St Johnsbury Athenaeum


Home to one of America's oldest art galleries, this elegant public edifice was initially founded as a library by Horace Fairbanks in 1871. Comprising 9000 hand-bound classics of world literature, the library was soon complemented by a fine art collection, built around its crown jewel, Albert Bierstadt's 10ft-by-15ft painting, Domes of the Yosemite (newly resplendent after a 2018 restoration). The gallery also features landscapes by Bierstadt's fellow Hudson River School artists, including Asher B Durand, Worthington Whittredge and Jasper Cropsey.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby attractions

1. Fairbanks Museum & Planetarium

0.13 MILES

In 1891, when Franklin Fairbanks' collection of stuffed animals and cultural artifacts from across the globe grew too large for his home, he built the…

2. Dog Mountain

2.26 MILES

Signposted 2 miles east of St Johnsbury, this captivating spot celebrates the legacy of Vermont artist Stephen Huneck. There's an entire gallery devoted…

3. Pollyanna Statue

14.47 MILES

Alright cynics, pessimists and grouches, give it up a minute for the joyous Pollyanna statue on the lawn of the library. The children's book character, an…

4. Hill Farmstead Brewery

17.66 MILES

The brainchild of Shaun Hill, known for his uncompromising adherence to creativity and quality, this unassuming-looking brewery down a remote dirt road –…

5. Seyon Lodge State Park

19.24 MILES

The only park of its kind in Vermont, Seyon Lodge (about 30 miles east of Montpelier) offers private rooms in its rustic lodge on the shores of Noyes Pond…

6. Frost Place

19.33 MILES

Robert Frost (1874–1963) was America's most renowned and best-loved poet in the mid-20th century. For several years he lived with his family on a farm…

7. Bread & Puppet Museum

19.93 MILES

Formed in New York City by German artist Peter Shumann in 1963, the renowned Bread & Puppet theater collective presents carnivalesque pageants, circuses,…

8. Lake Willoughby

21.86 MILES

This stunning fjord-like lake, 30 miles north of St Johnsbury, sits sandwiched between Mt Hor and Mt Pisgah, whose cliffs plummet more than 1000ft to the…