Things to Do
Plan your perfect visit to Billings Farm & Museum.
From farm animal encounters and blooming gardens to contemporary art, history, and award-winning cheese, your ideal day at the farm starts here.
Whatever draws you in first, our prized Jersey cows, Art on the Barns, or hands-on discovery spots for curious kids, there’s something meaningful at every turn. Explore changing exhibitions, seasonal demonstrations, and the living rhythms of a Vermont farm more than 150 years in the making. Cap off your visit with Vermont-made ice cream from the Scoop Shop and Vermont-made finds at the Gift Shop.
Your visit to Billings farm & Museum should be what you want it to be, whether that’s a day packed full of programs, places to be, and things to learn; a time to wander, take a breath, and slow down; or something in between.
We offer several seasonal programs for you to explore the farm and gardens, learn more about Vermont, and give you time to unwind. Make your visit your own. Linder where you love it and build the visit that fits your time and curiosity.
If you are looking to spend the day and see it all, here’s what it could look like:
11:00AM – 1:00PM
Heifer Barn Open Hours
Say hello to our friendly Jersey heifers and dry cows in the heifer barn (weather permitting, heifer barn may be closed in inclement weather.)
11:00AM
Butter Making
Help churn cream into butter and learn about the history of butter making at Billings Farm. Taste the results of your work in the form of fresh butter and buttermilk.
12:30PM
Meet a Jersey Cow
Get up close with a member of our milking herd! Learn more about the Jersey cows at Billings Farm and try out brushing one of our cows.
1:30PM-2:30PM
Apple Tasting
Taste several unique heirloom varieties of apples from our on-site orchard and discover your new favorite!
3:15PM-4:00PM
Milking of the Herd
See milking in action and learn more about what goes into milking our herd each day.
10:00AM-1:30PM
Cooking in the 1890 Farm Manager’s House
Experience the sights, smells, and sounds of cooking on the historic cookstove. Help our staff with parts of the process, and learn more about Victorian-era recipes.
ALL DAY
Farm Fashion
In this special exhibit, discover Vermont’s “Farm Fashion,” and how clothing designed for farm life has found its way into everyday wardrobes.
ALL DAY
Little Farm Hands
Explore farm themes in this playful, hands-on exhibit space designed for children and their caregivers.
We have hands-on fun, seasonal beauty, stories of Vermont past and present, and moments of joy for every age.
Meet our Cows
Visit our Jersey dairy cows in their barns and pastures and watch daily milking demonstrations featuring the award-winning herd behind Billings Farm’s high-quality milk and cheddar cheeses.
Take a Horse Drawn Ride
Hop on a horse-drawn wagon or sleigh ride through the pastures, pulled by our hearty team of draft horses. Available on select days throughout the seasons.
Watch the Milking of the Herd
At 3:30PM each day, watch the Farm team milk our Jersey cows and learn about the process from our skilled Interpreters. You’ll have time to ask lots of questions as you learn more about where dairy products come from.
Make Butter
With just one ingredient and a little effort, discover how butter is made the old-fashioned way. Taste your creation and take home the skills to make fresh butter yourself.
Explore Art on the Barns
Contemporary artworks installed across the historic barns and buildings create a dialogue between art, architecture, history, and the ever-changing nature of this place.
Wander the Sunflower House
Meander through winding pathways and sunflower-lined “rooms” where towering blooms and tiny blossoms reveal new colors, textures, and views at every turn. (Seasonal)
Stroll through the Farmstead Gardens
Beyond their beauty, these gardens explore culinary plants, natural dyes, pollinators, permaculture, and historic heirloom and Victory Gardens, inviting visitors to touch, sniff, taste, and take it all in.
Peruse the Museum Gift Shop
Take home Vermont-made gifts, local goods, farm favorites, and Billings Farm cheese. Admission is not required to visit the Gift Shop.
Treat yourself at the Farmhouse Scoop Shop
Enjoy Vermont-made ice cream, seasonal treats and local snacks. Open May through October.
Explore Seasonal Exhibitions
Rotating exhibitions throughout the year explore art, craft, food, and farming through contemporary and historical perspectives, including the much-loved annual Vermont Quilt Sampler.
Tour the Historic House
Step inside the 1890 Farm Manager’s House, a meticulously restored smart home of its time, that serves as a business office, private living space, and creamery.
Tour the Farm Life Exhibits
Housed within the original historic barns, these galleries feature tools, traditions, stories, and displays that bring rural Vermont at the turn of the 20th century to life.
Take a piece of Vermont home from the Museum Gift Shop.
Shop Vermont-made gifts, local goods, farm favorites, and Billings Farm cheese. No admission is required.
Browse thoughtfully curated gifts inspired by Vermont’s farms, makers, and traditions. The Gift Shop features Billings Farm cheddar cheeses, maple treats, preserves, children’s books, farm toys, plush stuffies, pottery, handcrafted goods, apparel, and seasonal specialties for all ages. Whether searching for a meaningful keepsake or the perfect gift, visitors can enjoy their shopping experience.
Treat yourself at the Farmhouse Scoop Shop.
Enjoy Vermont-made ice cream, seasonal treats, and local snacks on the terrace next to the Historic House and overlooking our Farmstead Gardens and Sunflower House.
The Farmhouse Scoop Shop serves Vermont’s own Wilcox ice cream, specialty sundaes, floats, local snacks, beverages, and Billings Farm cheese from May through October. Enjoy a cone or cup of classic favorites like maple, along with rotating seasonal specials including pumpkin ice cream and cider donuts in the fall. Relax on the adjacent slate terrace or picnic areas while taking in spectacular views of the gardens, barns and pastures.
