Contributing Content Creator: Gail (Mom)
Some adventures don't need an elaborate itinerary.
Sometimes you simply find yourself on a beautiful August day in Vermont, follow the road to someplace interesting, and spend the next couple of hours wandering through buildings filled with pieces of the past.
That's exactly what my mom, Gail, did this past weekend when she visited Shelburne Museum in Shelburne, Vermont.
And this isn't exactly your typical museum.
A Museum You Walk Through — Not Just Around
When we think of a museum, most of us probably picture one large building filled with galleries.
Shelburne Museum is something entirely different.
Spread across 45 acres are 39 different buildings, 25 of which are historic structures that were actually relocated to the museum grounds.
There are houses and barns. A one-room schoolhouse. A jail. A general store. A covered bridge. A lighthouse. A blacksmith shop. A railroad station.
And then there's something you definitely don't expect to encounter sitting in the Vermont countryside: a 220-foot steamboat.
The Ticonderoga was built in Shelburne in 1906 and once carried passengers on Lake Champlain. After it retired from service, the entire steamboat was moved approximately two miles over land to the museum in 1955. Today it's a National Historic Landmark, and visitors can explore its decks, engine, pilot house, galley and other spaces.
That's when you begin to understand why founder Electra Havemeyer Webb described Shelburne Museum as a:
“collection of collections.”
And I can't think of a better description.
You Never Quite Know What You'll Find in the Next Building
My mom spent about two hours walking through the grounds and exploring the different buildings.
But here's something worth knowing before you visit:
Two hours will give you a taste of Shelburne Museum.
It probably won't let you see everything.
In fact, the museum makes admission tickets valid for two consecutive days because there's so much spread across the property.
And the variety is almost strange—in the best possible way.
The museum's collections span four centuries and include American folk art, paintings, quilts and other textiles, toys, dolls, carriages, circus collections, decorative arts, duck decoys and much more.
You can walk out of one building filled with ordinary objects from generations ago and into another containing significant works of art.
That's part of what makes this place interesting.
It's not just about looking at valuable things.
It's about looking at things people once lived with.
A carriage. A quilt. A child's toy. A piece of furniture. A shop counter. An old building.
Objects that might have seemed completely ordinary to the person who originally owned them have become little pieces of American history.
And there's something about that I love.
The Woman Who Saw Beauty in Ordinary Things
The story behind the museum feels particularly appropriate for my Pen Pal Adventure journey.
Electra Havemeyer Webb founded Shelburne Museum in 1947.
She grew up surrounded by serious art collectors, but her own interests went in a slightly different direction. She saw value in everyday American objects—things like furniture, pottery, quilts and weathervanes—that weren't necessarily being treated as important pieces of history at the time.
Eventually, her collection grew beyond objects.
She began collecting the buildings themselves.
Historic structures from Vermont and elsewhere in New England and New York were relocated to Shelburne and used as settings for the collections.
Instead of putting everything inside one enormous museum building, she essentially created a place where people could wander from one piece of history into another.
More than 75 years later, that's still how visitors experience it.
And Then There Were the Turtle Crossing Signs 🐢
Of all the things my mom could have mentioned after visiting a museum filled with historic buildings and thousands upon thousands of objects, she says one of her favorite things was: Vermont's turtle crossing signs.
She kept seeing them during her travels.
And I love that she noticed them.
Because sometimes the memorable part of an adventure isn't necessarily the thing you drove there to see.
It's the weird sign on the side of the road.
The flower growing beside the parking lot.
The tiny store you stopped at afterward.
The conversation you overheard.
Or the turtle crossing sign that made you smile every time you passed one.
Those little details become part of the story, too.
Don't Skip the Gift Shop
My mom also specifically mentioned the museum store because it had unique items from local artists.
And if you're someone who would rather bring home something interesting than another generic souvenir, give yourself some time to browse before leaving.
📓 A Journal Prompt for This Adventure
If someone created a museum of your everyday life 100 years from now, what ordinary object from your life would you want them to save—and what story would it tell about you?
Maybe it's your favorite coffee mug.
A handwritten recipe.
Your hiking shoes.
A stack of letters.
Your journal.
Something that seems completely ordinary today may someday tell a remarkable story about how you lived.
Planning Your Visit
Shelburne Museum is located about 10 minutes south of Burlington at 6000 Shelburne Road in Shelburne, Vermont. For the 2026 regular season, the museum is open daily from 10 a.m.–5 p.m. through October 25; because hours, admission and exhibitions can change, check the museum directly when planning your trip.
Plan a visit to Shelburne Museum
One Adventure Once A Month.
*****************************************************
🌿 This Article Is Proudly Supported By
I believe the internet should be filled with helpful resources—not pages cluttered with pop-ups and distracting ads.
That's why every article on Pen Pal Adventure Book is supported by one carefully chosen small business sponsor.
Each sponsorship is a lifetime placement, allowing readers to discover businesses I genuinely believe add value to this community while helping keep these articles free for everyone.
If you're a small business that shares a love for creativity, travel, nature, handmade goods, or intentional living, I'd love to hear from you.
