Tourism at home 

By Hannah Kirkpatrick, Program Coordinator
 
Walking into the Brookfield Historical Society’s Marvin Newton House is like entering a portal into the past. The first story hearth, used for decades to cook food and warm the house, is no longer used, but it feels as though whoever was tending to the fire has just stepped away for a moment. Upstairs, the beds have handmade quilts carefully laid out. It’s a powerful way to remember how many Vermonters used to live.  

You don’t have to travel out of the state to a famous landmark to have a meaningful experience with history. Vermont is home to more local historical societies per capita than any other state in the country, and visiting one is a fantastic opportunity to learn more about our state or your local community.  

The museums and local historical societies scattered across the state range from larger institutions such as the Shelburne Museum, the Bennington Museum, and our own Vermont History Museum in Montpelier, to the small, such as the museums run by the Middletown Springs and Waterbury Historical Societies and the Brookfield Historical Society’s Marvin Newton House.  

While small, they are mighty: these organizations have incredibly rich collections that provide a wealth of information about their local communities. The Waterbury Historical Society’s headquarters allows visitors to explore a room in the home of Dr. Henry Janes, Civil War surgeon, with exhibits showing off his medical equipment and archives containing medical records dating back to the conflict.  

To the east in Orange County, the Brookfield Historical Society operates the Marvin Newton House during the summer, showing off an extensive collection of textiles and rooms that evoke the house’s long history and its numerous occupants.  

If you’re planning a trip to southern Vermont, the Middletown Springs Historical Society hosts a number of exhibits, including a permanent exhibit on the history of the mineral springs that the town is named after. These springs were touted as a cure for many ailments in the late 19th century, and tourists flocked to the town to stay at the Montvert Hotel. You can also see glass bottles that were used to ship water from the springs around the country.  

Where larger museums and institutions employ full-time staff and remain open for the whole year, many of the museums run by local historical societies rely on volunteers who put their limited time and availability into serving their communities when they’re able, often opening for just a few hours during the summer months.

VHS has been supporting these organizations in a number of ways: our annual League of Local Historical Societies and Museums (LLHSM) provides them with trainings, talks, and other resources, while the Activating 21st Century Local History Training Program supports a cohort of local historical societies in improving their collections management skills to help them increase the public’s access to their collections. As the country moves into the 250th anniversary of its founding, these organizations maintain unique collections of artifacts, documents, and stories from the state’s earliest days, providing a glimpse into our history on a local level.

Local history connects us to our communities and to each other.  Local historical societies provide insights into the lives of those who came before us, allowing us to imagine ourselves in their shoes. Historic objects like Dr. Janes’ surgical tools and places like the Marvin Newton House offer a powerful understanding of shared human experiences. The best part is that all of these rich stories can be found within a short car drive on a pleasant summer day.    

This article originally appeared in the Summer 2025 issue of our member magazine, History Connections. To get it and support the Vermont Historical Society, sign up as a member.