incredible to see it from afar as a beacon in the middle of the museum grounds.
My favorite stop at the museum, and the place where we spent the most time, is aboard the Ticonderoga. The restored steamboat was originally built in Shelburne before it cruised Lake Champlain, and it came home to Shelburne to be dry docked on the museum grounds. The elegant details onboard make you long for the time when every detail was handcrafted. We were blown away by the brass sconces and incredible woodwork – especially the doors that were curved to fit the rounded ship walls.
There’s so much more to learn, so visit Shelburne Museum, and in the meantime, read more about all of the transportation stops at on their website.
The Junk Drunk 
Wonderful photos, Cathy!