fairbanks museum and planetarium

Earlydog

This is a very nice natural history museum, on a very nice scale. I especially like the architecture of the building. It reminds me a lot of a smaller version of the Harvard University Natural History Museum.

rickyspa1

My company organised a dinner event in this museum and the whole experience of the visit, cocktail and dinner was very well organised. A nice place to visit

scottishvermonter

1889 must have been a stellar year for Franklin Fairbanks and the town if Saint Johnsbury! The man was a collector with the money to acquire artifacts from all over the world. The current thinking is that less is more, so display cases are being removed, lighting is being updated, and every creature great and small has been dusted and fluffed back to display quality. I love the planetarium; every time I have been there I have been mesmerized by the presentation of the mythology of the stars and constellations. By January 26, 2015, all should be ready for the reawakening! Come to see what a REAL collection looks like in a Victorian setting.

CanadianButterfly60

We took in a very interesting show in the planetarium then toured the museum. I would suggest 2 hours to walk around the displays. The collection is varied and impossible to pigeon-hole but interesting for sure.

Tek

This tiny museum displays the collection of Mr. Fairbanks and his travels. The building is beautiful with a wooden barreled ceiling. The displays are varied: there are many stuffed birds and mammals but also an incredible variety of cultural and aural artifacts. It is worth a stop.

JanetW889

Upon entering this beautiful building, we were a bit disappointed that most of the museum consisted of taxidermy gone wild! The cases were overcrowded and needed cleaning. Some of the specimens were not even native to the Vermont area. We paid the additional fee for the planetarium show which was really not worth it. The person running this on the weekend was very pleasant and tried to be informative. He made some jokes and really tried hard, but it wasn't worth the time we spent there. :(

TMF-BAF

We were going to be stopping in Littleton NH and were looking for something else to do in the area and this Museum popped up. Minimal entrance fee and a beautiful old building. For a small museum they had the most examples of (stuffed) birds I have ever seen. They also have some other animals that I have never heard of and they even have a full grown moose! We also did one of the Planetarium shows which was very interesting and was presented by a very enthusiastic guide. This place is a great little diversion for a couple of hours for children and adults.

swj

This is what a museum should look like. The collection is very eclectic mix. More stuffed animals than one can count. Displays about local history. Displays about natural phenomena. Even a planetarium presentation. The building itself is a treat. Altogether a wonderful, fascinating place to spend a couple of hours.

760amberk

The museum was pretty decent for a local variety- the downstairs is comprised of animals (I believe most were a product of taxidermy from a museum contributor). The upstairs has historical pieces geared more towards history and different genres. The major star of this place is the planetarium. It is worth the extra $2. You watch a short video and the "guide" then goes into a whole play by play of the night sky for that evening, what you can look for, history of constellations, etc. He knows his stuff and makes the presentation fun and full of enthusiasm.

Stewartsix

We have a membership to another museum which allows us to visit for free and decided to stop in on our way through Vermont. It is right in downtown St Johnsbury. What a delight!This is, as others have stated, a museum of a museum. No flash or interactive displays, just a bunch of neat stuff. Kids really enjoyed the animals/birds and reading where they had come from as well as the weapons. Our visit was very quick but my husband said it is the best museum he's ever been to. The road leading to and in front of the building is undergoing construction so it is very bumpy and muddy. Your car will need a wash after the drive but take a chance and visit this unique collection of displays.

ThePackedBag

This place has changed very little since Victorian times and in fact the Natural History Museum in London used to look like this. With cabinets of curiosity everywhere.It's a very charming place and well worth an hour or so.

910point4

We were early for our event and looking to waste some time somewhere. We wandered into this museum and were surprised at what a hidden gem it turned out to be! It's quite an eclectic collection and rather small in comparison to some other museums, but if you're in the area it would be a shame to miss it.

yellowbirdVermont

This museum has lots of variety and is easy to find. We spent time looking at the exhibits and then went for lunch. We returned to take in a planetarium show that was very interesting. All in all we had a great day at the museum.

JRWPlattsburghNY

Visitors of all ages could spend a few hours poking around the eclectic exhibits. My son attended Astronomy Camp and had a great time. This museum seems to offer many interesting programs for area children. The staff that we interacted with were young, energetic and fun, which was also nice to see.

Mangorick

This is an exceptional mid-sized natural history museum. The displays are packed in tightly and contain a great variety of taxidermied specimens, but the collection is particularly strong with birds. The upper level is a hodgepodge, with East Asian musical instruments, Civil War relicts, Egyptian vessels, Roman amphora, and so on. But this eclecticism tended to enhance our interest because we never knew what would be around the corner. It will be particularly nice to visit to introduce children to a great variety of subjects.On the upper level is a small planetarium that is a nice diversion.Lastly, the building itself is gorgeous to behold...