The Shelburne Museum campus Credit: Courtesy of Shelburne Museum
The Shelburne Museum campus Credit: Courtesy of Shelburne Museum

Just seven miles south of Burlington, Shelburne offers a refreshing taste of small-town life within Vermont’s most populous region — and cows! Near the lake, the 1,400-acre Shelburne Farms provides grassy expanses and wooded trails ideal for wandering. Around the village green, independently owned shops include a circa-1850s country store and upscale boutiques. And right along the main drag, Shelburne Museum’s “collection of collections” ranges from duck decoys to French impressionist paintings to a 220-foot steamboat. Here’s a suggested itinerary.

Note: Check websites to confirm business hours for the day you visit.

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Leunig’s Le Marché Café

Cinnamon roll, fruit tart, Anjou pear melt and turkey BLT from Leunig’s Le Marché Café Credit: Jordan Barry ©️ Seven Days

Opened in December 2022, Le Marché quickly brought a bit of je ne sais quoi to town — along with favorite treats from Burlington’s Leunig’s Bistro & Café and Petit Bijou kiosk. Chef-owner Donnell Collins lives in Shelburne and designed the café and bakery to be the kind of place she and her family wanted nearby: somewhere they could go for a takeout sandwich or a box of pastries. Grab breakfast or a sweet creation inspired by a local mountain, such as a maple-inflected Mt. Mansfield Tart or a chocolaty Mt. Philo Cake. Collins’ latest venture, Electra’s Restaurant, is open for dinner just up the street at 5247 Shelburne Road.
5597 Shelburne Rd., Shelburne

Shelburne Museum

Museum grounds will be open for a ticketed viewing of the eclipse, with access to the Weathervane Café, the antique carousel, the 1901 Round Barn and, weather depending, a limited number of the historic buildings brought to Shelburne by museum founder Electra Havemeyer Webb to house her many collections. Feeling fancy? With premium tickets to Totality on the Ti, you can view the eclipse from the decks of the steamboat Ticonderoga, which has anchored the museum’s landscape since it left the lake in 1955.
6000 Shelburne Rd., Shelburne

Shelburne Vineyard

Iapetus wines at Shelburne Vineyard Credit: File: James Buck

The tasting room for Shelburne Vineyard, Iapetus Wine and Eden Ciders is popping off — and popping bottles — for the eclipse. An “afternoon of celestial amazement” on the vineyard grounds will feature tarot readings, local vendors, wine and cider flights, and a “completely improvised musical score to the entire eclipse,” performed live by Marie Hamilton on harp and Tom Pearo on looping electric guitar. 6308 Shelburne Rd., Shelburne

Folino’s and Fiddlehead Brewing

Wood-fired pizza and IPAs are staples of the Vermont diet, and you can find both in the red roadside building that’s home to Folino’s and Fiddlehead. Grab a pint or a growler fill of Fiddlehead’s hazy classic in the brewery’s taproom or bring it next door to pair with a pie — Folino’s is BYOB. 6305 Shelburne Rd., Shelburne

Shop Small

Fudge from the Shelburne Country Store Credit: Melissa Pasanen

Shelburne’s shops have something for everyone, and most are walkable from the village green. Find antiques at mother/daughter-owned Brianne’s Vintage Chic (5462 Shelburne Rd.); grab games and gifts for little ones at Jamie Two-Coats’ Toy Shop (54 Falls Rd., Suite 101); browse books at the Flying Pig Bookstore (5247 Shelburne Rd.); and get your boutique on at Mysa (65 Falls Rd.), Mendy’s (30 Harbor Rd.) and Monelle (5597 Shelburne Rd.). Shelburne Country Store (29 Falls Rd.) is stocked with Vermonty souvenirs, and Village Wine & Coffee (5288 Shelburne Rd.) has your buzz covered for both ends of the day.

Shelburne Farms

A family on a walking trail at Shelburne Farms Credit: File: Daria Bishop

Shelburne Farms is not hosting a special eclipse program, but visitors are welcome at this working farm, forest and National Historic Landmark. Stock up on the farm’s maple syrup and cheddar cheese, loaves from on-site O Bread Bakery, and other picnic provisions at the Farm Store & Welcome Center, then head out for a peaceful walk along the extensive trails — if they’re not muddy. Parking is limited, and the Children’s Farm Yard, the Farm Cart and the Shelburne Farms Inn are closed until mid-May. 1611 Harbor Rd., Shelburne

Vermont Teddy Bear Factory

Did you have a bear-y good time watching the eclipse? Commemorate it by creating your own bear at Vermont Teddy Bear’s Bear Shop. Factory tours offer a glimpse of the stuff (and stuffing) behind the scenes, where craftspeople make bears one by one. The first-come, first-serve tours also visit the Bear Hospital — good news if your furry friend forgot its viewing glasses and accidentally stared at the sun. 6655 Shelburne Rd., Shelburne

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Jordan Barry is a food writer at Seven Days. Her stories about tipping culture, cooperatively-owned natural wineries, bar pizza and gay chicken have earned recognition from the Association of Alternative Newsmedia's AAN Awards and the New England Newspaper...