Free & Cheap Things to Do in St. Johnsbury

History & Museums

A wonderfully old-fashioned 1891 natural-history museum under a barrel-vaulted oak ceiling, crammed with mounted animals, bugs, and oddities from around the world, plus Vermont's only public planetarium and a working weather station heard on statewide radio.

Address: 1302 Main Street, St. Johnsbury, VT 05819

Tip: Residents of many surrounding towns get in free. The planetarium show is a worthwhile add-on. Homeschoolers can join the museum's $10 Homeschool Tuesdays. Allow about two hours.

Arts & Culture

A jewel-box 1871 public library and art gallery, free to all. Its gallery — the oldest unaltered art gallery in the U.S. — centers on Albert Bierstadt's enormous 'Domes of the Yosemite,' surrounded by Hudson River School landscapes beneath a skylit dome.

Address: 1171 Main Street, St. Johnsbury, VT 05819

Tip: Free to walk in and see the Bierstadt and the historic reading rooms. A quiet, uncrowded gem on Main Street near the Fairbanks Museum — easy to pair the two.

Parks & Nature

Artist Stephen Huneck's 150-acre hilltop where dogs roam off-leash across open fields and trails, free to all. The hand-built Dog Chapel, papered floor-to-ceiling with visitors' notes to departed pets, is one of the most quietly moving spots in Vermont.

Address: 143 Parks Road, St. Johnsbury, VT 05819

Tip: Free and open dawn to dusk; bring your dog (or just yourself). The chapel and Huneck gallery are deeply touching — bring a photo of a pet you've lost. Donations support the nonprofit.

Arts & Culture

The Northeast Kingdom's arts hub, with free galleries of regional and contemporary art, an art-house cinema, and a year-round calendar of music and performance. The free 'Final Fridays' summer street parties and LevittAMP concerts are downtown highlights.

Address: 115 Eastern Avenue, St. Johnsbury, VT 05819

Tip: Gallery admission is free; films and concerts are modestly priced. Check the calendar for free outdoor LevittAMP concerts in summer. A short walk from the Athenaeum and downtown.

Hiking & Trails

Now complete at 93 miles, this is New England's longest rail trail, running clear across northern Vermont from St. Johnsbury to Swanton. The St. J trailhead launches a flat, scenic walk or bike ride along the Passumpsic and Moose rivers.

Address: Lamoille Valley Rail Trail trailhead, St. Johnsbury, VT 05819

Tip: Flat, stroller- and bike-friendly crushed stone. Note that some sections are temporarily closed for flood-damage repairs — check the Vermont Rail Trail System for status. The St. Johnsbury end (the Three Rivers Bike Path) makes an easy out-and-back. Free trailhead parking.

Shopping & Strolling

St. J's walkable downtown blends grand Victorian civic buildings on the hill with the brick storefronts of Railroad Street below — independent shops, cafés, breweries, and galleries. Free to explore, with public art and river views.

Address: Railroad Street, St. Johnsbury, VT 05819

Tip: Free street parking and a compact, walkable core. Time a Final Friday in summer for a street-fair atmosphere. Connects the Athenaeum, Catamount Arts, and the rail trail on foot.

Markets & Food

One of the world's oldest and largest maple producers runs a small maple museum and gift store on its St. Johnsbury campus, where you can learn how syrup is made and graded and sample Vermont's signature sweet — a cheap, only-in-Vermont stop.

Address: 1052 Portland Street, St. Johnsbury, VT 05819

Tip: The museum and store are free to browse with samples; sugarhouse tours run a small fee in season. A quick, fun stop on the way in or out of town. Stock up on syrup and maple candy.

Parks & Waterfront

St. Johnsbury sits where the Moose, Sleepers, and Passumpsic rivers meet, and a riverside path and pocket parks give free access to the water just below downtown — a quiet place to walk, fish, or watch the current.

Address: St. Johnsbury, VT 05819

Tip: Free and easy to reach from Railroad Street. A low-key spot to stretch your legs by the water. Combine with a downtown stroll and the rail trail for an outdoorsy afternoon.