Fairbanks Museum and Planetarium

Franklin Fairbanks belonged to a family whose platform scales, invented in St. Johnsbury, were sold worldwide and made the town wealthy. Like many wealthy Victorians, he was an avid collector, amassing natural specimens and oddities until he built a museum to hold them and gave it to the public.

The building itself, a Richardsonian Romanesque pile of red sandstone, is part of the experience, and its grand oak Great Hall remains one of the most beautiful museum interiors in New England. Walking in feels like stepping into the nineteenth century's idea of how to understand the world: by gathering it, labeling it, and putting it on display.

The collection ranges from Vermont's own birds and mammals to specimens from far corners of the globe: a polar bear, exotic birds, mounted big game, shells, minerals, and ethnographic objects. There are famous oddities too, including intricate pictures made entirely from mounted insects.

It is deliberately dense, a survival of the era before museums thinned their displays, and that abundance is the appeal. Children and adults alike find something startling in nearly every case.

The Fairbanks added a planetarium in the 1960s, and it remains the only public one in Vermont, projecting the night sky and seasonal star shows for audiences in a small domed theater. In a rural state with famously dark skies, it is a fitting complement to the real stars outside.

The museum is also home to the Eye on the Sky, a weather service whose forecasts are broadcast to listeners across northern New England, giving this small-town institution a daily voice far beyond its walls.

As an indoor destination, the Fairbanks welcomes visitors year-round and makes an ideal refuge on a cold or rainy day in the Northeast Kingdom. Planetarium shows run through the seasons on a set schedule.

Autumn brings foliage travelers to the Kingdom's back roads and fills St. Johnsbury, while winter, with its long dark nights, is a fine time for a star show followed by the real sky overhead.

The closest Boutel™ stays, so you can turn this stop into an overnight. Each is a place we chose through independent editorial review, never a paid placement.

The Fairbanks Museum and Planetarium, in St. Johnsbury in Vermont's Northeast Kingdom, is a wonderful and historic natural history museum housed in a beautiful Victorian building, home to the only public planetarium in the state. Founded in the late nineteenth century, the museum charms visitors with its atmospheric, old-fashioned galleries filled with a remarkable collection of natural history specimens, from mounted animals and birds to fossils, along with cultural artifacts, science exhibits, a weather gallery, and the beloved planetarium with its star shows. A delightful blend of Victorian charm and natural wonder, it engages visitors of all ages. With its natural history and planetarium, the Fairbanks Museum and Planetarium offers a fascinating destination in Vermont.

You can explore the atmospheric Victorian galleries filled with a remarkable collection of mounted animals, birds, fossils, and natural history specimens, view cultural artifacts and science exhibits, learn about weather at the museum's weather gallery, and enjoy a star show in the planetarium, the only public one in the state. The charming historic galleries, the natural history collection, the weather exhibits, and the planetarium are the highlights, offering a delightful and educational experience for all ages. Its old-fashioned character is part of the charm. With its collection and planetarium, the Fairbanks Museum and Planetarium offers an engaging visit in Vermont.

Yes, the Fairbanks Museum and Planetarium is a wonderful family destination, with fascinating mounted animals and natural history specimens, hands-on science and weather exhibits, and the beloved planetarium star shows that captivate children and adults alike. Kids especially love the animals, the specimens, and the planetarium, while the whole family enjoys the charming historic setting. Because planetarium shows run on a schedule, checking current showtimes and hours before you go is wise. With its natural history and planetarium, the Fairbanks Museum and Planetarium makes an excellent family destination in Vermont.

As an indoor museum and planetarium, the Fairbanks Museum is enjoyable year-round in any weather, making it a great stop on a hot, cold, or rainy day in the Northeast Kingdom. It can be busier on weekends and school breaks. Because planetarium shows run on a schedule, checking current showtimes and hours before you go is wise to plan around a show. Because it is indoors, the Fairbanks Museum and Planetarium makes a rewarding family stop any time of year in St. Johnsbury, Vermont.

The Fairbanks Museum and Planetarium is in St. Johnsbury in Vermont's Northeast Kingdom, within reach of the St. Johnsbury Athenaeum, Dog Mountain, the Bread and Puppet Museum in Glover, Lake Willoughby, and the Northeast Kingdom countryside. That makes the Fairbanks Museum and Planetarium a fascinating stop to combine with the St. Johnsbury Athenaeum, Dog Mountain, and the other attractions of the Northeast Kingdom on a visit to Vermont.