"America's Smallest State Capitol" Top 5 Page for this destination Montpelier by emilienoelle

Montpelier Travel Guide: 43 reviews and 83 photos

Vermont State Capitol Building - Montpelier
Vermont State Capitol Building

On a recent road trip to Canada I had the good fortune to stop for a while in Montpelier, Vermont. Nestled into the mountains among dairy farms and spectacular scenery, it is quite a vibrant place, even if it is tiny. In addition to being the state capitol (the smallest capitol in the U.S.) it is also home to two universities, several restaurants and shops, a museum and several other businesses.

The city is thought to have been named after Montpelier, France by its founder, Colonel Jacob Davis, in a gesture of thanks to the French for their help fighting the English during the Revolutionary War.

Montpelier Courthouse - Montpelier

Montpelier Courthouse

Nearly all of Montpelier's shops and restaurants are privately owned. There are no chains. And like most of Vermont, the city is a progressive place with an emphasis on green living, recycling, and left-of-center politics. The arts also has a strong presence there. The tiny downtown is full of galleries, artsy cafes, independent book shops, and quirky boutiques. It is also home to the Lost Nation Theatre, the Montpelier Theatre Guild, the Vermont Chamber Orchestra Society and the Vermont Opera Theatre--quite impressive for a city with a population of just over 8,000 people.

National Wildlife Federation Headquarters - Montpelier

National Wildlife Federation Headquarters

If you find yourself in central Vermont, Montpelier is certainly worth a visit. It is easily accessible off of route 89. The city has a lovely historic hotel downtown and lots of great places to eat. Parking is easy to find (the parking meters take nickels!). You can take a free tour of the state house, visit the Vermont Historical Society's museum or just take a walk around. Montpelier is a great example of what much of America once looked like. I'm glad that it's there.

  • Last visit to Montpelier: Oct 2007
  • Intro Updated Oct 9, 2007
  • Add to Trip Planner (?)
  • Report Abuse

Reviews (4)

Vermont Historical Society Museum - Montpelier The Vermont Historical Society Museum Things to Do (2)

Located in a beautiful historic building next to the Vermont State House, the Historical Society's Museum is a great way... more travel advice

Vermont State House - Montpelier The Vermont State House Things to Do (2)

Following Vermont's strong tradition of government by the People, the state house is open to visitors whenever its doors... more travel advice

Julio's Cantina - Montpelier Vermont's Version of Mexican Food Restaurants (1)

Although this place is certainly cute--it has a great little sidewalk patio and the inside is decorated very well--the... more travel advice

Shopping Downtown Shopping (1)

Downtown Montpelier is full of cute, little shops from clothing boutiques and art galleries to independent book shops... more travel advice

Comments (5)

  • Reply
    Pawtuxet's Profile Photo
    Jul 31, 2009 at 9:17 AM

    Thanks for bringing me back to Montpelier. It's been so many years. Beautiful little town... great fall color.

  • Reply
    Basaic's Profile Photo
    Apr 30, 2009 at 11:00 AM

    Vermont is a beautiful place where I have spent far too little time.

  • Reply
    Acirfa's Profile Photo
    Oct 30, 2007 at 6:49 AM

    Lovely, pretty and brought back memories, thanks

  • Reply
    SLLiew's Profile Photo
    Oct 22, 2007 at 5:55 AM

    Nice pics of Vermont. I went skiing there once. Bring back fond memories. Cheers from Penang, SL

  • Reply
    SteveOSF's Profile Photo
    Oct 10, 2007 at 12:33 AM

    Nice pics and description of the Vermont State House. When I was there last year, rain and darkness prevented a good picture.

emilienoelle's Related Pages

Montpelier Travel Guide

 
Explore the World
Travel Destinations
emilienoelle's Profile Photo

emilienoelle

“Anyone can count the seeds in an apple, but only God can count the number of apples in a seed. --Robert H. Schuller”

Online Now

Female

Top 1,000 Travel Writer
Member Rank:
0 0 2 8 3
Forum Rank:
0 1 9 2 5

Badges & Stats in Montpelier

  • 4 Reviews
  • 8 Photos
  • 0 Forum posts
  • 5 Comments
  • 3,210PageViews
  • See All Stats
  • See All Badges (17)

Have you been to Montpelier?

  Share Your Travels  

Latest Activity in Montpelier

Photos in Montpelier

See All Photos (8)

Top 10 Pages

See All Travel Pages (56)

Friends

See All Friends (119)

Travel Interests

See All Travel Interests (5)

Latest Montpelier hotel reviews

Economy Inn Montpelier
84 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: Apr 13, 2013
Betsy's Bed & Breakfast
43 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: May 6, 2013
Comfort Inn at Maplewood
150 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: May 7, 2013
Inn at Montpelier
78 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: Feb 23, 2013
Capitol Plaza Hotel & Conference Center
81 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: May 12, 2013