Freedom and Unity: One Ideal, Many Stories
This award winning exhibit presents a compelling history of the state from the first inhabitants to present day. Visitors can walk through time and experience a full-sized Abenaki wigwam, a recreation of the Catamount Tavern where Ethan Allen’s Green Mountain Boys gathered, a railroad station complete with a working telegraph, and a World War II era living room furnished with period music and magazines.
Lady of the Hills
In 1938, Sergeant at Arms Dwight Dwinell carved a statue of the Roman goddess of agriculture to adorn the dome of the Vermont State House. For 80 years, the statue now known as Ceres II, stood watch over the Capitol before being replaced in 2018. The statue has now been welcomed as the centerpiece of an exhibit at the museum.
Lady of the Hills explores aspects of all three of Vermont’s state house toppers. Remnants of Larkin Mead’s original 1859 statue, carving tools donated by Dwight Dwinell’s family, as well as period photography and information on the current statue are on display in the Governor Richard and Lt. Gov. Barbara Snelling Room, along with the head of Ceres II. The body of the statue will join the exhibit once its conservation & stabilization is complete. The exhibit is complemented by an installation of 19th century portraiture and paintings from the VHS collections.
Innovation in Vermont
Over the centuries, Vermonters have taken advantage of new technology, developed their own individual solutions to problems, and participated in international conversations about solutions to seemingly intractable problems.
Snelling Room
The Richard and Barbara Snelling Room of the Vermont History Museum houses a collection of portraits and landscape paintings reflecting the 18h and 19th century history of the Capital Region. Artwork is hung in a traditional, 19th century, salon style reminiscent of the early years of the Vermont Historical Society.
Art
The finest art included in our collection ranges from classical portraiture to advertisements and shows how Vermoners both wanted to see themselves and wanted others to see them. This collection includes paintings, sculptures, works on paper, and folk art.
Costumes and Accessories
The costume collection ranges from 18th century undergarments to modern face masks. It includes clothing at the height of fashion, and work clothes mended and and patched until almost nothing remained.
Military, Weapons, and Firearms
The militaria includes objects used during wartime as well as presentation weapons and general firearms. The particularly robust collections of Civil War and World War II materials, honors the sacrifice of Vermonters past and present.
Vermont Black History Database
The Vermont Black History Database is a project of the Vermont Historical Society to make the the study of Black History in our state more accessible. The database highlights black people and places that made an impact on the history, culture, and landscape of our state. The database is meant to be a starting place, a guide to further study and exploration.
Women’s History Database
The Vermont History Project began in April 2004 under the auspices of the Vermont Commission on Women. After background development and research, it began its public work in March 2005. Its mission was was o promote the understanding of the diverse experiences of women in Vermont history, and by doing so create a new perspective on history and culture that would have a positive effect on society’s perceptions of women. Over the years, the database was updated and streamlined several times as it migrated platforms. In the summer of 2020, it was revised and updated again as part of the celebrations for the centennial of women’s suffrage.
The museum is handicap accessible and has a gift shop for unforgettable souvenirs.