7 Offbeat Vermont Towns To Visit In 2025

Vermont is often typecast as the state famous for its maple syrup, fall foliage, and covered bridges. While that’s certainly true of the Green Mountain State, nestled in the rolling hills and sharp mountains of Vermont are fun, funky, and offbeat towns. They offer unique attractions often reserved for Route 66, like North America’s Largest Zipper in Barre or the endearing canine paradise of Dog Mountain in St. Johnsbury. From funky artist communities to offbeat castles in the heart of the Green Mountains, prepare for the unexpected in Vermont.

Waterbury

There are plenty of reasons to visit Waterbury, the small hamlet nestled in the heart of the Green Mountains. Whether you want to hike the rolling hills of Kenneth Ward Park or take in panoramic views atop Mt. Hunger, there is no shortage of fantastic views in Waterbury. But what makes Waterbury so special is the Ben and Jerry’s factory! Don’t see your favorite flavor at their shop? You can also pay your final respects to retired flavors at the Ben and Jerry’s Flavor Graveyard.

But ice cream isn’t the only sweet treat that puts this quirky hamlet on the map! In central Waterbury, there are a myriad of unique cafes and bakeries to add a few inches to your waistline. Aside from Waterbury’s ice cream scene, you will also find the iconic Cold Hollow Cider Mill. You can stock up on sweets to take home, like real Vermont maple syrup. But no trip to the cider mill is complete without devouring one of their famous cider donuts!

Danville

The isolated village of Danville is pure New England charm at its finest. With heavily wooded horizons dotted with church steeples and covered bridges, it’s a beautiful place to stay for a long weekend. What makes Danville unique (and well worth the long drive to get there) is the Great Vermont Corn Maze. Sprawling over 24 acres, it’s the largest corn maze in New England! It takes around three chaotic hours to complete, but it could take a little longer if your navigation skills are lacking. And if you visit in spooky season, the maze transforms into the Dead North: Farmland of Terror. Enter at your own risk!

If you manage to escape the corn maze, Danville offers plenty of things to keep you busy during the remaining daylight hours. There’s the Hastings Store, an old-fashioned market that sells everything from baked goods and Vermont maple syrup to used books. Or, if you want to take in the natural beauty of Danville, Joe’s Pond and Joe’s Pond Community Beach provide 396 acres of crystal clear waters for swimming, boating, and hiking along the shoreline.

St. Johnsbury

Visiting St. Johnsbury is quite the experience! It’s a community that blends opulent Victorian architecture with oddball attractions that feel more like a stop along Route 66 rather than a grandiose New England village. One of the best attractions in St. Johnsbury is Dog Mountain. It’s not a mountain you climb but rather a 150-acre mountaintop estate dedicated to everything dogs. You can roam the sprawling estate with your furry companion or visit Dog Chapel, a rustic New England chapel with dog-themed stained glass and carving.

Yet, Dog Mountain isn’t the strangest attraction in St. Johnsbury. The Fairbanks Museum and Planetarium may look like an opulent Victorian-era estate on the outside, but looks are deceiving. Inside, you’ll find Victorian taxidermy (like two-headed calves and intimidating bears ready to strike), antique toys, and military memorabilia. It also houses Vermont’s only public planetarium. When you’re ready to fill up on comfort food after a long and strange day, Anthony's Diner is the perfect spot to fill up before your drive home.

Barre

As the “Granite Center of the World,” Barre has a flair for the unusual. Only in Barre can you see North America’s Largest Zipper. The sculpture, named Unzipping the Earth, sits just outside Studio Place Arts on North Main Street. The iconic granite zippers add to the kitschy vibe of Barre amid local shops like Exile On Main Street and Next Chapter Bookstore. The granite zipper is just an added flourish to accent Barre's biggest attraction: Rock of Ages Granite Quarry.

The quarry, located just south of central Barre, is one of the planet’s largest granite quarries. Although tours of the operational granite quarry have ceased due to safety regulations, you can still visit, though at a safe distance. The magnificent quarry boasts beautiful white granite walls accentuated by an electric blue lake at the base. If you want to learn more about the site, be sure to head to the Vermont Granite Museum in central Barre.

Glover

Secluded in Northern Vermont is Glover, a small, idyllic community with an offbeat and artsy vibe. There is no better example of the avant-garde feeling of Glover than visiting the Bread and Puppet Theater. Founded in 1962, the name tells you everything you need to know! Visitors can dine on bread (symbolizing breaking bread with the community) and watch strange, sometimes politically motivated plays by giant cardboard and paper-mâché puppets in a folksy outdoor setting. If you want to learn more about the theater and see some of the older puppets on display, be sure to check out the Bread and Puppet Museum.

If you want to take in the natural beauty of Glover, Runaway Pond is a peaceful location with a unique history. In 1810, the residents of Glover tried to redirect water away from Long Pond but instead emptied it into the Barton River Valley. Today, the small pond is located amid the rolling countryside of the Black Hills, serving as a solemn testament to how humans shouldn’t intervene with nature.

Proctor

In Western Vermont, far removed from the noise and traffic of bustling New England cities is the small community of Proctor. Nestled between the Taconic Range and the Green Mountains, it offers classic New England charm with its covered bridges, tall church steeples, and cozy diners like Franklin's. While most of Proctor is modest, the Wilson Castle stands in stark contrast, making Proctor a slightly offbeat Vermont destination.

The Wilson Castle, built in 1867, has quite an eclectic architectural style. It blends classic Victorian with Scottish Baronial, Dutch Neo-Renaissance, and Queen Anne seamlessly into an unusual and breathtaking structure. There truly isn’t anything like it! You can take a self-guided tour of the gardens or head inside to explore its opulent (and slightly spooky) 32-room estate. As a former marble-mining town, another site worth checking out while in Proctor is the Historic Marble Bridge at Otter Creek. Built in 1915, the bridge pays tribute to Proctor’s once-thriving marble heritage.

Stowe

The small village of Stowe is famous for its skiing. Located near Vermont’s highest peak, Mount Mansfield, it’s the perfect spot to hit the slopes. The Stowe Mountain Resort is a great spot to take advantage of its modern lifts and some 485 acres of skiable terrain. In the summer, visitors can hike the heavily shaded trails of Cady Hill Forest or earn panoramic views of the area at the top of Stowe Pinnacle.

However, what makes Stowe a little unusual is the Austrian-inspired lodging at the Von Trapp Family Lodge and Resort. Founded by the von Trapp family (known from The Sound of Music), the resort utilizes Austrian-inspired architecture to make visitors feel like they’re on a European vacation in the heart of the Green Mountains.

Experience Vermont's Quirky Corners in 2025

There’s no denying that Vermont is the ideal place to breathe in the fresh mountain air and visit rustic New England villages with their covered bridges and fresh farmer’s markets. But if you want something a little unexpected, these locations will not disappoint! Only in Vermont can you attend a Bread and Puppet Theater in Glover or hit the slopes in an Austrian-inspired resort in Stowe. When you long for the quirky vibes of Route 66 stops without leaving New England, be sure to add these offbeat cities to your 2025 Vermont road trip!