Shelburne Farms: The Inn (Vermont, USA)
44°23.743’ N 073°16.490’ W


Back in 1886, members of the Vanderbilt family bought 32 farms on Shelburne Point to create an agricultural estate. It was a model farm, experimenting with all the latest technologies and innovating in many fields. Helping them in this endeavour was Frederick Law Olmsted, the famous landscape architect that designed Central Park in New York and, closer to home, the Mount-Royal Park in Montreal. Another great architect, Robert H. Roberston, designed all the farm buildings and the great house.

Throughout the 20th century, the farm slowly declined and was eventually turned into a non-profit organisation in 1972. The great house is now an inn and restaurant. The property tour makes a stop there and one can visit the public rooms and formal gardens. The gardens are magnificent with the lake as a backdrop.

The farm is dedicated to promoting a sustainable future. We learned that about 80% of the food served at the Inn is produced on the estate and that 70% of the electricity comes from solar panels located onsite.

The Inn allows us to reminisce of an era gone by when New York’s rich industrials navigated the Hudson River with their steam powered yachts all the way to Lake Champlain for the summer. It also merges old day opulence with a will to build a more simple and sustainable future. The proceeds from the inn, restaurant and welcome center all go to educational programs for children and adults alike and partnerships extend as far as Italy and China.

We'll keep going back for many years to come!