Stop At These Roadside Attractions In New England

A child looking at Roadside Attractions out of a car window.Sometimes the best part of a vacation is the journey. That’s especially true when it comes to visiting New England. Incredible views, an amazing display of colors, and some truly fun, odd, and weird roadside attractions that beg you to pull over and look at. 

Take a break and stretch your legs at some of the many odd, weird, and interesting roadside attractions on your way to The Norwich Inn. A classic road trip is the best way to experience New England, and staying a day or two in Norwich, Vermont, is one more way to soak up more of this region’s wonderful vibes.

9 Roadside Attractions Near Norwich, Vermont

Find the time to snap a photo or learn a thing or two when you stop at these roadside attractions on your way to our Inn.

  • Main Street Museum Cabinet of Curiosities: This museum offers a small collection of odd and interesting artifacts, all tied to the complex and the area. It also claims to have Elvis Presley’s gallstones.
  • Sugarbush Farm’s Tiny Church: Sugarbush Farm is a fantastic attraction, and one of its more distinctive features is the tiny church. Previous owners of a maple sugar farm built the church.
  • Path of Life Garden: A small artisan park that takes you to the path for Sorrow, Contemplation, the Tree of Wisdom, and a Buddha.
  • America’s Longest Covered Bridge: New England is known for its covered bridges, and there is no better place to see why than at America’s longest covered bridge. It was built in 1866 and stretches 449 feet long.
  • Birthplace of the Prophet Joseph Smith: The founder of Mormonism, Joseph Smith, is honored with a monument. The monument is atop a hill and surrounded by 350 acres of landscaped grounds owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
  • Experimental Balloon and Airship Museum: Visit this museum to see the largest collection of experimental airships in the world. The museum is also known as Brian’s Museum of Rusty Dusty Stuff and The Scrap Palace, too. It contains 150 experimental airships, and many other oddities such as a SPAM collection, a sculpture made of hundreds of crutches, and a life preserver labelled “USS Titanic.”
  • Vermontasaurus: Perhaps the most popular attraction at the Experimental Balloon and Airship Museum is the Vermontasaurus. This is a 25-foot-high and 122-foot-long structure built from scraps of wood, metal, and other materials. It’s truly a unique and confusing structure to admire.
  • Birthplace of BASIC: Across the river, you can come across a historical marker that commemorates Dartmouth College professor John Kemeny and Thomas Kurtz, who created the computer programming language BASIC.
  • Ruggles Mine: Located in Isinglass Mountain near the town of Grafton, the Ruggles Mine is an otherworldly attraction featuring massive rock columns and pitch-black tunnels.

Enjoy The Weirder Side of New England

We think you’ll find many of these weird and odd roadside attractions on your way to Norwich, Vermont. Talk more about your adventure after you check into The Norwich Inn.

The Norwich Inn’s history dates back to 1797, so your well-deserved Upper Valley getaway certainly won’t be short on historical significance. Call us today at 802-649-1143 to learn more about our lovely Inn (or check availability online).

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INSPIRED BY YOU, @thenorwichinn

🏡❤️ Tomorrow night is our Monthly Non-Profit Night!

Join us at Jasper Murdock’s Alehouse this Wednesday, October 21, as we support the Norwich Historical Society!

We’re lucky to live and work in a town with such a rich history, and even luckier to have an organization dedicated to preserving it for future generations.

As always, 10% of all food and beverage sales will be donated to the Historical Society.

Come out for dinner, enjoy a glass (or bottle!) of wine, and help support the people working to keep Norwich’s history alive.

A great meal for a great cause. See you tomorrow! ❤️

#NorwichVT #UpperValleyVT #NorwichHistory #SupportLocal #VermontCommunity
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🏡❤️ Supporting our community and celebrating its history!

Join us next Wednesday, October 21, for our Monthly Non-Profit Night at Jasper Murdock’s Alehouse as we support the Norwich Historical Society!

Norwich has a pretty incredible history, and we’re lucky to have an organization dedicated to preserving and sharing the stories, people, and places that make our little town so special.

As always, 10% of all food and beverage sales will be donated to this month’s featured organization.

And since it’s Wednesday, it’s also Half-Price Wine Night! 🍷 Enjoy 50% off bottles of wine priced up to $129 while supporting a great local cause.

📅 Wednesday, October 21
❤️ 10% of food & beverage sales donated
🍷 Half-price bottles of wine up to $129

Come enjoy dinner, raise a glass, and help us preserve a little piece of Norwich history!

#NorwichVT #UpperValleyVT #NorwichHistory #SupportLocal #VermontCommunity
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🍁🎄 We may be fully in our Autumn Era right now, but believe it or not, the holidays are right around the corner!

While we’re busy soaking up all things fall in Vermont, now is the perfect time to start planning your holiday parties, Christmas celebrations, and private events at the Norwich Inn.

Whether it’s an office holiday party, a family gathering, or a festive dinner with friends, we’d love to help you celebrate the season.

🎄 Beautiful spaces for gatherings big and small
🍽️ Delicious food from our talented culinary team
🥂 A warm, historic Vermont setting to celebrate together

Head over to the Gather section of our website to explore our private event spaces and banquet options, then give Linda a call to get your date on the books before the holiday calendar fills up!

🍂 Enjoy the foliage now. Plan the holiday fun for later. 🎄

#NorwichVT #UpperValleyVT #HolidayParties #VermontEvents #ChristmasInVermont
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🍁 Right now, the fall foliage might be the number one reason to visit the Upper Valley, but there are SO many reasons to keep coming back!

Freshly baked treats at King Arthur Baking, a stroll around Dartmouth, exploring the Montshire Museum, a visit to Quechee or Woodstock, discovering the shops and restaurants in White River Junction, catching a show at Northern Stage, or simply stopping into Dan & Whit’s to see what they have that you didn’t know you needed. 😊

And of course, we think a stay at the Norwich Inn and a meal at Jasper Murdock’s Alehouse should be on your list too! 🍺

We love calling this little corner of Vermont home, and there’s always something new to discover, no matter the season.

So tell us, what’s YOUR favorite reason to visit the Upper Valley? We’d love to hear what keeps bringing you back! ❤️

#UpperValleyVT #NorwichVT #VisitVermont #ExploreNewEngland #VermontFoliage
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🍁⛲ A little fall joy at the Norwich Inn!

The leaves are changing, the air is getting crisp, and our fountain is still flowing… for now!

Before those chilly Vermont nights get cold enough that we have to shut it down for the season, come enjoy one of our favorite little spots at the Inn.

Take a stroll through Norwich, soak in the fall colors, stop and enjoy the fountain, and maybe stick around for a bite to eat or a locally brewed beer.

Sometimes the simplest things bring the most joy. 🍂❤️

#NorwichVT #UpperValleyVT #VermontFall #VisitVermont #FallInNewEngland
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🌧️☀️ Pouring rain and blue skies… all at the same time!

That’s fall in New England for ya! 🍁

One minute the sun is shining, the next it’s pouring, and somehow the fall colors look even better through it all.

Never a dull moment when Mother Nature is putting on her autumn show here in Norwich. 🍂

#NorwichVT #UpperValleyVT #VermontFall #NewEnglandAutumn #VermontLife
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🍂 They say if you catch a falling leaf in autumn, you’ll have good luck for the next year…

Judging by the number of leaves coming down around Norwich right now, your odds are looking pretty good. 😂🍁

Fall has officially taken over the Upper Valley, and we’re soaking up every last bit of it while we can.

So get outside, enjoy the colors, and maybe try your luck at catching a leaf or two. We could all use a little extra good fortune for the year ahead!

#VermontFoliage #NorwichVT #FallInVermont #UpperValleyVT #VermontLife
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🔥 You know what this means…

The Homecoming bonfire is going up on the Green, which means Dartmouth Homecoming Weekend is almost here! 💚

There are certain signs that fall has officially arrived in the Upper Valley, and this is definitely one of them.

The foliage is showing off, alumni are making their way back to Hanover, and another Dartmouth tradition is getting ready to light up the Green.

Welcome back, Dartmouth alumni! We’re looking forward to a great Homecoming weekend. 🔥🍁💚

#DartmouthHomecoming #DartmouthCollege #HanoverNH #UpperValleyVT #VermontFall
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🍁 Norwich was showing off a little this morning…

The colors are really starting to come alive around town, and every morning seems to bring a little more red, orange and gold.

If you’ve been waiting for that unmistakable Vermont fall feeling, it’s here.

Take the scenic route, grab a coffee, explore the back roads, stop for a local beer, and just enjoy it. This time of year never lasts quite long enough. 🍂

Come see Norwich in all its fall glory!

#NorwichVT #VermontFoliage #FallInVermont #UpperValleyVT #VisitVermont
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💚 Emmitt is dressed for the occasion and ready to welcome everyone to the Upper Valley for Dartmouth Family Weekend!

Whether this is your first Family Weekend or you’ve been making the trip to Hanover and Norwich for years, we’re happy to have you back.

Enjoy the time with your students, explore the Upper Valley, take in the first signs of fall, and hopefully find a little time to stop by and see us while you’re here.

Emmitt has his Dartmouth Parent hat and tie on, so clearly he’s taking his hosting duties very seriously. 🫎💚

Welcome, Dartmouth families! We hope you have a wonderful weekend.

#Dartmouth #dartmouthcollege #UpperValley #NorwichVT #HanoverNH
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❤️ If you visited us this summer, there’s a pretty good chance your experience was made a little better by these two!

This summer we were lucky enough to welcome Teodora from Bulgaria and Daniela from Romania to the Norwich Inn as part of our J-1 team.

They came in with fresh energy, big smiles, and a willingness to help wherever they were needed. And we definitely put that willingness to the test! From housekeeping to the kitchen to breakfast, Teodora and Daniela jumped in and became part of our team from day one.

We’re fortunate to have an amazing team here all year long, but during our busy season, having these two here to reinforce that team was a huge help. We truly couldn’t have done it without them.

Now, somehow, it’s already time to say goodbye. 😢

Teodora and Daniela, thank you for everything you brought to the Inn this summer. We hope you leave Vermont with some great memories, because you certainly helped create plenty of them here.

You may be heading home, but you’ll always be Innmates. ❤️

Safe travels and come back to visit us someday!

#NorwichVT #UpperValleyVT #J1Visa #VermontHospitality #InnLife
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🍸🥄 One of our favorite seasons is finally here… SOUP SEASON!

Morgan and Eric are certainly enjoying a bowl. 😂

Stop into Jasper Murdock’s Alehouse and see what kind of “soup” Ron or Eric can shake up for you tonight.

Served up, on the rocks, or apparently with a spoon. 🍸

#NorwichVT #UpperValleyVT #VermontCocktails #MartiniTime #VermontEats
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