Manchester VT: what to see, where to stay and how to get around
Manchester has been a summer resort since the railway arrived in the 1850s, and its most famous guests were the Lincolns. Mary Todd Lincoln stayed at the Equinox during the Civil War, and her son Robert later built Hildene here. The old village, with marble sidewalks and white houses, sits between Mount Equinox and the Battenkill river. This route is mostly short drives, with the summit road last; allow a full day.
A short history of Manchester VT
Manchester was chartered in 1761, at the foot of Mount Equinox. In 1856 the Orvis fishing tackle company was founded here, and its headquarters are still in the town; the nearby Battenkill River became famous for its trout fishing. Robert Todd Lincoln, the only son of President Abraham Lincoln to survive to adulthood, built his summer estate, Hildene, here in 1905 and lived there until his death in 1926. The Equinox hotel has operated in the centre of the town since the late 18th century.
The ten best sights in Manchester VT
1HildeneRobert Todd Lincoln's house and gardens on the edge of town; give it at least two hours
2American Museum of Fly FishingRods, reels and flies of famous anglers, next to the Orvis flagship store
3Southern Vermont Arts CenterGalleries in a hillside mansion with a sculpture park in the woods
4The EquinoxThe grand white-columned hotel in Manchester Village; walk in for the lobby and the history
5Mount Equinox Skyline DriveA private toll road to the summit, open May to October; check the weather, the top is often in cloud
6Dorset QuarryAn old marble quarry filled with water, a famous summer swimming hole 15 minutes north
7Emerald Lake State ParkA small green lake with a beach and boat rentals, 15 minutes north
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8Lye Brook Falls
A forest hike of about 4 hours return to one of the tallest waterfalls in Vermont
9Bennington Battle MonumentA tall stone obelisk 35 minutes south; an elevator takes you to the viewing level
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10Old First Church
A white 1805 church in Old Bennington; Robert Frost is buried in the cemetery behind it
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What is an audio walk?
Tours in Manchester VT →A guide in your headphones: open the walk on our site, walk from stop to stop, and at each one your phone tells its story. No guide, no group, and free. This is the first walk in Manchester VT:
Free walking tours in Manchester VT
The Lincolns' summer town
Manchester has been a summer resort since the railway arrived in the 1850s, and its most famous guests were the Lincolns. Mary Todd Lincoln stayed at the Equinox during the Civil War, and her son Robert later built Hildene here. The old village, with marble sidewalks and white houses, sits between Mount Equinox and the Battenkill river. This route is mostly short drives, with the summit road last; allow a full day.
- The Equinox · Parts of the hotel go back to 1769, when it was the Marsh Tavern, where Vermont patriots met during the Revolution. Mary Todd Lincoln stayed here in 1864 and planned to return with her husband in the summer of 1865, a visit his death prevented.
- Manchester Village · The sidewalks of the old village are paved with slabs of local marble, quarried a few kilometres up the valley. Burr and Burton Academy, on the hill above, has taught the valley's children since 1829.
- Hildene · Robert Todd Lincoln, the only one of Abraham Lincoln's children to live to adulthood, built this house in 1905 after his mother's stays in Manchester. In the entrance hall stands a 1908 Aeolian pipe organ with about 1,000 pipes that still plays.
- Orvis Flagship Store · Charles F. Orvis founded his fly-fishing company here in 1856, and it grew into one of the oldest mail-order businesses in America. The Battenkill, which runs past the town, is one of the most famous trout rivers in New England.
- American Museum of Fly Fishing · The museum keeps the fishing tackle of famous anglers, including rods and flies that belonged to American presidents and writers. Alongside the gear are fly-tying benches and paintings, showing the sport as a craft and an art as much as a hobby.
- Mount Equinox Skyline Drive · Mount Equinox is the highest peak of the Taconic Range, and the road climbs about 5 miles to its summit. The mountain belongs to Carthusian monks: their Charterhouse of the Transfiguration on its slope is the only Carthusian monastery in North America, and it is closed to visitors.
Battle, poets and painters
South of Manchester, Route 7A runs down the Battenkill valley to Bennington, where Vermont's founding battle is remembered. Along the way are the grave of a poet and the village of a painter who both found their America in these small towns. It is about 40 km each way on a quiet road. Start at the monument in the morning and come back north along the river.
- Bennington Battle Monument · At 306 feet, about 93 metres, it is the tallest structure in Vermont. It marks the Battle of Bennington of 16 August 1777, when New England militia stopped a British raid sent to seize the supplies stored here; the fighting itself took place just over the border in New York.
- Old First Church · Robert Frost is buried in the churchyard behind this 1805 church. His gravestone carries the line 'I had a lover's quarrel with the world', from one of his own poems.
- Bennington Museum · Grandma Moses began painting seriously in her late seventies and became one of America's best-known folk artists. The museum holds the largest public collection of her work, and the one-room schoolhouse she attended as a girl was moved here.
- Arlington Green Covered Bridge · Norman Rockwell lived in Arlington from 1939 to 1953 and used his neighbours as models for his magazine covers. His studio stood near this green, and many local people still recognise relatives in his paintings.
- Southern Vermont Arts Center · Back up the valley, artists who summered here founded this centre, and its galleries fill Yester House, a mansion on the slope of Mount Equinox. A trail through the woods behind it is lined with sculptures.
- Northshire Bookstore · Back in Manchester, this independent bookshop is one of the largest in New England, with its own small publishing press. Its café upstairs is a good place to read the Frost you just learned about.
Marble, lakes and mountain villages
North and east of Manchester the valley climbs into marble country and the Green Mountains. Old quarries became swimming holes, villages kept their 18th-century inns, and the ski hills turn into summer parks. The loop ends in Weston, a village that looks like a museum and has one of the most famous general stores in New England. Bring swimwear in summer; the whole circuit is about 80 km.
- The Dorset Inn · Dorset grew rich on its marble quarries, and its inn on the green opened in 1796; it claims to be the oldest continuously operating inn in Vermont. Across the green is the Dorset Playhouse, a summer theatre in an old barn-style building.
- Dorset Quarry · Marble has been quarried around Dorset since 1785, when the first commercial marble quarry in the United States opened here. Stone from this quarry went into buildings far away, among them the New York Public Library, and today the flooded pit is a swimming hole where people jump from the marble ledges.
- Emerald Lake State Park · The lake takes its green colour from the marble country around it, the same stone as the Dorset quarries. It is a quiet, cold lake for a swim or a canoe, with a forest campground above it.
- Bromley Mountain · Bromley was founded in 1936 by Fred Pabst Jr., of the Milwaukee brewing family, and it was one of the first ski areas in Vermont. In summer its slopes turn into an adventure park with an alpine slide.
- Weston Playhouse · Weston's small summer theatre, founded in 1935, is the oldest professional theatre in Vermont. The village around its green looks so complete that the whole of it is listed as a historic district.
- Vermont Country Store · Vrest Orton opened the store in 1946, modelled on the general store his father had run. It sells the things America stopped making elsewhere: old-style candy, flannel nightshirts, penny toys and kitchen tools.
Getting to Manchester VT and getting around
- Rutland-Southern Vermont Regional Airport · About 50 minutes north, with small-plane flights to Boston; most visitors fly into Albany, about 1.5 hours away
- Rutland station · The Amtrak Ethan Allen Express runs from here to Albany and New York once a day
- Manchester Center Amtrak bus stop · An Amtrak connecting-coach stop in the town centre; departures are few, so check times and book with Amtrak
Cheap eats in Manchester VT
Southern Vermont eats from its farms: sharp cheddar, maple syrup, apple cider doughnuts in autumn and local craft beer. Manchester has more choice than most small towns because of its shoppers and skiers, from bakeries and delis to inn dining rooms. For a picnic, buy a deli sandwich and take it to the quarry or the lake. Prices are in US dollars, and a tip of 18-20% is expected at any table with service.
- Up for Breakfast · A small upstairs breakfast room, pancakes and eggs about $12-18
- Little Rooster Cafe · Breakfast and lunch in a small café, about $10-16
- Al Ducci's Italian Pantry · Italian deli with fresh mozzarella and big sandwiches, about $10-15
- Mother Myrick's Confectionery · Fudge, chocolates and cakes, a slice or a box about $4-15
Museums in Manchester VT
- Hildene · House, gardens, a restored Pullman car and a goat dairy
- American Museum of Fly Fishing · Tackle, art and history of the sport; an hour
- Southern Vermont Arts Center · Changing exhibitions and a sculpture trail
- Bennington Museum · Grandma Moses, Bennington pottery and Vermont history
- Bennington Battle Monument · The lift to the top and a small exhibit on the battle
Nature and day trips near Manchester VT
- Lye Brook Falls · A gentle climb through forest to a tall waterfall
- Emerald Lake State Park · Swimming, canoes and a lakeside trail
- Dorset Quarry · Swimming among marble blocks in summer
- Mount Equinox Skyline Drive · Summit views over four states on a clear day
- Equinox Pond · A quiet pond at the foot of Mount Equinox with trails up the lower slopes
Things to do in Manchester VT with kids
- Bromley Mountain · Alpine slide and adventure park in summer, ski school in winter
- Hildene · Goats in the dairy barn and trails through the meadows
- Orvis Flagship Store · Free casting practice at the ponds, and big trout to look at
- Emerald Lake State Park · Calm beach and paddle boats
- Vermont Country Store · Old-time candy and toys to fill a bag
Where to eat in Manchester VT
- Dorset Playhouse · Summer plays by the Dorset Theatre Festival; book ahead
- Taconic Hotel · Bar and restaurant in the hotel near the village, about $20-35
- Gringo Jack's · Tex-Mex and margaritas, about $15-25
- The Equinox · A drink in the historic Marsh Tavern room of the hotel
- Silver Fork · Small chef's restaurant, book ahead; mains about $30-45
Frequently asked questions about Manchester VT
What is there to see in Manchester VT?
The top sights in Manchester VT are Hildene, American Museum of Fly Fishing and Southern Vermont Arts Center. The full list on this page has 10 sights, each with a photo and a short note.
How many days do you need in Manchester VT?
Three to four days are enough to see the best of Manchester VT without rushing, including at least one walking tour.
Is there a free walking tour in Manchester VT?
Yes. sleepntrip has 3 free audio walks in Manchester VT, with no guide and no group: your phone tells the story at every stop. The first one: The Lincolns' summer town.
How do you get to Manchester VT and get around?
The main ways are Rutland-Southern Vermont Regional Airport, Rutland station and Manchester Center Amtrak bus stop. Full details are in the transport section on this page.
Where to stay in Manchester VT, and for how much?
sleepntrip shows only rooms in Manchester VT that meet nine conditions: a good location, high guest scores, cleanliness, and a price of up to $80 a night for two. Pick your dates and see what is free.
Looking for a hotel in Manchester VT for your dates?
Only rooms that meet nine conditions, up to $80 a night.