Quechee is a small town in south central Vermont, located between Woodstock and White River Junction. The town is home to a state park, a nature center that features owls and other birds of prey and a variety of restaurants and attractions that will appeal to children and and adults alike. This town offers a taste of Vermont's rural, peaceful appeal.
The VINS (Vermont Institute of Natural Science) Nature Center in Quechee offers rehabilitation services for injured birds and extensive education programs for children and adults. The center's staff and volunteers work to rehabilitate birds injured by, among other things, cars and cats. The center uses birds that cannot be re-released into the wild in its educational displays and programs. The center focuses on raptors, or birds of prey, and visitors can see bald eagles, peregrine falcons, ravens, owls and hawks. The center's educational programs teach visitors about the birds' habitats, flight, hearing, vision and more. Visitors often have the chance to see the birds in flight under the supervision of experienced trainers. The center also offers programs for local schools. Programs and schedules are subject to change, although most of year the center is open seven days a week. Visitors must pay a small admissions fee. Discounted rates are available for schools and other large groups. Many of the bird enclosures are outdoors, so visit on a sunny day.
VINS Nature Center
6565 Woodstock Road
Quechee, VT 05059
(802) 359-5000
vinsweb.org
The Quechee Gorge in the Quechee State Park passes directly under U.S. Route 4, also known as Woodstock Road, between the towns of Woodstock and White River Junction, Vermont. The state park contains easy to moderate hiking trails that lead into the river gorge, along with picnic sites and a campground at street level above the gorge. Visitors can bring a picnic lunch to enjoy before or after a hike down to the gorge. The park does not charge an entrance fee for the picnic area or trails. Nearby Quechee Gorge Village offers a variety of tourist attractions and gift shops, including the Vermont Toy and Train Museum, a Cabot cheese store, an antiques shop and a glassblowing studio.
Quechee Gorge
5573 Woodstock Road
Quechee, VT 05059
(802) 295-1550
quecheegorge.com
The Simon Pearce glassblowing workshop has a working glassblowing studio along with a restaurant and retail store at the Historic Mill in Quechee, Vermont. The glassblowing studio at the back of the mill building is surrounded by glass windows, allowing visitors to watch trained artisans turn molten glass into dishes and works of art. The glassblowing studio is open daily. Call the store for a program schedule and information about specific events.
The Simon Pearce restaurant overlooks the river, mill and nearby covered bridge. Diners can also often catch glimpses of hot air balloons that take off from a nearby field in the summer. The restaurant offers lunch, dinner and Sunday brunch, all served on glassware and pottery made on the premises.
Simon Pearce
1760 Quechee Main Street
Quechee, VT 05059
(802) 295-2711
simonpearce.com
