Bennington's three covered bridges are reminders of times gone by. The Silk Road Bridge, Paper Mill Village Bridge and Henry Bridge all are easily accessible from off SR 67A on Murphy Road. US 7A north to Manchester and SR 9 east to Brattleboro provide scenic drives.
Hemmings Car Lover's Store and Sunoco Station displays vintage automobile memorabilia in an old-fashioned, full-service gas station at 216 Main St.; phone (802) 447-9652.
Three miles north at 121 Historic SR 7A in Shaftsbury is the Robert Frost Stone House Museum, in which the Pulitzer Prize-winning poet lived and composed poetry from 1920-29. Educational and literary displays cover Frost’s life and art; phone (802) 447-6200.
Outdoor activities available in the area include cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, snowmobiling, canoeing, kayaking, hiking and fishing. Popular recreational areas are Lake Paran, Woodford State Park and Lake Shaftsbury State Park.
Held Labor Day weekend, the Southern Vermont Garlic and Herb Festival draws more than 13,000 allium lovers with food, music and crafts.
Visitor Centers
Bennington Area Chamber of Commerce 100 Veterans Memorial Dr. Bennington, VT 05201. Phone:(802)447-3311
Self-guiding Tours
Maps of two walking tours of historic buildings, houses and streets are available from the chamber of commerce. The chamber also has bike tour maps and driving tour maps that feature covered bridges.
Shopping
Bennington Potters Yard, 324 County St., offers free self-guiding tours of the pottery works which produce fine and decorative art pottery for the home; phone (800) 205-8033. Works in other media are offered in galleries throughout town.