Overview
Brattleboro is a town of 12,000 people in southern Vermont. From points south, it will most likely be the place for travelers to begin their exploration of Vermont.
2 sights · 3 things to do · 5 places to eat · 3 bars & cafés · 5 places to stay
Updated from Wikivoyage on 1 October 2026 · Something wrong or missing? Improve it on Wikivoyage
Best things about Brattleboro
Brattleboro Museum and Art Center
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.
Latchis Hotel & Theater
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 Fil…
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 s…
Hooker-Dunham Theater & Gallery
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.
Brattleboro Farmer's Market
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 …
Plan your trip
Best time to visit & weather
Most comfortable: May–Sep. Summer highs reach about 84°F; winter lows dip to about 14°F. Cold months (Jan, Feb, Dec) can bring snow and ice; check road conditions. Wettest: Oct and Dec. (climate data from nearby Nashua)
Blue bars: average daily high and low (°F). Purple columns: average monthly rain and melted snow (inches).
Getting there
- From you: to see whether to drive or fly, and how long it takes.
- RUT Rutland - Southern Vermont Regional Airport, Rutland — 51 mi away. Directions
- ORH Worcester Regional Airport, Worcester — 53 mi away. Directions
- BDL Bradley International Airport, Hartford — 63 mi away (major hub). Directions
Budget & where to stay
- Places to stay listed here: about $70–$170 a night (typical $83), from 5 listed prices.
- Estimated daily budget per person (room, two meals, local transport and an activity): budget ~$110, mid-range ~$160, comfortable ~$340.
See the Sleep guide ↓ for places to stay.
Sample 1-day itinerary
Day 1
- Morning Brattleboro Museum and Art Center, Latchis Hotel & Theater, Gallery Walk
- Lunch Blue Moose Bistro
- Afternoon Hooker-Dunham Theater & Gallery, Brattleboro Farmer's Market
- Dinner Brattleboro Food Coop
- Evening Mocha Joe's
Stops are grouped by area so each day needs little backtracking. Check opening hours before you go.
Food for you
Cuisine (tap to filter)
What to ask about, for your diet
Diet labels come from each listing's description and cuisine; “likely” means the cuisine usually has good choices, not a promise. Check with the restaurant. Open the food finder
Photos
Map
Every listing with a location. Tap a pin for its Google Maps link.
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.
Get in
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
- 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.
Get 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
Do
Do Brattleboro Farmer's Market
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
Shop Harmony Underground
Shop Penelope Wurr
Eat
Eat Blue Moose Bistro
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.
Eat Brattleboro Food Coop (The Coop)
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.
Eat Amy's Bakery Arts Cafe (Amy's Cafe)
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.
Eat Echo Bar and Lounge
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.
Eat T. J. Buckley's
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
Drink Kipling's Restaurant & Pub (Kipling's)
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.
Drink The Tower Bar & Lounge
Fruity drinks or otherwise and live entertainment.
Drink Mocha Joe's
Mocha Joe's is a tiny basement coffeeshop that has a full menu of espresso drinks and a small selection of baked goods. They roast their own coffee, which you will find for sale in stores around the region. The shop is split into two rooms, one for ordering and a seating area with a mix of tables and a comfortable couch in the back. The walls feature a rotating art display with pieces available for purchase.
Sleep
Stay The One Cat Bed & Breakfast
The One Cat is a small, friendly bed & breakfast five minutes' walk from downtown. Rates include taxes, a full breakfast catering to all diets, use of a small-but-well-stocked library and the breakfast room, which doubles as a place to relax on a rainy day or stormy night. The One Cat offers a discount to guests taking the train. Check the website for unadvertised specials, more information, policies and lots of photographs. Rates go up on weekends and in high season.
Go next
Keene, New Hampshire is about 40 minutes' drive via US Route 5 North and State Route 9 East, and has more pretty buildings for you to see.
Nearby
Westmoreland
City / town · 8 listings · 10 mi away
Newfane
City / town · 1 listings · 11 mi away
Swanzey
City / town · 1 listings · 14 mi away
Keene
City / town · 16 listings · 15 mi away
Wilmington
City / town · 7 listings · 16 mi away
Greenfield
City / town · 8 listings · 18 mi away
Gill
City / town · 4 listings · 18 mi away
Shelburne
City / town · 5 listings · 19 mi away
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