Orange County - Museum Directory

Braintree Hill Meeting House, Braintree Historical Society

Please Note: We make every effort to ensure the information listed for open hours or events is accurate, but we recommend contacting the organization directly to confirm before making plans to visit.

Bradford Historical Society

Woods Academy Building, 172 North Main Street, Bradford, VT
Mailing Address: PO Box 424 Bradford, VT 05033
Phone: (802) 222-9621
Contact: Meroa Benjamin, President: 802-222-9621, dpben@charter.net

There is a museum of local interest in the old Academy Building (1893), now used as the town hall and other offices. Collections include costumes, documents, photographs, schoolbooks, farm tools, and souvenirs of local businesses.

Hours and Admission: By appointment & special events. Call (802) 222-9621 or (802) 222-4423.

Braintree Historical Society

2756 Braintree Hill Road, Braintree, VT 05060
Mailing Address: 273 Woodchuck Hollow Rd, West Braintree, VT 05060
Phone: (802) 728-9933
Contact: Janice L. Thresher, Secretary/Treasurer

The Braintree Hill Meetinghouse is a church upstairs and a Braintree Historical Society museum on the ground level. 

Hours and Admission: Old Home Sunday- first Sunday in August, 1:00 - 4:30 pm, and open for special occasions or by appointment. 

Brookfield Historical Society

Marvin Newton House, 1131 Ridge Road, Brookfield, VT
Mailing Address: PO Box 447, Brookfield, VT 05036
Website: bhsvt.org
Contact: Gary Lord, President

The house (c. 1835) was the home of a Brookfield blacksmith and is now operated as a museum. Collections include costumes, 19th-century home furnishings, locally manufactured articles, photographs, and local ephemera. There are guided tours, an annual ice cream social, and other special events. The society publishes a biannual newsletter.

Hours and Admission: July - August: Sunday, 2:00 – 5:00 pm, or by appointment. Admission is free. Not accessible to the disabled.

Chelsea Historical Society, Inc.

Museum, 330 VT Route 110, Main Street, Chelsea, VT
Mailing Address: PO Box 33, Chelsea, VT 05038
Phone: 802-476-8883
Contact: Sandy Doyle, Treasurer

The society maintains an 1830 residence with period rooms. There are manuscripts, costumes, memorabilia, and items of local interest.

Hours and Admission: by appointment. Not accessible to the disabled.

Corinth Historical Society

Corinth Academy Museum, 1767 Center Road, Corinth, VT; Society Agriculture and Trades Museum, 601 Village Road, East Corinth, VT
Mailing Address: c/o 2283 Backway Rd, Corinth VT 05039
Phone: (802) 685-3812
Contact: Norm Collette, President

Collections include costumes, documents, photographs, schoolbooks, farm tools, and souvenirs of local businesses. The society publishes a quarterly newsletter.

Hours and Admission:
Academy Museum: July and August: Saturday, 10:00 am - noon.
Trades Museum: Open Labor Day.

Fairlee Historical Society

Town Hall, 75 Town Common Road, Fairlee, VT
Mailing Address: c/o Town Hall, PO Box 95, Fairlee, VT 05045
Phone: (802) 333-4363 ext 1
Contact: Georgette Wolf-Ludwig and Bonnie Colby, Co-Curators

The society fosters amateur genealogical and historical research. Its collection includes manuscripts, photos, artifacts, and ephemera concerning Fairlee and Ely (South Fairlee) from 1761 to the present. Visitors by appointment.

Newbury Historical Society

155 Tyler Farm Rd, West Newbury, VT
Mailing Address: PO Box 33, Newbury, VT 05051
Phone: (816) 233-7687
Contact: Hod Symes, President, symesmo2@aol.com

Newbury Historical Society is a 501-3c organization, managed by a 9 member Board of Directors. Base of operations is a renovated former one-room schoolhouse, where collections are stored, and offers a museum-type display.

Hours and Admission: By request or Open Houses

Randolph Historical Society

Museum, 6 Salisbury Street (above police station), Randolph, VT
Mailing Address: 31 Beacon Hill, Chelsea, VT 05038
Phone: (802) 685-7725
Contact: Marie Kittel, (802) 728-9780, mkittel22@gmail.com; or Marilyn Polson, (802) 685-7725, polsonmarilyn@gmail.com

The museum is located above the police station, across from the post office. Exhibits include printing items, the complete 3-generation (early 1900s) Leonard's Drug Store and soda fountain, barber shop, three period rooms, an early pipe organ, Justin Morgan's gravestone, farm tools, trade signs, band instruments, and bicycles.

Hours and Admission: May - October: 3rd Sunday, 2:00 – 4:00 pm; also open Fourth of July; or by appointment. Free admission.

Strafford Historical Society

232 Rte 132, South Strafford, VT 05070
Mailing Address: PO Box 100, Strafford, VT 05072
Phone: (802) 765-4379 or (802) 765-4067
Contact: Stephen Willbanks, President, stephen.willbanks@gmail.com

The Society was founded in 1955 to preserve the sites, records, relics and related materials pertaining to the history of the town. In 2014, the Mix family leased the entire first floor of the wing of the Brick Store to the society, where they now have space for research, a permanent museum, and seasonal events.

Hours and Admission: Currently closed for remodeling.

Thetford Historical Society

Historical Library: Bicentennial Building, 16 Library Road, Thetford, VT; Charles & Fannie Hughes Barn Museum: 2274 VT Route 113, Thetford, VT
Mailing Address: PO Box 33, Thetford, VT 05074
Contact: Martha Howard, Director

The society maintains two sites. The library and archives contain about 4500 volumes, 300 linear feet of manuscripts, genealogy files, photographs, portraits, and small artifacts. The museum contains agricultural implements, craft and domestic tools, store and post office fittings, all housed in a barn and three smaller buildings.

Hours and Admission:
Historical Library (year-round):  Mondays and Thursdays, 1:00 - 5:00 pm, and by appointment.

Museum: Currently under renovation (2024) for building upgrades and exhibit refresh - stay tuned for re-opening!

Topsham Historical Society

6 Harts Rd, Topsham, VT
Mailing Address: PO Box 64, East Topsham, VT 05076
Phone: (802) 439-6339
Contact: Bill Hodge, President

There is no established museum; some collections housed at Town Clerk's office. Events are announced at meetings held the third Thursday of each month. Visitors by appointment.

Tunbridge Historical Society

Tunbridge, VT
Mailing Address: PO Box 300, Tunbridge, VT 05077
Contact: secretary@tunbridgehistoricalsociety.org

The society promotes Tunbrdige's history through preservation of artifacts and documents, research, and field trips. Public programs are held in the spring, summer, and fall. Past projects include Tunbridge Village Historic District highway signs, historic building date signs, and signs for 20 town cemeteries. Visitors by appointment.

Vershire Historical Society

Town Center Building, Vershire, VT
Mailing Address: PO Box 41, Vershire, VT 05079
Phone: 802- 685-3897 or 218-329-8877
Contact: Gary Goodrich, President or Mark Harvey, Treasurer

The society occupies a wing of the Town Center Building in Vershire. Holdings include photographs, maps, school and church records, and artifacts. Visitors by appointment. 

West Fairlee Historical Society

Community Building, 894 VT Rte 113, West Fairlee, VT
Mailing Address: PO Box 163, West Fairlee, VT 05083
Phone: (802) 333-9659 (Bonnie Cray)
Contact: Doug Sonsalla, President

Visitors by appointment.

Williamstown Historical Society Museum

Museum, 2476 VT Route 14, Main Street, Williamstown, VT
Mailing Address: PO Box 338, Williamstown, VT 05679
Phone: (802) 433-5565
Contact: Becky Watson, President

A Museum with over 2000 artifacts showing the past, present and future of Williamstown, VT. Located in a church building built in the early 1800s in the center of town. The Museum is supported with town funds and private memberships.

Hours and Admission: by appointment. Work hours on Tuesday mornings, May-October. Free. Limited accessibility to the upstairs.

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