Is Brattleboro, Vermont a good vacation spot for families?

If you’re exploring the New England area, Vermont may be on your list of places to check out. Today I’ll be sharing my experience from a recent trip to Brattleboro so that you can decide if it’s worth making a pit stop. Specifically, I’ll explain:

• Location of Brattleboro
• Attractions in Brattleboro
• Is Brattleboro worth it?

Location

Brattleboro is located in the southeastern part of Vermont, just 30 minutes west of Keene, NH and an hour north of Six Flags New England in Springfield, MA. As you cross into Brattleboro from the NH state line, it feels like your standard New England farm town. There are plenty of barns and farmland, as well as abandoned and rundown hotels and restaurants. As you drive further into town, you’ll be greeted with a bustling Main Street with shops and restaurants.

Attractions

As I just mentioned, when you first cross the border into Brattleboro it seems like your average small New England town. There are some small strip malls with thrift stores and coffee shops, as well as farmer’s markets, walking trails, and family farms.

A few minutes drive into town and you’ll reach Main Street, an historic downtown area with boutique shops, coffee shops, crafts stores, bicycle shops, and book stores. The downtown area also offers special events in the Spring and Summer months, such as Mother’s Day activities, bingo, open mic nights, and food truck events.

Just outside the historic downtown area is Brattleboro’s new outlet center called the Vermont Marketplace. Currently, the building only has two stores open: Northeast Mountain, a boot and shoe store, and Exit One Emporium, a storefront that sells locally made goods. The Vermont Marketplace will also soon be home to a restaurant and a salon/spa.

Worth It?

My first impression of Brattleboro is that it is a quaint town with lots of history. Unfortunately, I found it to be a little too hipster and a little less family-oriented. The shopping and cafes make it a great pit stop if you’re passing through southern Vermont, however the lack of attractions for younger children would dissuade me from making Brattleboro a destination on my future family vacations.