Brandon Museum and Visitor Center at the
Stephen A. Douglas Birthplace
Opening Summer 2009

This web column is a Work in Progress. Please check back soon.

Read more about the Stephen A. Douglas Birthplace

Membership Opportunities Now Available

Become an Associate Member of the Brandon Museum at the Stephen A Douglas Birthplace and help support the ongoing mission of this historic property and the organization.

Membership Benefits (which will expand as we phase out of "building project" and open to the public)

The Brandon Museum is collecting stories about Brandon History. Please share your story with us.

Brandon Sky at Nightfall

Brandon has some prime retail space available for lease or purchase right in our high-speed-internet-accessed downtown. We offer the potential for financing opportunities. What do we need? What type of businesses are we looking for?

If you would like to start a new business or relocate an existing business to the village of Brandon, here are some stand-out ideas generated recently at a Chamber of Commerce brainstorming session. Click here for more details.

• variety / general store
• taxi service
•bike / x-c ski shop / sporting goods
• antique shop / group shop
• location-neutral businesses / IT
• small cinema (alternative films; serve food)
• VT Specialty food destination / “boutique” foods group shop
• micro-brewery
• a new dentist

The Brandon Area Chamber of Commerce is pleased to welcome you to Brandon, Vermont. Visit us often, either virtually or in-person. This website is dedicated to bringing you information on the area, whether you are a visitor, you live here, or just looking to learn more. If we can be of further assistance, please let us know!

Recreation can be found out the front door no matter where you are. Experience Moosalamoo, one of Vermont's best-kept secrets for all who enjoy quality outdoor adventures. The 20,000 acre Moosalamoo Region including the Moosalamoo National Recreation Area is located in the heart of the 400,000 acre Green Mountain National Forest, stretching from the western slopes of the Green Mountains to Lake Dunmore, and from Scenic Route125 to Route 73. The Robert Frost Interpretative Trail is perfect for those wishing to meander in the woods. Visitors to Lake Dunmore enjoy swimming, camping, boating, kayaking, and sandy-beached Branbury State Park. Winter activities include snowshoeing (you can do it anywhere), downhill skiing at nearby Killington and Pico Resort, or Sugarbush, Mad River Glen ("Ski it if you Can"), or Middlebury College's Snow Bowl, and cross-country skiing just up the road at Blueberry Hill Ski Center. Foodies will delight in our selection of restaurants as well as farm fresh goodies from Wood's Market Garden.

The Arts are everywhere in our area, which lead the Governor to call Brandon the "Art and Soul" of Vermont. Stop by and view the art of world famous Warren Kimble, which is now being sold at the Liza Myers Gallery. Famed American folk artist Warren Kimble lives and paints in Brandon. Check out our Arts and Antiques page for a full list and description of the area's Galleries and Antique Shops. Visit the Brandon Artists Guild for a look at the work of a dynamic, vibrant, and varied collection of their 50-plus artists members. Visiting in the winter, don't miss Art In The Snow, a Vermont Chamber of Commerce Top Ten Winter Event for 2009. Music events are held throughout the year at venues such as the Watershed Tavern and Restaurant, Ball and Chain Cafe, and Gallery-in-the-Field. In summer, make sure you stop by Farmer's Market for the freshest produce, breads, jams, honey, and crafts, held each Friday from mid-May through mid-October from 9 am - 2 pm in Brandon's Central Park. You won't want to miss the shows in our free Summer Concert Series or Basin Bluegrass Festival.

History surrounds us in Brandon. Since 1761, Brandon has been a destination town. Downtown is a great place to begin a self-guided historic walking tour and a way to see many of the 243 buildings on the National Register of Historic Places. Brandon is a study in early American architecture and Vermot history. The Chamber of Commerce and friends are working on rejuvenating the historic Stephen A. Douglas Birthplace. Generous grants have been received and work is in progress with a goal of opening the building as the Brandon Museum and Visitor Center which will also house a municipal bathroom and opening by spring of 2009. When you are out driving or biking, see if you can find the area's four covered bridges! Nearby, visit Shelburne Museum, Fort Ticonderoga, the New England Maple Museum, and the Vermont Marble Museum Exhibit.

There is no better place to hold your special Celebration than in Brandon, Vermont. Not only are brides and grooms discovering Brandon for their special day at  Blueberry Hill Inn, Brandon Inn, Café Provence, or The Lilac Inn but more and more families are holding reunions, civil union ceremonies, and special anniversary parties in the area. We have the chefs, activities, and lodging to make everyone on your guest list happy! Join townspeople for Brandon's terrific special events. Vermont's largest Independence Day Parade is right here in Brandon. The Great Brandon Auction, Yard Sale Day, and Make Your Own Leafperson Day are other favorites.

Brandon has an excellent inventory of available real estate, residential and commercial, historic and modern. Learn more about moving to Brandon, starting a new business, or moving your existing one.

2009 marks Vermont's 400th anniversary of Samuel de Champlain’s first visit to the region and the exploration of the lake that now bears his name. The Lake Champlain Quadricentennial is a year-long celebration of Lake Champlain, the region’s rich cultural heritage, and Lake Champlain’s critical importance as a natural and recreational resource.

Brandon is proud to have a number of lodging options which are designated Green Hotels in the Green Mountain State.

We invite you to have your wedding in the Unhurried, Unspoiled, Unforgettable village of Brandon, Vermont. Discover why every year so many brides choose Brandon as the site for their wedding in any season.

Search WWW Search brandon.org

BACC, PO Box 267, Brandon, VT 05733 - (802)247-6401