Explore Manchester

Explore Manchester Village

Manchester Village sits just one mile down the hill from The Wilburton - close enough for easy access, far enough to maintain our hilltop tranquility. This elegant Vermont town has been a vacation destination since the 1800s, when wealthy families from New York and Boston built summer estates along tree-lined streets. That heritage shows in the Georgian and Federal architecture surrounding the village green, the white-columned historic buildings, and the sophisticated culture that flourishes in a town of just 9,000 year-round residents.

Today Manchester balances small-town Vermont charm with world-class amenities. Browse over 100 designer outlet stores, explore Robert Todd Lincoln's Hildene estate, cast flies on the legendary Battenkill River where Orvis built their empire, visit museums and art galleries, dine at farm-to-table restaurants, and discover why generations of travelers have made Manchester their Vermont destination. Everything you need awaits within minutes of The Wilburton - shopping, dining, culture, history, and that genuine New England village atmosphere you came to Vermont seeking.

Farmers Markets

The Manchester area hosts several different farmers markets through the years! Find freshly picked vegetables and fruits, home baked breads and pastries, artisan cheeses and wines, grass-fed meat and poultry, free-range eggs, canned condiments and pickled produce, specialty goods, hot prepared foods, functional Vermont crafts, and live, local music.

Dorset Farmers Market:

Year Round - Sundays 10am - 2pm
Winter Market: JK Adams Kitchen Store, 1430 Vt. Rt 30, Dorset, VT
Summer Market : HN Williams General Store, 2732 Vt. Route 30, Dorset, VT

Manchester Farmers Market:

Spring - Fall, Thursdays 3-6pm

Cultural Events

Manchester and the surrounding towns are a hub of entertainment and education. In addition to the Museum of the Creative Process, located on the grounds of the Wilburton, Southern Vermont features the Robert Todd Lincoln Hildene Estate, the Fly Fishing Museum, The Southern Vermont Art Center, The Bennington Museum, and the Brattleboro Museum.

Hildene: The Lincoln Family Home:

Year Round - Sundays 10am - 2pm
Winter Market: JK Adams Kitchen Store, 1430 Vt. Rt 30, Dorset, VT
Summer Market : HN Williams General Store, 2732 Vt. Route 30, Dorset, VT

Orvis Fly Fishing Museum

Spring - Fall, Thursdays 3-6pm

The Southern Vermont Arts Center:

Spring - Fall, Thursdays 3-6pm

Dorset Theatre Festival:

Spring - Fall, Thursdays 3-6pm

Weston Playhouse:

Spring - Fall, Thursdays 3-6pm

Oldcastle Theatre Company:

Spring - Fall, Thursdays 3-6pm

Williamstown Theater:

Spring - Fall, Thursdays 3-6pm

The Taconic Music Festival:

Spring - Fall, Thursdays 3-6pm

Manchester Music Festival:

Spring - Fall, Thursdays 3-6pm

Earth Sky Time Farm Music Series:

Spring - Fall, Thursdays 3-6pm

Shopping

Manchester is famous for it's high end outlet shopping. Manchester is also the home of one of the country's great independent bookstores, the Northshire Bookstore. Manchester is an elegant shopping mecca.

Manchester Designer Outlets:

Over 100 designer outlets including Armani, Brooks Brothers, J. Crew, Ralph Lauren and more

Northshire Bookstore:

An enchanting bookstore for young and old with a great café and kids department too.

The Vermont Country Store:

Located in charming Weston, VT (30 minutes away), the Vermont Country Store is a delightful walk down memory lane with penny candy and nostalgic products as well as humorous gift and craft items. 802-362-4667

Wellness

We now offer massages and spa services in our guest rooms. Please call ahead to book your appointment. The Equinox Spa offers a full line of wellness treatments and classes, as do our friends at Heart of the Village Yoga. You can also purchase day passes for classes or workouts at the Manchester Gym.

The Equinox Spa:

Over 100 designer outlets including Armani, Brooks Brothers, J. Crew, Ralph Lauren and more

Heart of the Village Yoga:

An enchanting bookstore for young and old with a great café and kids department too.

Manchester Gym:

Located in charming Weston, VT (30 minutes away), the Vermont Country Store is a delightful walk down memory lane with penny candy and nostalgic products as well as humorous gift and craft items. 802-362-4667

Family Fun

We now offer massages and spa services in our guest rooms. Please call ahead to book your appointment. The Equinox Spa offers a full line of wellness treatments and classes, as do our friends at Heart of the Village Yoga. You can also purchase day passes for classes or workouts at the Manchester Gym.

Bromley's Alpine Slide, Zip Line, Sun Mountain Adventure Park:

(Summer) Rent a paddleboat, kayak, paddleboard or canoe and enjoy the simple pleasures of a charming country lake experience. . East Dorset | 802.362.1655

(Summer) Rent a paddleboat, kayak, paddleboard or canoe and enjoy the simple pleasures of a charming country lake experience. . East Dorset | 802.362.1655

Canoe, Kayak and Inner Tube down the Battenkill River:

(Summer) Kids and grown ups love spending an afternoon on our gentle Vermont river. Cambridge, New York | 518.677.8868

Horse Back Riding:

(Spring, Summer & Fall) Enjoy trail rides through the beautiful Green Mountains 30 minutes from Manchester. Mountain View Ranch, Danby | 802.293.5837 Chipman Stables, Danby | 802.293.5254

Vermont Summer Horse Festival:

(Summer) This yearly festival brings families, performers, contestants and equestrian enthusiasts from all over the United States and some foreign countries to the Manchester area for the months of July and August. We often have families staying with us at the Wilburton Inn. Events are open to the public.

Sleigh Rides in Winter and Hay Rides in Summer at Taylor Farm, Londonderry RT 11

(Year Round) Visit a lovely, authentic VT dairy farm with cows, donkeys, pigs, chicks and cheese making on site. Sleigh rides in the winter, hay rides in the summer. There's always something going on at Taylor Farm from cheesemaking demonstrations to hay and sleigh rides to spontaneous music by local musicians to holiday celebrations to shopping for country pleasures at the farm gift shop. Call to see what's up at at 802.824.5690 or just stop by.

Downhill Skiing, Snowboarding and Snow Tubing at Stratton:

(Winter & Spring) A grand mountain with a gondola and mountain top restaurant | 1.800.STRATTON

Downhill Skiing, Snowboarding and Tele instruction at Bromley:

(Winter & Spring) An excellent family mountain. | 802.824.5522

Cross Country Skiing & Snow Shoeing at Hildene:

(Winter) 802.362.1788

Cross Country Skiing & Snow Shoeing at Wild Wings X-C Center:

(Winter) | (802) 824-6793

Manchester Hot Glass:

Make your own beautiful glass paperweights and more. | 802.362.2227

(Spring, Summer & Fall) Equinox Golf Course, listed “Best in Vermont” by Golf Digest & GolfWeek, 2013. | 802.362.9108.

(Spring, Summer & Fall) River Road which is directly beneath the inn is a fantastic road for a scenic ride or jog. Turn left out of our driveway for a bucolic ride past cows, marble topped stone walls, grand white homes, charming barns and 11 miles later you’ll find a charming historic covered bridge! Rent bikes at Battenkill Sports | 802.362.2734

Merck Forest and Farmland Center:

(Spring, Summer & Fall) A 3000 acre farm with hikes, animals, and activities dedicated to sustainablilty Rupert | 802.394.7836

Ice skating, ice hockey and family fun for the winter. For the summer, Riley Rink offers concerts, summer camps and space for inline skating or soccer! | 802-362-0150

The Manchester Antique and Classic Car Show:

(Spring) Not just fun for the antique car lover but fun for the whole family.

Adventure

We now offer massages and spa services in our guest rooms. Please call ahead to book your appointment. The Equinox Spa offers a full line of wellness treatments and classes, as do our friends at Heart of the Village Yoga. You can also purchase day passes for classes or workouts at the Manchester Gym.

Land Rover Experience Off Road Driving:

(Year Round) 802.362.0687

Orvis Fly Fishing School:

(Spring, Summer & Fall) Our Battenkill River is famous for fly fisherman around the world. Orvis, the ultimate fly fisherman’s store, opened in Manchester long before it became chic in NYC and Beverly Hills. Enjoy a lesson with their teachers and discover their flagship store. | 866.531.6213

Horseback Riding at Mountain View Ranch:

(spring, summer, fall, winter) What better way to see the foliage and the scenery than on horseback? Scenic horseback trail rides, either private or in your own group (minimum 2), are available all year long for 1 hour, 2 hours, a 1.75 hour Picnic Ride, a 1.5 hour Sunset Ride, the advanced ride which is a 1 or 2 hour private ride for riders looking for a backcountry adventure on challenging trails or the Cowboy ride, a 3 hour ranch ride with instruction in trail riding and how to “Cowboy Up” with a competitive skills show for laughter and comraderie. Carriage and Wagon rides also offered. Children who are unfamiliar with horses are invited to try a pony ride or riding lessons. Mountain View Ranch, Danby, VT 05739 | (802) 293-5837

The Aeolus (Dorset) Bat Cave:

(Spring, Summer & Fall) Owned by the Nature Conservancy, this cave used to house large numbers of bats, including Myotis Sodalis whose population has been decimated by the white nose syndrome. Aeolus Cave runs into the side of a mountain in Dorset, Vermont, like a tunnel. At its mouth, there’s a large chamber with a vaulted ceiling. Further along, the cave narrows into a network of passageways so tight that no one knows how far they extend. In the 1960s, a team of biologists estimated that a quarter of a million bats gathered each winter in the passageways of Aeolus to hibernate.

Dorset's Marble Quarry:

(Summer) Go for a swim in the oldest marble quarry in the USA that produced the marble for the New York Public Library and many other distinguished buildings.

Equinox Mountain Drive:

(Spring, Summer & Fall) Super curvy, hairpin turn road for the adventurous at heart! You’ll be well rewarded with stunning views from the top. 3 miles from the inn. | 802.362.1114

For questions about planning your trip and any activities, please call our Team at (802) 362-2500.