Top 16 things to do and attractions in Barre

An unexpected gem! By chance I'd visited during the artists' open house and was able to meet and speak with many of the creators. Great pieces throughout, including one interactive piece that makes anyone an artist! A must visit.

We enjoyed the treasure hunt called "I Spy in the Galery". The attendant had just the right rapport with my granddaughter. It was a very pleasant visit.

They are very good at teaching different firms of art I improved beyond belief for myself in just a 6week course

What a gem in Barre! Our daughter loves taking classes/camps.

Super fun space to enjoy some escape time away from everyday life

Want a studio here someday! The lighting is amazing

Nice place to chill and take in the beauty

Great venue. Large and roomy but still small enough to be an intimate setting with the performers. I can't believe that was my first time there! I will be attending more shows now that I know how great it is!

Lovely location, and well-publicized! Clearly the community cares about this place and the arts.

Totally awesome! Easy to locate, pretty good parking options and very helpful associates.

I would describe the experience only as: Ohio. (Great) The seats are more comfortable than a family heirloom velvet puffy quality recliner. The sound system is quite frankly, skibidi! (Good) All in all; I'd give it a livvy Dunn out of Kai cenat! (4/5)

The Opera House is always an amazing experience in such a historical venue. Management is a great job of keeping this place looking and feeling amazing. The upgraded seats from the recent renovations are nicer to sit in as well.

We love going to the Barre Opera House for ballets. The seating area is beautiful, the air conditioning is nice and cool, and the view is good from every spot. There are a number of wheel chair seating locations in the theater and the elevator goes to the main seating, though not to the balcony. Bathrooms are on both levels

Great venue. There is lots of space and decent ac in the summer

Hard to give 5 stars for a cemetery. This one is unique though. A number the monuments are art. Whether one of a kind forms and parting messages or sculptures, one over 100 years old, yet still exquisite craftsmanship. If you're interested in history, art, or one of a kind testimonials of those who have passed into eternity, you need to visit.

We did a slow drive through the Hope Cemetery in Barre, VT. It is really unique with all the interesting granite headstones! The guide said there are 10,090 headstones and no 2 are alike.He gave a very informative talk about the history of the cemetery and some of the most interesting headstones.

What a hoot! I've never made a pit-stop at a cemetery before but this one is unique. Apparently in a town of stone carvers with their own granite quarry, there is some pretty neat artwork in here! I heard about this one on the Atlas Obscura podcast if you want to learn more.

Wow wow wow. Breathtaking and peaceful, definitely worth a stop at this place! We just enjoyed walking through here, would also say it’s a good idea to Google or look up the history of the place while you walk to learn about the people and why it’s significant.

Wonderful experience! Beautiful gravestones with astonishing details. Also several beautiful epitaphs and tributes. Definitely worth spending the afternoon, or even just driving through for a quick look. Highly recommend it!

Excellent stone carving craftsmanship and Barre history. Well maintained cemetery and lovely area for a walk.

A really unique destination for anyone interested in local history and a little bit of world history as well. The Hope cemetery features one of the few memorials to the 1918 pandemic (an event that has gained more currency in 2020). The memorial was unveiled in 1918, a few months before the pandemic hit Barre proper, resulting in hundreds of deaths. Locally, all the headstones are made of granite--a requirement since 1945--and many were carved by Italian craftsman recruited to work at the local Barre granite quarry, who were able to create their own elaborate headstone. Look for the Thomas headstone across from the memorial. Four children in this family died in the November 3-4 1927 flood, the most deadly in Vermont's history. Over 1,200 bridges were destroyed and 84 people died. To get an idea of how severe the floods were, see the high water mark in front of the state house in Montpelier (photo attached).

Nice museum with interesting information about the granite industry in Vermont. Also, it was great to see and hear how a model is turned into a sculpture. I would love to see a slightly more guided approach to the museum aka a path through it. Personally, more technical explanations for tooling and machines would be nice. Tickets are cash only or via an online donation form.

Very well curated museum that tells the history and industry of granite production in Vermont from tools used, labor conditions and immigrant groups that joined the workforce in the early 1900s. Ms. Sue is a knowledgeable and pleasant museum guide that made the visit even more special! Thank you!

We visited the Vermont Granite Museum for a guided tour. It was interesting to hear the history and process of the granite industry and how granite is processed from the quarry into headstones, statues, etc. The 2 gentlemen who did the tour were very knowledgeable and definitely passionate about what they do!

We were fortunate to have arrived in time to catch most of Scott’s tour. He is an amazing wealth of knowledge about the history, use and artistry of granite. The history along with the artists studio are perfect companions. You get to learn about the history of Barre and see what’s being created with the artists in residence. Highly recommend!!

People were so friendly! We were happily surprised the artist studio was connected to the museum and the sculptors were very engaging. The history of the people of Barre, the tools and sculpture was interesting. I wish there was more about the geology.

The Barre (pronounced Barry) Gray Granite is world renowned. We enjoyed the sculpter Miller's presentation of how he carved the hard rock. He was working on a bear and pink pig.

'But Mom, I don't want to go look at rocks!' ... There is plenty for the kids to do other than look at rocks

Quintessential Barre experience. It is really fun to watch the races while the sun goes down. Food is good, lines move quickly. Good variety of spots to spectate from. BYOB option is nice.

Awesome 1/4 Mile track. First visit from CT will definitely be back. Came out for Memorial Day Classic to see the Modifieds

Loved this place first time going

Best short track racing you can see. The only reason for 4 stars and not 5 is the price of tickets now. I feel like they go up every year.

Such a fun time! It's been a hot minute since I had been here, even better than I remember. This was my hubby's first time and he had a great time, we will be back for sure!

Thunder road is the most fun great time for everyone I love it there I've spent alot of time there racing and watching the races it a definite must see for people visiting Vermont because Thunder road is Vermont in my opinion

Great track with a fantastic atmosphere. Racing on these high banks is top notch and the facility is very clean.

The history of Barre can be glimpsed in the galleries here. Sublime and informative, convex library science.

They have lots of great programs for kids. Legos on Wednesdays and lockins for teens. The children's librarians are nice, knowledgeable and helpful people.

The work area upstairs is nice and usually quiet. Parking remained free after Barre put up all those parking meters recently, which is nice.

Not only is the library an amazing historical piece art in of itself, they have an amazing collection of books, stellar customer service and a great space for business presentations with projector and wifi.

We had a blast!! Great service, waiter, food, coffee. Decorated Halloween 🎃 scary.!!!!

The Aldrich Public Library has been a great place to homeschool our kids!

Great place to go to when bored and lots of books to choose from and lots of things for kids and teens 2 do

It is ok. I only went to see it bc I was in the area and I try to do as many atlas obscura things as I can while I am travelling. Its not that interesting. What are more interesting are the other sculptures displayed on the main street

A nice detour on the way to Hope cemetery. It's not a must see but if you're already in Barre it's worth a look.

It's a nice stop but wouldn't plan a whole trip around it. It's an sculpture tucked in between building 219 and 201, covered with grass and flowers. It's a good photo opportunity.

Cool sight in the Granite State. Gotta look carefully for it cause it's tucked in between two buildings. The other granite statues there are really cool too

It's pretty cool! Nice how they made a garden out of it. There are more granite carved pieces all around town.

I mean it is a granite zipper, not exactly like the fly on your pants. It is tucked away between two buildings. It is really long with lots of flowers in the summer time. If you get tired there is a Granite seat...

HIGHLIGHT of my trip in Vermont. This zipper was huge and the garden in it was beautiful, would recommend to anyone and everyone.

Perfect walk to squeeze in a busy day! Small loop that all felt uphill, absolutely gorgeous! Clean and maintained trails. Always hesitant when walking in Barre, but this is a gem!

A great little trail right in the city! I love this place all year round. In the summer with lots of berries and the winter for snowshoeing and all the time in between, this is a lovely place.

Finally explored the Cow Pasture. Obscure trails are real obscure. No markings and not maintained. Birds, sounds of stream, mountain views, and nature made it a nice hike. But no cows.

Fun little walk thru the woods. It has some elevations to it but very manageable and very suitable for kids. Lots of shade which keeps it cool to walk through as well. There are a few "off shoot" trails that can be taken, if you wish. You can't get lost, so go have fun! It is good for a quick MTB ride with some elevation thrown in for a fun workout!

Awesome trails for being right in Barre City! Walking distance from Main Street. There's a nice loop through the woods with a cutoff section that goes to an overlook. It's on both town-owned and private land, so please be respectful of the trails!

Fun place for a hike, just watch for snowmobiles in the winter. Keep an eye open for loose dogs as well. Posted sign asks to remain in control of dogs at all time but some people THINK they are better at that than they actually are...

Really beautiful place to walk. The trail has alot of small to medium hills. It's a great walking path. Well taken care of trail 10/10 would highly recommend!

Was in town and met an old friend for lunch. The ambiance is just awesome with the history of being an old firehouse. I walked around the second floor and you can spend the night here and would love to do it if the opportunity presented itself. We both ordered the burger as the server mentioned they get fresh ground beef everyday. That sold us. Both of us were not impressed with the burger. I felt it needs to be seasoned better. I had the salad instead of the fries. It’s grass what can I say. Not the star. I would go again if I’m the area.

French onion soup was delicious. A little salty, but that's how I like it! Shepherds pie was very tasty but a somewhat small portion. (It was very good and I would have liked more.) Huge salad came with it with a chunk of toasted bread which was really good.

This place was so cool. It had been the main firehouse un to a new ladder truck was purchased and it was too big for the firehouse. A new one was built. The 100 year old firehouse was purchased, gutted, and restored into a restaurant. This space has Inn space upstairs as well. The food here is delicious. The atmosphere is fabulous. The decor is beautiful. I ordered the turkey burger with battered fries for my main. My hubby order the fish and chips. We started with a house salad to split. Everything we had was delicious. Our server was very knowledgeable of the menu. He was able to make suggestions when asked. We loved all the firehouse memorabilia hanging on the wall. The craftsmanship of the building was left intact. As part of the experience, patrons are encourage to look around. The washrooms are super clean. One is upstairs and one is downstairs.

The atmosphere was pretty cool. A lot of history to look at. We were here as soon as it opened so it wasn’t crowded at all. This place lies in a small town with a traffic problem! Downtown can get very congested! Anyway, the food and service were all great. But what really sets this place apart is the location. Can’t beat having a good meal in an old fire house. Loads of things to look at. If you’re coming mainly for the venue, get there early when no one else is there yet so you can wonder around and look at all the photos without bothering others.

Wow what a great place full of Barre history and very happy to tell you all about it. The firehouse is authentic Queen Anne building with granite outside and Italian ceramic tile and wood work inside. The food was awesome but the service was absolutely wonderful.

The burger, decorations, and atmosphere was amazing. They also had live music while I was there. I'm looking forwarding to going back to try more of the menu.

Our waiter told us the history of this firehouse, which was very interesting. We shared a pizza, which was excellent!

My wife and I love stopping by this local café—our go-to for delicious lattes every time. Their croissants are amazing, especially the chocolate ones! Always a great taste and friendly service. Definitely a spot we’ll keep coming back to.

Cute cafe with plenty of seating of different styles, chairs, stools, benches. A lot of things to order but actually many things are not stocked. Very long line for simple cappuccino on a Saturday morning 10am

Awesome espresso bar - friendly people, great prices, right in the center of Barre. I got the cafe con panna with maple whipped cream (fresh!) and it was great.

Espresso Bueno has become one of my go-to spots and for good reason. I have been here quite a few times, and every visit has been consistently enjoyable. The service is always friendly and efficient, with a relaxed vibe that makes you want to stay a while. The ambiance is cozy and welcoming, perfect for catching up with friends, getting a bit of work done, or just enjoying a quiet moment with a good drink. There's a genuine local charm here that sets it apart from your typical coffee shop. My usual order is the Chai Tea Latte – their house-made chai sweetened with maple syrup and steamed with oat milk. It’s rich, comforting, and perfectly balanced. On warmer days, I will switch it up with the Bueno Smoothie, which is just as delicious and refreshing. I often pair my drink with one of their fresh pastries. usually a scone and it always hits the spot. The food is thoughtfully prepared, and the menu offers a great variety of light meals and snacks that cater to different dietary preferences. Espresso Bueno has a way of making you feel like part of the community, and I always look forward to my next visit. Highly recommended!

Me and my two best friends came to Vermont to visit from Texas. Out of all of the coffee shops we went to in Stowe, Burlington, and Woodstock, espresso bueno blew it out of the water. I will not stop thinking about the morning glory muffin. The breakfast croissant had the most delicious, flakey bread. The coffee was always great. Very reasonable prices too.

I'm not sensitive to gluten, and I ordered the Morning Glory muffin not realizing it was gluten free. It was soooo good!!! Now I get it every day. I love this coffee shop!

Staff is rude. They’re not afraid to publicly humiliate their customers for simple miscommunications. They also like to delete reviews that give any negative feedback instead of owning up for their mistakes and apologizing.

Small museum with very interesting 🤔 exhibits.

Great museum with friendly staff. One of the staff members was very helpful pointing us to Norwich University-related items in the museum.

I'm sure it's great for researching historical info about Vermont, but the ACTUAL museum of "stuff" is in Montpelier... Tomorrow!

VHS offers a wealth of historical and genealogical information, some of which is not available elsewhere. All staff were helpful and made us feel welcome. There is a small fee for non-members visiting the section of the site which supports genealogical research. Other areas are free. Parking is on street at no cost. The building is handicap accessible.

Small museum with limited exhibitions, affiliated with the Vermont Historical Museum in downtown Montpelier. If you visit that other museum first, they'll give you tickets for admission to this museum. Not sure if the same is true if you visit this one first. The only exhibition during our visit was on the history of auto racing in Vermont, with cool vintage photos, memorabilia and artifacts on display. There is also a game that lets you virtually drive a race car in use during the early years. Our visit lasted half an hour.

Great! So much to learn about our wonderful state, well maintained and great folks. Go see the racing exhibit, it has a racing simulator and is a ton of fun.

Very cool exhibits about Vermont history, plus an amazing weathervane on display. Ask them to tell you about it!

I’m writing this review because of a distasteful event i witnessed occur with my best friend. I had every intention on visiting this establishment as my friend showed me all the things this bar had to offer. It truly seemed like a nice place to meet people, enjoy the company of others, the food, and a decently priced drink. However, after witnessing the profiling and unjust behavior my friend received, as well as reading other reviews from people receiving similar behaviors, I no longer have no desire to ever visit this establishment. It is 2025 and I am in disbelief at how hurtful and mean people can be over a simple miscommunication especially when you provide service to patrons. My friend was instructed to leave the bar because of a private conversation that he was having with two individuals at the bar, while just being friendly. All of a sudden, unprovoked a RUDE bartender took it upon herself to insert herself into their conversation with what I’m guessing was her own personal bias. Even as my friend tried to explain to this bartender that his conversation was not of malicious intent or to be taken in offense, she proceeded to get security and tell him he had to leave. In his explanation the bartender made many assumptions which to me seemed very much fueled by racial and sexual bias, as she did not know my friend at all and prior to this day he had never been there! I truly felt so disturbed and upset by what i witnessed happen to my friend. My advice is if you’re looking to be rudely treated, profiled, and not accepted by staff then this is the place to be as this place seems to cater to locals who visit often rather than newcomers.

Service wasn't the best I've had, difficult to get bartenders attention unless you're sitting at the bar. Drinks were decent. Had to pay to get in the door although the band wasn't even playing, the jukebox was still going the entire time I was there. Young rowdy crowd that likes to cause commotion.

Average dive bar. The bartenders are friendly but serve poor-quality drinks in the wrong glasses. On a Friday night there was no music (not even over speakers) until 10pm when a pretty awful laptop-DJ came on. Good place for locals if you're looking for a dive bar, and it's definitely more fun on holiday weekends.

This place was incredible, my wife and I came for dinner at the suggestion of a friend but stayed for the atmosphere until late!. The staff was friendly and prompt even though they were slammed. The food was awesome and the drinks were great! 10/10 it’s not often that you find a place that has great food, service and atmosphere! 👍🏼

Wonderful experience in all aspects of a great lunch and above and beyond service. Thank you so much!

Great place to hangout and play. Toilets were not maintained.

So my partner and I first heard of Gusto’s a few weeks ago when we had friends visiting and we were looking for a restaurant that was open past 8 pm on a Wednesday lol. My partner was pretty intimidated by the exterior and loud music so we decided to go home. After seeing schnitzel on the menu, I’ve had schnitzel brain since then. I decided to grab a late lunch to-go by myself today and the food was super tasty! Will definitely be back

We visited this museum on our trip. The gift shop was very small!

This is a neat little museum in the capital city of Vermont! The displays cover virtually every topic in the state of Vermont's history. Some of the displays are setup with kids in mind. Many of the displays are well researched and have much reading material with them. Excellent artifacts and visuals in the museum. You could easily spend an hour or more in here. Price for entry is only $7. Definitely worth a visit.

Compact, engaging full history of Vermont and the events and folks that shaped our present day life. Touch and see on one level. Kid friendly, quiet and approachable, roll/walk-through exhibits. Nice way to enlighten, for $7 admission. Small gift shop has something relevant at every price point too; books, posters, toys, and more. On-street parking right out front, right next to the Capital.

As an flatlander, out of state person, I thought the museum gave a great overview of VT over nearly a 400 year period. The displays were professional and the signage’s sufficient to understand what is to be interpreted. I would recommend for all ages.

This museum offers many interesting facts and artifacts about Vermont but collectively needs to be reimagined for today’s visitors. Newer installations and probably rotating the permanent collections would help but would require generous financial support. History buffs, nonetheless, would be delighted.

We got in for free during an event day offering free admission which was really great for us. We travel full time so paying for tons of museums and outings can add up. It’s a small museum but decently done. I do wonder if there could be a little more local vermont history or more detailed history Added around. Some was more broad and general stuff that most anyone would know. Sure sheep and cows and such were used for farming. But I would have liked a little more in depth history on things and how things were done in vermont compared to other states. How roads were carved and built in and through/around the mountains. History of covered bridges, maple farms, quarries etc. but I also admit I was a bit rushed on a time crunch before closing so it is possible I rushed pass some of these things without realizing. Overall it was a nice museum and laid out in a horseshoe so it was easy to walk through. But this is a huge building. It would be nice to have more floors of history to explore. Looking at the pricing it seems fairly priced for what is here. $7 an adult, $5 kids and seniors and under 6 free, $20 for families. I also bought some nice postcards in the giftshop.

Wonderful small museum with an eclectic mix of art and Vermont History exhibits, and some surprising Vermont history. I wasn't going for the gift shop, but the website touts it, so I'll include that it's tiny and you won't find much or anything very unique.

I loved it. My son and I went on Columbus Day. The course was beautiful and well maintained. I look forward to going back in the spring and throughout the summer and fall .

Nice venue with reasonable prices but wish the road was paved and lighting after the event could have been better. Stairs going up from parking lot were a bit iffy.

Love this course! A lot of interesting holes. Greens were receptive, true and not too fast. Really appreciate the new forward tees on 3 and 17. 4/17/22 The course is in excellent early season condition. The greens have been rolled and are fast.

Truly one of the best golf courses in Vermont. People are friendly. The course is challenging and in great shape.

A hidden gem of a course just east of Montpelier. Have played twice. Once in the summer and once in the fall to enjoy the Vermont foliage. Impeccable conditions, with consistent lies through the greens. Elevation changes that are challenging and breathtaking. Wonderful staff and amenities.

An interesting track indeed. Overall, we’ll maintained; greens in good shape, fairways holding up even with lack of rainfall. The holes are challenging and interesting. But here’s the rub and the reason for only 3 stars. It’s terrible for signage, directing golfers to the next hole! And the cart paths would be better taken on with ATV’s! There’s no Ranger, cart service, water or sand for divot repair.

Barre is always my favorite place to play! The greens are always in great shape, staff is friendly, carts are clean and run great. My husband loves to play frequently and has been a member for years, and that has gotten me to love to play as well! Whether you are serious about your golf game, or just starting out, Barre can accommodate anyone for a fun/productive season.

Pretty clean but no shade. Had to leave after 30 minutes

Great place to bring the grandkids

Fun. For kids

Fun place......