Shelburne, Vermont is a beautiful place to visit. We had family that lived there for years, and we enjoyed spending quite a bit of time there. Shelburne has a lot of great family friendly activities, and there is plenty to do nearby or for day trips.
Shelburne Farms
Shelburne Farms is such a great place to check out, and there is plenty to do for people of all ages. For younger kids, you can wander the property and visit the farm animals. This historic farm is a great place to learn about agriculture and sustainability. There are many activities and events throughout the year, including tours, workshops, and festivals.
There are also camps, programs, tours of the cheesemaking facility, seasonal sleigh rides, and much more.
Photo credit: Orah Moore via ShelburneFarms.org
Vermont Teddy Bear Factory
The VT Teddy Bear Factory can be expensive, but makes for a nice special occasion idea. You can do a tour of the factory, grab a bite to eat, and shop there. There is a nice outdoor area to enjoy as well.
Shelburne Museum
This unique museum has an extensive collection of art, Americana, and folk art. The museum is spread over 45 acres and has many exhibits that offer an insight into the history of the area. This may be less suited for younger kids if they don’t have much of an attention span for historical things.
Shopping & Farmer’s Market
There are some cute shops in downtown Shelburne, like the Shelburne Country Store, the Flying Pig book store, and other shops.
There is also a great outdoor farmer’s market during the warmer months. My kids always enjoyed treats and lemonades, and we would always get delicious breads and veggies to enjoy later.
Orchards
Shelburne is known for its apple orchards, and there are many orchards in the area that offer apple picking during the fall season. The orchard is a fun place to visit especially during apple picking season. It is nice to have that Vermont fall experience and make memories going to the orchard to pick apples and shop for local items.
Parks and outdoor spaces
There are a variety of things to do outdoors in Shelburne. There are numerous hiking trails in the area that offer beautiful views of the surrounding mountains. The Lake Champlain area provides excellent opportunities for water sports, including kayaking and canoeing. Lake Champlain is also a popular spot for fishing, and there are many charters and fishing guides in the area.
Enjoy a Maple Creemee
While you are in Shelburne, you can find a Maple Creemee (a maple soft-serve ice cream). There are different shops where you can get these. A cute place we have enjoyed buying these are at the Shelburne Country Store (29 Falls Road). The whole family loves these treats!
Take a scenic drive
The area around Shelburne is known for its scenic beauty, and there are plenty of routes for a leisurely drive through the countryside.
Lots to do just outside Shelburne
Just outside of Shelburne, there are lots more things to do. The Burlington area has so much to see and do, as well as visiting the lake, heading south to Mt. Philo or Charlotte. Church Street is a pedestrian street in Burlington that is great for shopping, dining, and more. There are lots of spots to sit and enjoy the sights, and also plenty nearby to explore as well.
How fun! We’d love to explore the orchards. Vermont is so pretty!
My favorite picks are the farmers market and apple picking. I need to travel here.
It is so beautiful there and I would love to go this summer 😉 The North east is a beautiful place and those apples and the ice cream look amazing!
Well, I would have to go visit the teddy bear farm and that beautiful farm in the picture. Lovely.
I’ve never been to Vermont before. Looks like some great things to do there though. I hope to go someday.
I’d love to visit this area. There are so many great things to do. But I really want to try the maple frozen treat.
This is a great overview of the area and gave me some excellent ideas for my next family trip. I particularly appreciated your recommendations for Shelburne Farms, the Vermont Teddy Bear Factory, and the Green Mountain Sugar Shack. Your descriptions of each activity were detailed and informative, and I can’t wait to check them out for myself.
These all seem like such fun ideas! I’d love to go apple picking 🙂
I’ve never been to Vermont. A good friend of mine used to live there and always talks about how beautiful it is. I’d love to visit!
Wow! What a really awesome and fun ideas you have here! I’d love to visit this wonderful place
It looks like Shelburne, VA. would be such a lovely place to visit!!
I’ve heard Vermont is such a beautiful area to visit. This looks like a great place to spend time. I’ll be saving this list for when I can finally make it there!
It sounds like a fun place to visit! I think we would enjoy the Teddy Bear factory the most.
Oh my, that Maple Creemee looks so delicious 😍. There are so many things to do in Shelburne, wow! I would love to visit this place someday 😍.
Oh wow! I would love to visit and stay in this kind of place! Thanks for sharing it.
Shelburne can be a fun filled weekend outdoor trip. Perfect for family outing. Kids will love this place.
Fall is our favorite season and apple orchards will be the main reason to visit this place. The kids love harvesting apples.
It sounds like a really great place to go! Wow so many fun things!
I loved the article about family activities in Shelburne, Vermont! The suggestions were unique and inspiring, and the photos were beautiful. Can’t wait to visit and try some of these out!
Sounds like there are lots of lovely family friendly activities to do in Shelburne.id love to visit the orchards and try some maple creemme.
Apple picking is fun. Fruit picking in general is fun, even strawberries but you have to be careful what you wear with that one because everything gets stained. Still fun though. 🙂
I visited Burlington years ago and fell in love with Vermont then.. definitely need to visit again
What a cute and fun idea for family! I bet they’d have a blast making these!
This is a great trip for me as we love a good road trip and everything I am seeing in these pics is right up my alley 😉 Love good ice cream and apple picking is always the best! It is just stunningly beautiful there too!
omg take me to Vermont now!!! I would love to spend a few months there exploring it, so beautiful.