Free & Cheap Things to Do in Burlington

Parks & Nature

A beautiful free lakefront park stretching along Lake Champlain with a wooden boardwalk, sweeping views of the Adirondack Mountains, grassy areas for picnicking, and direct access to the famous Island Line Bike Path. The 7.6-mile paved trail runs north along the lake to a stunning causeway jutting into Lake Champlain — one of the most scenic free bike rides in New England.

Address: College St & Waterfront Park, Burlington, VT 05401

Tip: Sunset from the waterfront is spectacular — arrive an hour before for a good spot. The Island Line Trail is ideal for walking or biking; bike rentals are available nearby. Summer brings free outdoor concerts and festivals at the park.

Shopping & Strolling

Burlington's award-winning four-block pedestrian marketplace is the heart of the city — a free, lively outdoor gathering space lined with local shops, restaurants, street performers, public art, and year-round events. The brick-paved street hosts farmer's markets, live music, outdoor dining, and festivals throughout the year, making it one of the most vibrant free spots in Vermont.

Address: Church St, Burlington, VT 05401

Tip: The Saturday Farmers' Market (May through October, 8:30am–2pm) is a highlight — local produce, Vermont cheese, maple syrup, and crafts. Street performers and live music are common on summer weekends. Great for people-watching any time of year.

Parks & Nature

A free hilltop park perched above downtown Burlington with some of the best views in the city — Lake Champlain stretching to the west and the rugged Adirondack Mountains rising in the distance across the water in New York. Historic cannons remain from the War of 1812, and the park hosts free summer concerts in its natural amphitheater. A perfect and completely free way to take in Burlington's stunning setting.

Address: North Ave & Battery St, Burlington, VT 05401

Tip: The free Battery Park Summer Concert Series runs Tuesday evenings in July and August — bring a blanket and enjoy live music with mountain views. A short walk from the Waterfront Park and Church Street, making it easy to combine all three in one afternoon.

Historic Sites

The 1787 farmhouse where Vermont founder and Green Mountain Boys leader Ethan Allen lived out his final two years, set on a 220-acre park along the Winooski River intervale just north of downtown Burlington. Guided tours of the original Allen House cover Allen's role in the American Revolution, the founding of the Vermont republic, and the family's frontier life. The surrounding park has miles of trails and is free year-round.

Address: 1 Ethan Allen Homestead, Burlington, VT 05408

Tip: Open daily May–October 10am–4pm. Allen House visits are guided tours only — daily at 10:30am, 11:50am, 1:10pm, and 2:30pm; arrive 30 minutes early for tickets and a short intro film. Free admission days throughout the season including Green Mountain Boys Day (May 10), Ethan Allen Day (June 23, a state holiday), and reenactment weekends. Surrounding park grounds are free year-round dawn to dusk.

Outdoors

A 65-acre wooded park in Burlington's New North End — directly across from Ethan Allen's final home — anchored by the 1905 Ethan Allen Tower, a 40-foot stone monument at the park's highest point. Climb the tower (when open) for sweeping panoramic views of Lake Champlain, the Green Mountains, and the Adirondacks. The paved walking paths through the park are stroller-friendly and great for an easy hour outdoors.

Address: 1006 North Ave, Burlington, VT 05408

Tip: The tower is unlocked weekends from Mother's Day through Memorial Day, then daily through Indigenous Peoples' Day (mid-October) by neighborhood volunteers. Park grounds are free and open year-round. Free parking on-site. Pair with a visit to the Ethan Allen Homestead Museum just down the road.

Outdoors

A 100-acre forested peninsula jutting into Lake Champlain just south of downtown Burlington, with 2.5 miles of hiking trails through hemlock and pine, dramatic red-sandstone cliff overlooks of the lake, and a small public swimming beach. The cliff trails are unexpectedly wild for being 5 minutes from the city — sunset over the Adirondacks here is one of the best free shows in the area.

Address: Central Ave, South Burlington, VT 05403

Tip: Summer hours 9am–7pm daily. The cliffside trails have unfenced drop-offs — keep kids and dogs close. No biking allowed on foot trails. Portable restrooms only, May–October. About a 5-minute drive from downtown Burlington.

Parks & Nature

Burlington's premier municipal sand beach, set on 45 wooded acres of Lake Champlain shoreline just north of downtown. A snack shack, picnic areas with grills, a children's playground, and direct access to the 9-mile Burlington Greenway bike path make it the city's most family-friendly waterfront stop. Day-use is free for swimmers, walkers, and picnickers; the campground is separate and bookable online.

Address: 60 Institute Rd, Burlington, VT 05408

Tip: Beach gates open 9am–9pm during the May–October main season; walk-in and bike access is open year-round (no parking November–April). Snack shack runs Memorial Day through Labor Day. Free Wi-Fi from Burlington Telecom on the beach.

Parks & Nature

A 360-acre working agricultural campus on the Winooski River floodplain, just 5 minutes from downtown Burlington. Seven small organic farms operate here alongside community gardens, food forests, and miles of free public trails — including the Rena Calkins riverside trail and a leg of the Cycle the City bike loop that connects the Intervale to the Ethan Allen Homestead and UVM. A unique farm-to-trail experience open to the public 365 days a year.

Address: 180 Intervale Rd, Burlington, VT 05401

Tip: Two free public parking lots on Intervale Road, plus an additional lot across from Gardener's Supply. Stop by the information kiosk outside the main office to orient yourself with a free trail map. Excellent birding spot — bring binoculars. Trails are also great for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing in winter.

Parks & Nature

Burlington's South End lakeshore park, with two free public swimming beaches (Blanchard Beach and the Cove), a playground, walking trails, and the world's first wheelchair-accessible treehouse. The waterfront here is rocky and dramatic, with great views across Lake Champlain to the Adirondacks. Tennis, bocce, and volleyball courts plus charcoal grills and picnic tables make it a strong all-day stop.

Address: 10 Flynn Ave, Burlington, VT 05401

Tip: Main parking gate open 6am–9:30pm; free parking. The accessible treehouse is wheelchair-friendly and a quiet hit with kids. Paddlesurf Champlain rents stand-up paddleboards on-site in summer. Pair sunset here with dinner along nearby Pine Street's South End Arts District.

Food & Markets

Vermont's flagship outdoor farmers market since 1980, drawing 90+ vendors of organic produce, baked goods, prepared foods, craft cider, maple syrup, and locally made art every Saturday in season. The South End Pine Street location pairs the market with adjacent breweries, a craft cidery, and the South End Art District for a full Saturday morning ritual.

Address: 345 Pine St, Burlington, VT 05401

Tip: Open every Saturday 9am–2pm, May 9 through October 31, 2026. Rain or shine. Free street parking nearby fills up by 10am — arrive early or take the free Green Mountain Transit Downtown Loop. SNAP/EBT is doubled at the info booth via the Crop Cash program. A separate Winter Market runs December–April at a rotating indoor venue.

Arts & Culture

The University of Vermont's free art museum, housed in a 1931 Colonial Revival building in the heart of campus. Permanent collections span 5,000 years — Egyptian antiquities, Pacific Northwest Coast indigenous art, European paintings, and a strong American collection — plus a steady rotation of contemporary special exhibitions. Free admission for everyone, generously underwritten by museum supporters.

Address: 61 Colchester Ave, Burlington, VT 05405

Tip: Open Tuesday–Saturday during the academic year (September through mid-May). Closed Sunday and Monday year-round. Closed entirely for UVM summer recess (mid-May through early September), winter recess, fall recess, and spring break — check uvm.edu/fleming/visit before driving over. Reservations not required for individuals or groups under 8.

Food & Markets

Burlington's beloved bean-to-bar chocolatier since 1983, with a flagship factory store on Pine Street where visitors can sample free chocolate, watch chocolatiers at work through the production-floor window, and browse the full retail line of truffles, hot cocoa, caramels, and seconds at discount. A cafe inside serves real Vermont hot chocolate, espresso, and pastries.

Address: 750 Pine St, Burlington, VT 05401

Tip: Free chocolate samples are always available at the front of the store. Production-floor viewing is best on weekday mornings when chocolatiers are most active — weekends are quieter behind the glass. The 'seconds' bin near the register has perfectly good chocolate at a discount. Pair with a visit to the Burlington Farmers Market just down Pine Street.

Festivals & Events

Burlington's biggest free arts festival — 34 years and counting — takes over 1.5 miles of the South End Arts District for three days every September. Over 125 locations open studios, galleries, warehouses, and storefronts to display thousands of works of art alongside live music, food trucks, and performances. Run by SEABA (South End Arts and Business Association); free shuttle loops between five major venue clusters.

Address: Pine Street and surrounding South End Arts District, Burlington, VT 05401

Tip: 2026 dates: September 11, 12, 13 — the weekend after Labor Day. Take the free 22-seat shuttle (one wheelchair-accessible seat) instead of driving — South End parking is limited during the Hop. Friday evening is the busiest night; Sunday mornings are the calmest for a focused gallery walk. Food Trucks of Vermont curates the food vendor lineup.

Iconic Landmarks

The first official state craft center in the United States (designated 1975), Frog Hollow is a juried gallery on Church Street that displays and sells work from over 100 Vermont artisans — pottery, jewelry, hand-blown glass, woodwork, textiles, and contemporary fiber arts. Free to walk through and browse; everything for sale is made in Vermont. Founded 1971 as a nonprofit education center for crafts.

Address: 85 Church Street, Burlington, VT 05401

Tip: Open daily on Church Street — same block as the heart of the Marketplace. Look for the rotating featured-artist exhibits in the front window; they change every six weeks. Items at the lower price points ($15-30) make good Vermont-made souvenirs without breaking budget. Pop-up artist talks happen most Saturdays — check froghollow.org for the current schedule.

Music & Entertainment

Five days of jazz turning all of downtown Burlington into a stage — Church Street, City Hall Park, Waterfront Park, neighborhood venues, and even the Leddy Park ice arena. Most performances are free and open to all. The 2026 festival (43rd edition) is curated by MacArthur Fellow pianist Jason Moran and features free outdoor headliners by Mavis Staples, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Ruthie Foster, and Tank and the Bangas at Waterfront Park.

Address: Festival HQ: Flynn Center, 153 Main Street, Burlington, VT 05401

Tip: 2026 festival dates: June 3-7. Free shows at Waterfront Park on Friday June 5 and Saturday June 6 are the flagship — bring a blanket and arrive 90 minutes early for the headliner sets. The 'Around Town' program includes free pop-up performances at City Hall Park and Church Street throughout the week. Ticketed venue shows at the Flynn run $25-75 — over budget, but the free outdoor lineup is the festival's biggest draw.

Family Fun

Burlington's lakefront science and nature center on the Lake Champlain waterfront, with more than 70 live animal exhibits (lake fish, frogs, turtles, snakes, and a giant catfish among them) plus hands-on STEM exhibits, a 3D film theater, and rotating special exhibits. The "ECHO" stands for Ecology, Culture, History, and Opportunity — the museum's four interpretive themes around the Lake Champlain Basin.

Address: 1 College Street, Burlington, VT 05401

Tip: Open daily 10 AM–5 PM. 3D film tickets are an extra $5 ($3 members). Active-duty military and families enter free mid-May through Labor Day via the Blue Star Museum program. Parking lot behind the museum (ParkMobile). Easy walk from Church Street.

Outdoors

A 13.4-mile rail-trail that starts at Oakledge Park in southern Burlington, runs the city's full waterfront, and continues north onto a spectacular 3-mile causeway across Lake Champlain to South Hero Island. The causeway crosses 200 feet of open water at "The Cut," served by a bike ferry (donations welcome) operated by Local Motion from Memorial Day through Labor Day, plus weekends in shoulder season.

Address: Trailheads at Oakledge Park (1 Flynn Ave, Burlington), Causeway Park (781 Blakely Rd, Colchester), and Martin Rd (South Hero)

Tip: The Burlington Greenway (Oakledge to Colchester) is paved; the Colchester Causeway is crushed limestone. Bike rentals at Local Motion's downtown hub. Bike ferry hours: weekends only May 22–June 21 and Sept 11–Oct 12, daily June 22–Sept 7. Plan around the Memorial Day opening.

Arts & Culture

A year-round arts and maker neighborhood centered on Pine Street south of downtown, home to 30+ artist studios, galleries, and small-batch makers — including The Soda Plant (a former soda bottling factory now housing 30+ creative businesses), 405 Pine Street (Burlington City Arts), and the densest concentration of breweries in Vermont. The separate annual South End Art Hop festival in September draws 35,000 visitors.

Address: Pine Street, Burlington, VT 05401

Tip: Every Friday in warm months, the South End Get Down brings food trucks and live music to the district. Many studios are open weekdays 10 AM–5 PM — check individual gallery hours. Free street parking on Pine Street; walkable from downtown in about 20 minutes.