Visiting Burlington, Vermont? What to See, Do and Eat on Your Trip  

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• File: James Buck
• The Burlington waterfront

Located on the shores of Lake Champlain with distant views of the Adirondacks, Burlington is a beautiful vantage point to experience the eclipse. As Vermont’s largest city, it offers ample shopping and dining options along the bustling, pedestrian-only Church Street Marketplace; expansive green space and a boardwalk at Waterfront Park; a lakeside bike path teeming with runners and cyclists; and artist studios and creative small businesses sprinkled throughout the vibrant South End.

There’s lots to see and do in Burlington, Vermont; read on for some of our top picks.

Note: Check websites to confirm business hours for the day you visit.

Food and Drink

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• File: James Buck
• Tahini French toast, pastries, crispy potatoes, falafel eggs Benedict and spiced tahini iced coffee at the Grey Jay

Rise and Shine: Breakfast Spots

August First
Strike up a conversation with a neighbor over the flaky croissants, maple biscuits and breakfast sandwiches at this community-focused café near Lake Champlain. The ovens turn out aromatic freshly baked loaves, including seven grain, seeded baguettes and focaccia.
149 S. Champlain St., Burlington

The Café HOT.
You might’ve had a cronut, but how about a bonut? That’s a delectable deep-fried biscuit dough ring, available here in glazes ranging from sage to espresso. You can even get a biscuit breakfast sammie at this vegetarian café.
198 Main St., Burlington

The Grey Jay
A brunch spot from the James Beard Award-nominated Honey Road team serves up tahini French toast, shakshouka, saffron-pistachio sticky buns and harissa Bloody Marys.
135 Pearl St., Burlington

The Skinny Pancake
Steps from Waterfront Park, crêpes are griddled before customers' eyes; get 'em sweet or savory, depending on your mood. Breakfast items — the adorable-sounding Blueberry Frumple Cake among them — are served all day.
60 Lake St., Burlington

Zero Gravity Beer Hall
Breakfast at a brewery? Why not! The casual neighborhood beer hall opens early to serve buttery, brioche-like yeasted waffles and coffee from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
716 Pine St., Burlington

Noontime Nourishment: Lunch Spots

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• File: Daria Bishop
• Double-stack smash burger with hand-cut fries and an Elaborate Metaphor pale ale at Burlington Beer

Burlington Beer
Open daily for lunch and dinner, this historic brick building taps inventive house brews, from Strawberry Whale Cake cream ale to It's Complicated Being a Wizard, a double IPA. Sip a beer flight alongside your local beef burger and superlative shoestring fries.
180 Flynn Ave., Burlington

Café Dim Sum
Longtime Burlington restaurateur Sam Lai and his wife, Li Lin, offer a traditional Chinese dim sum menu of small plates with pots of tea. Everything from dumplings to ginger beef tripe is made from scratch and designed for sharing.
95 St. Paul St., Burlington

City Market, Onion River Co-op
Burlington’s grocery cooperative has it all, from local produce to some of the best people-watching around. Get a fresh-made sandwich or peruse the hot bar.
82 S. Winooski Ave. & 207 Flynn Ave., Burlington

El Cortijo
In a former diner, this hip taqueria spices up midday routines with tacos, burritos, enchiladas and award-winning nachos. Go loco for the killer margaritas.
189 Bank St., Burlington

Pingala Café
This counter-service eatery has earned a reputation for Vermont’s best vegan fare. Everyone will find something to love about its creative, from-scratch, animal product-free menu. Even celebrity chef Guy Fieri digs the signature Crunchwrap Supreme.
1 Mill St., Burlington

The Main Course: Dinner Spots

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• File: Oliver Parini
• Grilled octopus at Honey Road

Bluebird Barbecue
Diners “meat here” for smoked brisket, pulled pork, ribs and more than a dozen beers on tap. The Food Network named Bluebird one of the top 45 barbecue spots in the country.
317 Riverside Ave., Burlington

Hen of the Wood
Rustic charm, a legendary wine list and a menu that honors local flavors distinguish this James Beard Award-nominated restaurant. The ever-changing menu swings from striped bass to kale canneloni.
55 Cherry St., Burlington

Honey Road
Church Street’s busy, buzzy Middle Eastern bistro serves up masterful mezze. It’s so good, Honey Road has earned the distinction of Vermont’s best restaurant, as well as several James Beard Award nominations.
156 Church St., Burlington

Pho Hong
Head to the Old North End for noodle soups, grilled meats over rice vermicelli and veggie stir fries. The popular Vietnamese restaurant has been dishing ’em out to high demand since 2008.
325 N. Winooski Ave., Burlington

Pizzeria Verità
These thin-crust, Neapolitan-style pizzas come topped with San Marzano tomatoes and housemade mozzarella. The lively bar offers modern and classic cocktails, Vermont craft beer, and Italian wines.
156 St. Paul St., Burlington

Family-Friendly Activities

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• File: Stephen Mease
• Church Street Marketplace

Ben & Jerry’s
Just around the corner from where the Ben & Jerry's ice cream empire began, Church Street's scoop shop dishes out cones and sundaes of Phish Food, Chunky Monkey and more.
36 Church St., Burlington

Burton
Check out the snowboard company’s global headquarters. Take a tour of the 10,000-square-foot research-and-development facility where new boards are dreamed up, then shop all the coolest goods and gear at the flagship store.
266 Queen City Park Rd., Burlington

Church Street Marketplace
Downtown Burlington's pedestrian mall is a charming place to stroll and find some unique Vermont souvenirs. Stop by art galleries, bookstores and outdoor food carts along the way. The historic brick thoroughfare boasts a robust year-round calendar of events, including August’s Festival of Fools, a weekend of free street performances from around the world; and the lighting of a festive 30-plus-foot tree during the holiday season. In summer, the marketplace is the perfect spot to cheer on runners in the Vermont City Marathon or catch local musicians at stages from the top block to city hall during Burlington Discover Jazz Festival.
Church St., Burlington

ECHO Leahy Center for Lake Champlain
Devoted to the ecology, culture, history and stewardship of Lake Champlain, this waterfront museum offers educational exhibits and interactive activities for all ages — think daily animal demos and 3D film screenings.
1 College St., Burlington

Lake Champlain Chocolates
Watch chocolatiers and bakers handcraft sweets in the Innovation Kitchen, then get a treat from the shop café. There are six different kinds of drinking chocolate.
750 Pine St., Burlington

The South End
Tap into the pulse of the Burlington arts scene in this Pine Street neighborhood, just a short walk from the Church Street Marketplace. Makers, studios and performance centers offer opportunities for singular experiences and unique finds, with plenty of breweries, restaurants and coffee shops throughout to keep you fueled. Peruse local veggies and specialty foods at the Burlington Farmers Market on Saturdays from May through October; sample the local food scene at the South End Get Down block party on summer Friday nights; and don’t miss September’s South End Art Hop, when a section of the street is closed off to traffic and you can wander through dozens of artist studios.

Parks and Recreation

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• File: Matthew Thorsen
• Andy A_Dog Williams Skatepark

Andy A_Dog Williams Skatepark
Hit up Burlington's world-class skate park, dedicated to a late local DJ and skateboarder. Located just off the waterfront bike path, it's got rails, ramps, boxes, a half-bowl and a half-pipe. You might even catch some pros — Tony Hawk dropped in a few years ago.
Lake St. (north of Waterfront Park), Burlington

Burlington Greenway
This scenic path for bikers, runners and walkers extends eight miles along the city’s shoreline, from the southern end of Oakledge Park north to the Winooski River. Part of the Island Line Trail, it connects to a gravel causeway with gorgeous lake views. Need wheels? Rent a bike from North Star Sports.
100 Main St., Burlington

Oakledge Park
Tennis, volleyball and bocce courts — and the occasional hipster kickball league — are draws at this beautiful South End park. The sandy beaches, spacious lawns and wheelchair-accessible tree house are nice, too.
2 Flynn Ave., Burlington

Rock Point Trails
Geologists from around the globe visit Rock Point to view the dramatic Champlain Thrust Fault — see it yourself while exploring two miles of public walking and hiking trails along the rocky shores of Lake Champlain. Get a trail pass before arrival, and park at nearby Leddy Park.
216 Leddy Park Rd., Burlington

Waterfront Park
The crown jewel of Burlington's shoreline is Waterfront Park, a sprawling, grassy destination for sunbathers and Frisbee enthusiasts. Find ECHO Leahy Center for Lake Champlain at the south end and the Andy A_Dog Williams Skatepark to the north. Visit during the summer and you might catch an outdoor concert or the Vermont Brewers Festival, an annual lakeside celebration of craft brewing.

10 College St., Burlington

Nightlife

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• File: Oliver Parini
• The Archives

The Archives
You’ll discover ample entertainment at this arcade bar. They serve up everything from sour beers to sake to Street Fighter II.
191 College St., Burlington

The Flynn
The Flynn’s Main Street marquee is a beacon for fans of music, theater and dance. The lovingly restored 1930s art deco movie house draws nearly 200,000 individuals each year to experience world-class arts and entertainment.
153 Main St., Burlington

Merrill’s Roxy Cinema
This family-owned downtown theater plays a mix of mainstream and art house flicks, from Wonka to Marcel the Shell With Shoes On. The screens may be smallish, but the popcorn can’t be beat.
222 College St., Burlington

Nectar’s
The storied venue where Phish once played presents a wide variety of live music and the best gravy fries around. Head upstairs to Club Metronome for your dance fix.
188 Main St., Burlington

Vermont Comedy Club
Expect the cream of the crop at this small but mighty venue — from touring standups to $5 improv nights. The club's bar churns out crave-worthy cocktails by night and scrummy coffee by day as the Happy Place Café.
101 Main St., Burlington

Shopping

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• File: Luke Awtry
• Common Deer

Bern Gallery
Known worldwide for its annual Pipe Classic competition, Bern Gallery is more than a pipe shop. It’s a showcase for the pipe-making craft, featuring on-site glassblowing workstations, a retail selection that’s appropriately smokin’ and Bern Gallery Cannabis in the attached dispensary.
135 Main St., Burlington

Common Deer
Finding sweet harmony between the rugged and the luxurious, Common Deer specializes in American-made goods — plenty of them from the Green Mountains — handcrafted with care. Think local New Duds T-shirts, Vermont State Park prints and Farmhouse Pottery.
210 College St., Burlington

Frog Hollow Vermont Craft Gallery
More than 100 local artisans are behind the candy-colored glass vases, hand-carved bird ornaments and airy lantern-like sculptures on display at this nonprofit gallery. Bring home something Vermonty!
85 Church St., Burlington

Outdoor Gear Exchange
Since 1995, OGE has been the go-to shop for local kayakers, hikers, skiers, climbers and camping enthusiasts. Gear up for your Vermont adventure — everyone needs a pair of locally made Darn Tough socks.
37 Church St., Burlington

Phoenix Books
Locally owned bookstores are national treasures, and Phoenix is no exception. The bookshop is fully stocked with the latest and greatest reads. Lovingly curated shelves highlight Vermont authors and staff favorites.
191 Bank St., Burlington

Thirty-odd
Located in Burlington’s Soda Plant, Thirty-odd holds a collection of wares from — wait for it — 30-odd South End artists and makers. You can’t get much more local than this. Shop here, then explore the plant’s other creative small businesses, from Soapbox Arts to the Venetian Cocktail & Soda Lounge.
270 Pine St., Burlington