Vermont History Center Field Trips

Leahy Library

The Leahy Library of the Vermont Historical Society is a center for research and discovery of Vermont's rich heritage. The curious researcher will find a variety of resources documenting the history and people of Vermont, including a collection of books and pamphlets dating from the 1770s to the present. 

The voices, ideas and commerce of the past are preserved here in unique letters, diaries, ledgers and scrapbooks. Some of Vermont's earliest maps and planning documents are available here. Extensive photograph and broadside collections create a visual record of the state's past. With a special interest in family history, the library has the largest printed genealogical collection in the state.

Is your class conducting research? 

Introduce your students to the Leahy Library's unique collection of primary and secondary sources to help them connect more deeply with their studies. 

Begin by exploring the Library Catalog

Research and Exhibition Gallery

Explore the Research and Exhibition Gallery to learn how a historical society collects and preserves the artifacts in its care.

The Vermont Historical Society (VHS) holds 30,000 items in its object collection, only a small fraction of which are on display. This gallery enables the VHS to showcase hundreds of additional artifacts, documents, and paintings from this extensive collection in an accessible manner so visitors and scholars can explore our state’s rich past.

The gallery’s first installation will focus on themes developed by the American Association of State and Local History (AASLH) for the 250th commemoration of the Declaration of Independence, including such diverse items as patent models, globes, and social movement signs. 

VHS will work with scholars and educators to develop educational and research programming to utilize this gallery space to inspire new research in the study of Vermont’s history. 

Interested in incorporating collections in your studies?

Introduce your students to the Vermont Historical Society's vast collection of artifacts to help them connect more palpably with the past.

Begin by exploring the Museum Catalog

Icons, Oddities, & Wonders Gallery

Since its founding in 1838, the Vermont Historical Society has collected tens of thousands of artifacts and manuscript materials. Our mission is to collect the full sweep of Vermont history, representing all parts of the state. For many years, curators focused on famous events and people. In recent decades, staff have focused on a more inclusive collecting vision, one that represents and incorporates the many diverse voices and perspectives that have been part of Vermont’s story. 

On view in the Icons, Oddities, & Wonders Gallery is a small selection of the Vermont Historical Society’s collections that reveal or represent some of the best, the worst, and the most wonderful stories about Vermont. As you read the stories, consider how artifacts help us understand and learn about Vermont’s past.