Brattleboro

Understand

As a Connecticut River town in southern Vermont, Brattleboro benefited greatly from the easy availability of water and water power, and thus has been a prosperous town since the 18th and 19th centuries, as shown by the extraordinary collection of beautiful buildings in various styles that survive from those days and the first few decades of the 20th century. Only a very small selection of them are shown in this article.

Getting there

By car

Route 91. The major highway running north-south with 3 exits in the town. 91 goes north all the way to Canada. South it goes through Greenfield, Springfield and Hartford, terminating in New Haven. Route 9. Runs east-west through town. Going west it hits Bennington, and to the east, Keene.

By bus Greyhound, terminal at 1102 Putney Rd, near exit 3 on route 91.

By train

1 Brattleboro station, 10 Vernon Road. A short walk south from downtown. (updated Oct 2023) Amtrak, ☏ +1 215-856-7924, toll-free: +1-800-872-7245. Operates train service around the United States of America. (updated Mar 2022) Route stopping at Brattleboro: Vermonter operates daily between St. Albans and Washington, D.C. including stops in Essex Junction, Waterbury, Montpelier, White River Junction, Claremont, Bellows Falls, Brattleboro, Greenfield, Northampton, Holyoke, Springfield, Windsor Locks, Hartford, Meriden, New Haven, Bridgeport, Stamford, New York City, Newark, Trenton, Philadelphia, Wilmington, Baltimore, and New Carrollton.

Getting around

For getting around the center of town, all you should need are your feet. Amble around the streets, stop at some shops, and just take your time. For getting out of town, a car would be the best way to go. Be aware that traffic in downtown Brattleboro can resemble that found in cities orders of magnitude larger, in part due to a long term construction project on I-91 that causes people to leave the highway, but more due to all the major streets feeding into Main St in the center of town. Driving within the center should be avoided and parking all day is quite cheap (under $10). If you are in the mood, though, rent a bike at the Brattleboro Bicycle Shop located downtown at 165 Main St.

See

Gallery Walk. The first Friday of each month from 5:30PM-8:30PM. Shops and galleries are open and people come to see the sights. A good way to get a feel for the locals. See the fashion show at Twice Upon a Time, a local consignment shop. 1 Brattleboro Museum and Art Center, 10 Vernon St, ☏ +1 802 257-0124. Small museum with consistently changing exhibits since they have no collection. Current admission ranges from $4 for students to $8 for adults. Free for kids under 6.

Do

Hooker-Dunham Theater & Gallery, 139 Main St. The Hooker-Dunham Theater puts on concerts and dramatic performances. Tickets are usually very reasonably priced. The gallery has an ever-changing selection of art. 1 Latchis Hotel & Theater, 50 Main St, ☏ +1 802-246-2020 (box office), +1 802-246-1500 (showtimes recording). A very cool old theater that hosts new films, old films, live theater, and guest speakers. On Halloween they show the Rocky Horror Picture Show, which is great fun. They also show films during the Brattleboro Women's Film Festival. (updated Oct 2022) Brattleboro Farmer's Market (Saturday Market: Take exit 2 from I91, turn west on Rt. 9. Market is .5 mile on the left just past the Creamery Covered Bridge. Wednesday Market: From I 91 exit 2 turn east on Rt. 9. Follow to the 'T' on Main Street, turn left, Market is .25 mile on the right, next to the Gibson-Aiken Center.). Saturday and Wednesday. The Brattleboro Area Farmers' Market is Southern Vermont's premier farmers' market featuring over 50 vendors with agricultural products, crafts, live music and animals and ethnic foods from around the world. Whether you are local or a tourist, you can stop by to get your weekly produce and grab a quick lunch, or come with your family and stay for the day! In the winter the market is held in the River Garden on Main Street in downtown Brattleboro. At least one person recommends the chicken sticks at Anons.

Buy

Everyone's Books, 25 Elliot St, ☏ +1 802 254-8160. Small new-book store with a social justice focus, although they carry a little bit of everything. Brattleboro Books, 141 Main St, ☏ +1 802 257-7777. Tightly packed store selling used and rare books. Harmony Underground, 26 Harmony Pl, ☏ +1 802 257-8080. Penelope Wurr, 167 Main Street (Exit 1 or 2 off Interstate 91 to Brattleboro center), ☏ +1 802-246-3015. Daily 11AM-6PM; closed Tuesdays in the late Winter and early Spring. (updated May 2017)

Eat

Blue Moose Bistro, 39 Main St (The cafe is located at the back of the store.), ☏ +1 802 254-6245. M-F 8AM-5PM, Sa 10AM-5PM, Su 9AM-4PM. The cafe has the standard assortment of coffee, espresso, and tea, plus a decent selection of gourmet sodas and juices. The baked goods are quite good. The food is great with lots of vegetarian options and is moderately priced. The area is well lit and a good place to read, surf online, or study. The only downside is that they play cheese-ball music. It does not get in the way of conversations or interrupt studying. Cell phone conversations are not encouraged inside the store or cafe, which is nice. The cafe has free Wi-Fi with purchase. Brattleboro Food Coop (The Coop), 2 Main St (Near malfunction junction), ☏ +1 802 257-0236. Healthy foods at reasonable prices, in a relaxed and friendly environment. Staff is knowledgeable and eager to help shoppers in any way that they can. Amy's Bakery Arts Cafe (Amy's Cafe), 113 Main St (On the east side of Main Street in the middle of downtown.), ☏ +1 802 251-1071. Amy's has great food and baked goods, plus they have the standard coffee shop items. The area in the back is a nice place to sit and overlook the river. Overall, a great place and one of the most popular lunch spots in Brattleboro. Echo Bar and Lounge, 73 Main St, ☏ +1 802 254-2073. Daily 5:30-9PM or 10PM. Trendy wood-fired pizza place downtown. Echo offers salads and some sandwiches in addition to their pizza options. To wash down your pie, you can choose from a small, but high-quality selection of beers, many of them local. T. J. Buckley's, 132 Elliot St (Past the fire station.), ☏ +1 802 257-4922. By far the fanciest and most elegant dining in Brattleboro. The restaurant is housed in an old diner. The location is a little off the beaten track, but only by a block or two.

Drink & nightlife

1 Kipling's Restaurant & Pub (Kipling's), 78 Elliot St (between McNeill's Brewery and the entrance to the parking garage), ☏ +1 802 257-4848. afternoon - last call. Kipling's has standard pub food and a decent selection of beer. A nice place to stop and get a beer, hang out with friends, etc. Kipling's isn't as trendy as Flat Street Brew Pub and lacks the character and charm of McNeill's, but Kipling's make up for that by being the warmest, friendliest, and most "down-to-earth" bar in Brattleboro. The waitress is really nice too. Cash only. (updated Oct 2016) 2 The Tower Bar & Loung