Whenever my travels take me to the central Vermont region I find an excuse to take a rest break in the town of Woodstock. My wife has noticed this tendency, especially as it usually coincides with a convenient visit to F.H. Gillingham’s classic 1886 Vermont General Store. Well, stocking up on maple products and cheeses along with fishing supplies makes all of life’s other obligations bearable doesn’t it? Well at least for me it does.

Vermont has many delights going for it - mountains, rivers, rural farms, and parks galore. And the Woodstock area is one of those places it all comes together.

Mostly any weekend - even snowy ones - you can find visitors mingling around the classic village green taking photos of the covered bridge and admiring the historic houses surrounding the common.

But one of my favorite destinations in this tranquil area is the Billings Farm and Museum. There’s always something new at every visit and it’s possible to coincide an educational time at the museum with a scenic and invigorating walk on the adjoining Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller Park.

Today I want to briefly introduce you to Billings Farm and Museum and will save the park for another post.

Early Days on the Billings Farm:

There’s been a farm on the property in Woodstock, Vermont since Frederick Billings established one in 1871. Billings was a pioneer in the Vermont conservationist movement and deeply troubled with logging that had stripped most of the forest cover in the Green Mountains.

Billings planted thousands of trees around Woodstock for re-growth while he built a reputation for his dairy farm. Billings imported Jersey cows from the Channel Isle of the same name - these produce creamier milk than your average cow. The farm grew in size from the original 270 acres to nearly 1,000 acres, experiencing a number of successful ventures but always with its Jersey herd and the creamery products at its core.

Billings Farm and Museum Today:

Today the farm continues to be a working dairy operation but has developed into an important educational facility showcasing life on the farm in rural Vermont during the late Nineteenth century.

Visitors can attend the afternoon milking of the herd along with checking out the authentic and restored 1890 Farm House and the many exhibits housed in the 19^th century barns. Take in the film “A Place in the Land” as an orientation to the history of the farm at the visitor center.

A day at Billings Museum is about getting engaged and programs such as churning butter, making ice cream, getting to know the herd, how to keep a sheep, and training young oxen, are offered throughout the week.

Billings Farm and Museum is located in Woodstock in east central Vermont just a few miles west of White River Junction at I89 and I91 intersection. For more information on current programs and exhibits, along with times and admission fees see their official website here at www.billingsfarm.org

More about Woodstock in Vermont:

Woodstock is a magnet for visitors to central Vermont anytime of the year but it really comes alive and dresses up for the Wassail weekend in December - usually around the second weekend - and special events can be found in the town and at Billings Farm and nearby resorts.

If you’re looking for a special getaway or overnight stop then consider the charming and historic Woodstock Inn.

For lots more ideas on things to see and do, and places to stay in Vermont check out my special Vermont vacations guide here.

Another New England post by one of our writers is being prepared right now so be sure to visit again or just subscribe to our RSS Feed here and get notified automatically of events and news.

Yankee Traveler
Staff Writer
New England Travel Online Magazine

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