Montpelier Shopping and Districts

(Montpelier, Vermont - VT, USA)



Being such a tiny state capital, the shopping scene in Montpelier is what you would most likely expect it to be - fairly basic and on a small scale. However, if you are prepared to travel outside of the city and into neighboring towns, such as Barre and Berlin, then you will find many tempting retail opportunities.

Those based in the city of Montpelier will enjoy exploring the shops around the Historic District, in the city center. The shopping on offer here is at its best along the principal thoroughfares, such as both Main Street and State Street, where local stores are at their most attractive and full of period character.

If you are exploring the shops of downtown Montpelier at the weekend, then you will find that a number choose to shut their doors slightly earlier than during the week, closing at around 15:30 or thereabouts, rather than 17:30. Also, on Sundays, many don't open at all, meaning that if you are planning to shop at the weekend, you may like to go where the locals shop - nearby Berlin Mall. The shopping hours here are much longer, with stores opening up at 10:00 and closing as late as 21:00, Monday to Saturday, and from 11:00 until 17:00 on Sundays.


Where to Shop

From Montpelier city center, the Berlin Mall lies directly to the south and can be comfortably reached by car in around ten minutes, being located within the small suburb town of Berlin.

This somewhat dated indoor mall is a good option for a rainy day, with around 15 different stores based onsite. A small JC Penney store is to be found here, along with a GameStop, Hallmark and Payless ShoeSource, although things are rather dominated by the sizeable Walmart supermarket.

If you head a similar distance to the southeast, along the Barre-Montpelier Road (US-302), you will reach several further retail opportunities, grouped close to each other. The Vermont Shopping Center is closest to Montpelier, followed next by the Twin City Plaza and then by the larger Central Plaza Shopping Center, where highlights include Dollar Tree, Newhouse Furniture and a Price Chopper supermarket.

Further afield and this time to the west, the Burlington Town Center and Church Street Marketplace offer just under 100 shops at less than 50 minutes away. To the north, the Stowe resort area is another good shopping alternative and also features summer hiking and winter skiing.

Back in Montpelier, the seasonal farmers' markets combine quality local produce with friendly locals. The markets take place each Saturday on State Street, from May to October (09:00 to 13:00), moving inside during the winter months (10:00 to 14:00) to the Vermont College of Fine Arts Gym, on the corner of College Street and East State Street.