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STATE ANNOUNCES HISTORIC SITES OPENING
Quadricentennial Events Highlight 2009 Season
MONTPELIER, Vt. - The Memorial Day Weekend is
fast approaching, and with it the opening day for most of
the state's Historic Sites as the tourism season officially
kicks off.
"Memorial Day Weekend offers visitors and Vermonters
a great opportunity to explore the state's art, culture, and
history," said Governor Jim Douglas. "In addition
to our historic sites opening, it also features the Vermont
Craft Council's Open Studio Weekend and the start of Cultural
Heritage Days."
Most of the state-owned historic sites - President Calvin
Coolidge, Mount Independence, Justin Morrill Homestead, Hubbardton
Battlefield, Eureka Schoolhouse, Old Constitution House, and
Chimney Point State Historic Sites - open for the 2008 season
on Saturday, May 23.
The Bennington Battle Monument opened for the season on April
18, and the Chester Arthur Birthplace and the Hyde Log Cabin
will open on July 4.
"All of the sites will be open this season," said
John Dumville, historic sites operations chief at the Vermont
Division for Historic Preservation. "They are a wonderful
and economical way for families to get outdoors and learn
about Vermont's history together."
As part of Open Studio Weekend, Vermont artisans will temporarily
relocate their studios to the Coolidge State Historic Site,
where visitor can watch basket making with Irene Ames and
traditional ornamental techniques like wall stenciling, theorem
painting, and bronze powder with members of the Historical
Society of Early American Decoration.
Dumville said numerous special exhibits and events are scheduled
throughout the season, including many related to the Lake
Champlain Quadricentennial, a year-long celebration of the
lake and the region commemorating Samuel de Champlain's exploration
400 years ago.
For example, on June 14, re-enactor and historian James Ross
talks at the Mount Independence Historic Site about the French
and Indian War "Battle of Snowshoes," a battle involving
Robert Rogers' Rangers, the forerunners of today's elite Army
Ranger units.
Chimney Point in Addison will host Second Saturdays from
2:00 to 4:00 p.m. on the second Saturday of every month from
June 13 through October 10, when visitors can explore the
French colonial past with hands-on activities for all ages,
including dressing up in period costumes to play games, and
learning about archaeology and history.
Other events this summer include the June 6 "Climb of
Your Life" at the Bennington Battle Monument, a fundraising
"race" up the 34 flights of stairs at the state's
tallest building to raise money for the American Lung Association.
For more information about hours of operation or for a calendar
of events, visit www.HistoricVermont.org/sites
For more information on the Quadricentennial visit www.celebratechamplain.org
The small state of Vermont boasts a rich and
rewarding historical heritage. Today, that history is well
preserved in an exceptional collection of state-owned historic
sites stretching the length of the state. Ranging from precontact
encampments, to pivotal Revolutionary War sites, to the
private homesteads of U.S. presidents, Vermont's historic
sites chronicle the development of a state, its people and
the nation around it.
Visit
the Vermont State Historic Sites 
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