About Bennington and...

Bennington area enjoys natural beauty nestling in the Southwestern corner of Vermont. Bennington and its surrounding communities are quite famous and richly endowed with arts, history, and outdoor recreational opportunities, and therefore, make a really enjoyable trip for tourists. There are quite a lot of sight-seeing and recreational activities that tourists enjoy while being in Bennington.

Bennington is a like a commercial center for the surrounding agricultural area, and the total area includes the villages of Bennington, Old Bennington, and North Bennington. The Bennington area acts as a major gateway to Vermont from New York State via Rt. 9. Bennington enjoys a rich history and has played a significant role in the formation of Vermont as a state: Bennington is where the Catamount Tavern once stood, and it was at the Catamount Tavern where Ethan Allen and Seth Warner formulated the Green Mountain Boys and helped to establish the State of Vermont! People come here to live those moments of the history and feel the presence of those who worked hard to the historical formation of State of Vermont.

History of Bennington

Bennington enjoys a rich history to make a solid base for the pride of its residents! The history of Bennington dates back to 1749. The then New Hampshire Governor, Benning Wentworth, chartered the first town in the territory now known as Vermont, and named it after himself. Though, the town of Bennington is famous and known for the Battle of Bennington, fought during the Revolutionary War! August 16th 1777 was the day when Gen. John Starks 1,500 New Hampshire Militia defeated 800 troops of German mercenaries, local Loyalists, Canadians, and Indians under German Lt. Col. Friedrich Baum. This was a famous battle and laid down the base for the history of the town.

The area of Bennington includes three historic districts: Old Bennington, Downtown Bennington and North Bennington. Among them, Old Bennington is the original settlement, dating back to 1761, and was inhabited by Congregational Separatists when they arrived from Connecticut and Massachusetts.

Demographics of Bennington

According to the census of 2000, the Bennington town has the population of 15,737 people. There are 6,162 households, and 3,863 families residing in the town. The population density was 143.2/ square km. The racial makeup of the town is white in majority, accounting to 96.96%. Other races include 0.63% Black or African American, 0.25% Native American, 0.95% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.22% from other races, 0.99% of Hispanic or Latino and 0.97% of any other race.

The population of Bennington was spread out with 23.5% under the age of 18, 10.7% from 18-24, 26.1% from 25-44, 22.0% from 45-64, and 17.8% of people with 65 years of age or older. The median age of Bennington was 38 years old. For every 100 females there were 87 males.

Places of Attraction in Bennington

Bennington is well known for its attractive places that are a must for every tourists and visitor. There are a lot of museums, antique shops, art galleries, historic walking tours, covered bridges, beautifully revitalized downtown, green mountains and lush valleys, and a whole range of summer and winter recreational opportunities.

Bennington Center For The Natural & Cultural Arts
The Bennington Center for the Arts is home to the world-class fine art, history, and theatre, which is liked by both residents and visitors. The Center offers permanent art collection, sales exhibitions, live theatre by Old Castle Theatre Company, and exhibits within the Covered Bridge Museum, and all these activities are available to the tourists throughout the year.

Bennington Museum
One of the finest museum in and around the area depicting the true American heritage outstanding collections of American furniture, paintings and glass, military history and historical artifacts, tools, toys, dolls, and what not! Visitors can enjoy the taste of American rich culture here to the extent!

The Vermont Covered Bridge Museum
The Vermont Covered Bridge Museum features a theatre production evolving all the history and importance of covered bridges. Exhibits include the evolution of bridges from the earliest times through the constant technical improvements in covered bridge trusses allowing even large locomotives to traverse them.

Climate of Bennington

Bennington town enjoys four distinct seasons in the year and offers something in every season to enjoy the nature to its fullest grandeur.

Summer season is full of activities and long days offer good options for hiking and mountain-cycling. Bennington enjoys one of the best winter seasons and offers great opportunities for skiing and snowmobiling. Autumn is often good and often lasts up to the last week of October. Spring season is not as clear as other seasons of the town it can be deceptive in its arrival, though nature blooms in its full beauty and majesty once the snow recedes!

Recreational Activities in Bennington

Bennington offers recreational activities throughout the year and often weather-specific! Below are some of those activities:

Bicycling
Bicycling is one of the most enthralling experiences you can plan by moving around to the see the scenic, historic back-roads through the rambling countryside and covered bridges. Mountain bicycling is another option.

Family Activities
If you come with your family, you can choose to swim, canoe, or go tubing down the river. You can spare some time for tennis, golf, or miniature golf on the long summer days. Indoor activities include bowling, pool, and other indoor games.

Snowmobiling
Many private and club-owned snowmobile trails run through Bennington and Bennington County, and you can enjoy it a lot. Many companies offer easy access to snowmobile trails coupled with the options of machine storage, rentals, and guided tours.