Bixby Memorial Library

The imposing Greek Revival facade of Bixby Memorial Library (258 Main St., 802/877-2211, www.bixbylibrary.org, 12:30–8 p.m. Mon.; 12:30–5 p.m. Tues. and Fri.; 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Wed. and Thurs., free) is only the beginning of its charms. Inside, the library has one of the largest collections of artifacts in the state, with exhibits of Indian arrowheads, antique maps, stamps, and documents relating to the early history of the region, including the Revolutionary and Civil Wars.

Rokeby Museum

By the time escaped slaves arrived in Ferrisburgh, just north of Vergennes, they must have been able to taste the freedom of Canada on their tongue. The Rokeby Museum (4334 Rte. 7, Ferrisburgh, 802/877-3406, www.rokeby.org, tours 11 a.m., 12:30 p.m., and 2 p.m. Thurs.–Sun., $6 adults, $4 seniors and students, $2 children under 13) preserves the time when Quakers Rowland Thomas and Rachel Gilpin helped countless slaves escape on the Underground Railroad, hiding them and providing them employment on their sheep farm. In addition to being one of the best-documented Underground Railroad sites in the country, the museum contains artifacts relating to 200 years of Vermont history.