About the Vermont Historical Society

Our Mission

The Vermont Historical Society engages both Vermonters and "Vermonters at heart" in the exploration of our state's rich heritage. Our purpose is to reach a broad audience through our outstanding collections, statewide outreach, and dynamic programming. We believe that an understanding of the past changes lives and builds better communities.

The Vermont Historical Society is…

• the only museum in Vermont where visitors experience the entire breadth of Vermont's history from the time of the Abenaki to the beginning of the 21st  century, at the Pavilion Building in downtown Montpelier.
  
• the finest genealogical research library in the state, located at the Vermont History Center in Barre.
• centuries of Vermont-related collections, including the document that admitted Vermont to the Union (signed by Thomas Jefferson), a Revolutionary War atlas of Lake Champlain and even the shoe buckles worn by Ethan Allen!
• Vermont History Expo, a festival of entertainment, lectures and exhibits from local historical societies, museums and heritage attractions, held annually in June at the Tunbridge Fair Grounds.  
• a resource for Vermont's 100,000 schoolchildren and their teachers.
• the publisher of books and a journal about Vermont history. 

Vermont Historical Society Trustees