Exploring Shelburne Farms

September 05, 2023

Located on the shores of Lake Champlain, in Vermont, USA, Shelburne Farms is a National Historical Landmark. While walking around the estate grounds, you definitely get the feel of a Gilded Age, ornamental farm. The grounds are massive, and very well manicured. I learned that it was originally designed by Frederick Law Olmstead at the behest of its owners, William Seward Webb and Elisa Osgood Vanderbilt.

Mom and I received a map and informational pamphlet at the entrance, and learned that to see all the hotspots, we needed to walk about 4.5 miles. I couldn't believe that there was no entry fee. The farms are an educational nonprofit with a mission to inspire and cultivate learning for a sustainable future.

The Farm Building

We ended up following the advice of the check in guy, and walked towards the massive farm building. It looked like a castle, with its towering turrets and perfect symmetry. Inside the gates we found we were a little early for the bakery, but the woodshop informational center and the kids farm was just opening up. After petting some cows we headed up over the hill towards Lake Champlain.

My mom wanted to spend some time at the vegetable garden and the flower garden, so we hit up both of those on our way to the main house, which is now a huge inn, right on the shore of the lake. The views were just magnificent, and the whole place was very photogenic. I haven't found out how much it costs to stay at the Shelburne Farm Inn, but it must be a pretty penny.

We saw several groups enjoying the end of breakfast service on the back lawn of the inn. We explored a bit of the inside and it reminded me of some of the high end English places in Africa. The library was absolutely amazing, with thousands upon thousands of books.

The weather was gorgeous and sunny, although it did get pretty hot on our walk. We may have been quite sweaty at the end but we both thought it was a great morning of exploring.

Closeup with one of the milking cows.