Introduction
Orange County, representative of the east-central portion of the State of Vermont, is located to the east of Montpelier and along the Connecticut River, largely opposite Grafton County, New Hampshire. While Orange County does not contain much in terms of population, with the shire town (county seat) located in the lowly community of Chelsea, the county and surrounding area alike are each home to numerous smaller rural facilities, attractions, lowly tourist destinations, and peaceful natural scenes alike.
Attractions
The vast majority of the attractions and points of interest within Orange County, Vermont, are toward the southern end of the county, in the numerous towns and associated communities nearing the line with Windsor County immediately to the south. While Orange County contains the Pub in the Williamstown area, the more central Towns of Chelsea and Vershire are home to the Hubble Shire Farm and the Stagecoach Stop Hostel “VerShare,” respectively. Now toward the easterly edge of the county, the Bradford area is home to Chip’s Sculpture Garden, located nearly directly off Interstate 91 and Route 5.
From west to east along the southern edge of Orange County, Vermont, are such communities as Braintree, Randolph, Tunbridge, Strafford, and Thetford, home to the vast majority of the special and unique attractions of the county and surrounding area within the State. Interstate 89 passes through the western end of the county, while Interstate 91 passes along the Connecticut River at the eastern edge. Interstate 89 provides access to the City of Montpelier to the north and the City of Lebanon, New Hampshire, to the south, while Interstate 91 provides access north toward Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada 🇨🇦, and south toward the communities of Brattleboro, Northampton, and Springfield, just to name a few.
Along the southern edge of the county are the following specific points of interest, including amenities accessible to the general public as well as higher educational and related institutions, from west to east:
- ART, etc.
- Chandler Music Hall ~ Chandler Center for the Arts
- Whale Dance
- Vermont State University Randolph
- Historic Braley Covered Bridge
- Historic Gifford Covered Bridge
- Historic Hyde-Kingsbury Covered Bridge
- Tunbridge World’s Fair
- Tunbridge General Store
- Justin Smith Morrill Homestead
- Barrett Memorial Hall
- The Experimental Balloon and Airship Museum at Post Mills Airport
- Vermontasaurus at Post Mills Airport
- Thetford Green
- Hughes Barn Museum