New England Maple Museum & Gift Shop

Description

The New England Maple Museum and Gift Shop is located at 4578 US-7, Pittsford, Vermont. The gravel parking lot has two accessible spaces very close to the street-level, double door entrance.

You enter the gift shop, which is very roomy for easy access. You enter the Museum is through a single door. There is ample space within the museum to navigate. There is a small sitting area to view the short film at the end.

The large, single-occupancy restroom does not have any handrails, nor is the sink accessible.

Checklist

Attraction Type:  museum
Surface of lot:  gravel
Distance to venue:  very close
Transportation to venue offered:  na
Terrain:  flat
Places to rest:  na
Doors:  double doors
Number of floors:  one
Elevators:  na
Ramps:  na
Steps and staircases:  na
Width of aisles:  ample space to navigate
Places to sit:  only in the area showing the video
Location of restrooms:  in gift shop
Type of restroom:  large, single-occupancy, not accessible - no handrails and sink is not accessible
Ease of entry and exit:  easy
Baby changing station:  no
Available food services:  there are some snacks available for purchase
Friendliness of staff:  extremely friendly and knowledgeable

Read More

We have been going to the Killington, Woodstock, Manchester area of Vermont for almost 30 years, yet we had never visited, or even heard of, the New England Maple Museum (& Gift Shop). Somehow, on a beautiful November day, looking for a destination to take a ride, we discovered The New England Maple Museum. A hidden gem – “…a historical journey through Vermont’s famous Maple Sugaring Industry,” (website) If you are in the area, we definitely suggest a visit to this easily accessible, fun venue!

You cannot visit Vermont without taking home some of its wonderful pure maple syrup. We have been fortunate enough to be there at the right time of year to see it being made, but that’s another story! This is a venue where you take a self-guided tour that is fun and educational!  We learned about the history of maple sugaring from the time of the Native Americans forward. A hand-painted mural, over 100 feet long, tells the story in pictures. The exhibits include a most complete collection of maple sugaring artifacts, dioramas and a short film. We came out saying, “Wow, there is so much we didn’t know! “ It was quite interesting to learn the history of something so many of us love.

Accessibility is easy. The gravel parking lot has two accessible spaces, quite close to the entrance, Enter the street-level, double doors and you arrive in the gift shop, which is in itself enough reason to visit. It offers “…a wide range of maple goodies including syrup, candy, cookies, caramels, popcorn and even jelly beans.” They carry “locally produced food, Vermont souvenirs and hand-crafted artisan gifts all made here in Vermont.” (website) It is spacious and roomy, making it easy to navigate and see all they have to offer.

Back to the museum.  The museum is behind the gift shop. Tell the hostess that you want to visit. A single door gets you in, and a sweet bear welcomes you. From there you can take your time to read and see all they have to offer. Don’t be surprised by some of the “folks” that seem to be sleeping on the job! After the exhibits you can watch an interesting short video. From here you exit through another single door and find yourself back in the gift shop. Some sampling of the delicious elixir is waiting for you!

There are many other gifts to choose from, including some hand-made items by local artisans. My better half insisted on some bourbon infused maple syrup and some delicious candies! We were told the syrup is great on ice cream. We can’t wait to try it!

We loved everything about this place, including the lovely young woman who was so personable, and knew so much! The only downside, for some, may be the bathroom. We would like to say that it is accessible, because of its large size and easy entry and exit, but there are no handrails, and the sink is not wheelchair accessible. After a lovely conversation with our hostess, explaining the issue, we are confident that it will be accessible by the next time we visit. 

As always, we at Destination:Accessible, advise you to visit a venue’s website, http://www.maplemuseum.comm">www.maplemuseum.com, when planning a visit, to “know before you go,”

Location

Nearby