The Heart of Lamoille County
A HISTORIC DOWNTOWN
Bordered by the Lamoille River and Route 100, Morrisville is easy to get to and a wonderful place to explore in every season.
Downtown Morrisville has much to offer visitors. The Oxbow, created by a bend in the Lamoille River, is home to a skate park, community garden and a dog walk trail with several “book stops” along the way. On Wednesday evenings in the summer, enjoy a picnic from the farmers market and listen to free live music at the pavilion. There are many community events during the year in Morrisville, including RocktoberFest on the first Saturday in October, and the Festival of Lights on the first Saturday in December.
A short walk from the Oxbow leads to River Arts, a lovely art gallery housed in a beautifully renovated historic building. Nearby is the Morristown Centennial Library, one of only four Carnegie libraries in Vermont. Up the hill from the library is the stately Peoples Academy High School, built by Alexander Copley. Continue back into town and enjoy shopping at Haymakers Cards & Gifts or a meal at Pizza on Main or Bee’s Knees, all of which are housed in renovated brick buildings. Other great restaurants & shopping in town include Thompson’s Sandwiches & Bakery, Cake & Crumb Bakery, Green Dragon, Moog’s Place and The Space, a gallery of local artisans.
The Lamoille Valley Rail Trail, a four-season recreation trail, passes right through downtown and is designed for cross-country skiers, snowmobilers, cyclists and walkers. The trail is built along the former route of the Lamoille Valley Railroad, which once served as a vital east-west transportation corridor from 1877 to 1994. Travelers on the trail can easily stop at Riverbend Market or 10 Railroad Street Restaurant for a delicious meal or snack. If heading west, stop at Lost Nation Brewing to sample some local beer. Morrisville is also home to Rock Art Brewery, and Green Mountain Distillers, just off the new Route 100 Truck Route.
Morrisville provides convenient and inexpensive accommodations for skiers & riders enjoying Stowe Mountain Resort or Smuggler’s Notch in the winter. Also nearby, the Green River Reservoir is amazing for camping, kayaking & canoeing during the spring, summer & autumn. There are three stores in the downtown to outfit you for all these adventures: Power Play Sports, Caplans and Chuck’s Bikes.
Many of the commercial buildings in the downtown have second-story false fronts that disguise their pitched roofs. It is a style more characteristic of 19th century railroad towns in the West and it gives downtown Morrisville a unique personality. Even with this look of the past, Morrisville is firmly in the 21st century with an excellent medical facility at Copley Hospital and an electric car charging station located in the town parking area.
Morrisville has so much to offer and is one of the jewels of Northern Vermont. Come and see for yourself. For more information, visit Lamoille Region Chamber of Commerce or call (802) 888-7607.
