Things to do in Manchester
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Bistro Henry
This casual, chef-owned bistro serves creative modern cuisine highlighting fresh seafood, aged meats and fresh vegetables. Its acclaimed wine selection features eclectic and hard-to-find labels.
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Mt Equinox
To reach 3816ft Mt Equinox, follow VT 7A south out of Manchester and look for Skyline Dr. From Manchester to the summit is just 5 miles via this private toll road that winds seemingly up to the top of the world. It’s believed that the mountain’s name is a corrupted Native American phrase meaning ‘place where the very top is.’ Rather than drive, you could undertake the five-plus-hour hike (2918ft elevation gain) on Burr and Burton, and Lookout Rock Trails, which will take you to the summit and back. Hiking information is available at the Equinox hotel and resort, where the trail begins.
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Bromley Mountain
Approximately 5 miles from town, 3284ft Bromley Mountain is a small family-oriented resort featuring 43 downhill ski runs and 10 chairlifts. In summer, you can try the Alpine Slide (the longest run in North America), a climbing wall, trampolines, a water slide, a children’s adventure park and more. Chairlifts whisk hikers and sightseers up to trails. The Long/Appalachian Trail runs right through Bromley. In mid-August, the UX Open – a play-off for the wildest golf game in the country – takes place on these brush-hogged slopes.
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Stratton Mountain
Stratton Mountain is an all-season playground about 16 miles east of Manchester. For downhill skiing and snowboarding (mid-November through April, conditions permitting), it has 90 trails and 100 acres of glade and tree skiing terrain, 13 lifts (including a summit gondola) and a vertical drop of more than 2000ft on a 3875ft mountain. There are also 20 miles of cross-country trails. Summer activities include golf, tennis, squash, swimming, hiking, horseback riding, mountain biking and tons more.
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Southern Vermont Arts Center
- Manchester, USA
- Sights › Art
In addition to excellent outdoor sculpture gardens, the Southern Vermont Arts Center has a full program of concerts from June through August. Its 10 galleries of classic and contemporary art feature touring shows of sculpture, paintings, prints and photography. Lectures and jazz concerts are held in the 430-seat Arkell Pavilion. After enjoying the museum and surrounding trails, consider staying for a light lunch at its Garden Cafe.
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Hildene
Just south of Manchester, Hildene, a 24-room Georgian Revival mansion, was the country estate of Robert Todd Lincoln, son of President Abraham Lincoln. You can tour the mansion decorated with original Lincoln family furnishings and stroll its lovely gardens, though don't expect much to be in bloom before June.
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Dormy Grill
Reserve a table overlooking the links and chow down on American bistro fare, like buffalo wings, crab cakes or the Equinox Steak ‘Cobb’ Salad (guajillo-marinated hanger steak, blue cheese, buttermilk onion rings and romaine lettuce). The mountain view is alluring but watch out for stray golf balls.
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Ye Olde Tavern
Hearth-side dining at candlelit tables enhances the experience at this gracious roadside 1790s inn. The menu is wide-ranging, but the ‘Yankee favorites’ like traditional pot roast cooked in the tavern’s own ale and New England scrod (baked with Vermont cheddar) seal the deal.
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Mrs Murphy’s Donuts & Coffee Shop
Pull up to the U-shaped counters at Manchester’s favorite down-home, basic diner, which serves fresh doughnuts and bacon-and-egg ‘tuck-ins’ throughout the day – and that’s about it, but be sure to order more than one doughnut, or you’ll regret it.
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Black Swan
This 1834 brick Colonial house is divided into small, charming dining rooms with candlelight and working fireplaces. Continental cuisine is served with a West Coast accent, and everything at the Black Swan is imaginatively presented and spectacularly delicious.
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Forty Nine Forty
In addition to good-noshing appetizers, this pleasant, bright bistro serves veggie burgers, Black Angus burgers and grilled Tuscan cheese sandwiches all day. The evening meals are simple, with grilled chicken, stir-fry or pasta Alfredo.
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Little Rooster Café
This popular little café, near the outlet stores in Manchester Center, serves home-style fare that really hits the spot. The eclectic menu ranges from leafy salads and thickly stacked sandwiches to grilled portobello focaccia.
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Northshire Bookstore
An enormous independent bookstore with comfy nooks everywhere. It shares a huge hangout space with the attached java-and-munchies joint, Spiral Café, which offers wireless internet access and two computers with free usage.
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Mistral’s
Nestled deep in the woods (off VT 30 and VT 11 east of town) and overlooking Bromley Brook, Mistral’s offers fine dining on Norwegian salmon or roast duck in an incredibly intimate setting.
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Up for Breakfast
Search out this hole-in-the-wall 2nd-floor restaurant in Manchester Center for the best breakfast in town, anything from good ol' blueberry pancakes to smoked-salmon-and-caper omelets.
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American Museum of Fly Fishing
Anglers make pilgrimages to Manchester to visit the American Museum of Fly Fishing, where rods used by Ernest Hemingway and other famed fishers are displayed.
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Orvis
Orvis is a flagship store, which is dedicated to outfitting fisher-folk; and to fly-fish for trout in the Batten Kill River.
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Garden Cafe
Gaze out over the sculpture garden in the indoor and outdoor café at the Southern Vermont Arts Center, featuring an array of sandwiches and salads.
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Spiral Press Café
Stop at this Manchester Center café attached to Northshire Bookstore for flaky croissants and delicious panini sandwiches.
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Battenkill Canoe
BattenKill Canoe, 5 miles south of Manchester, rents canoes and kayaks for paddling the Batten Kill River.
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Batten Kill Sports Bicycle Shop
Rent a road or mountain bike from Batten Kill Sports Bicycle Shop.
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