Fairbanks Museum and Planetarium, Saint Johnsbury

4.6

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The Fairbanks Museum & Planetarium is a combination natural science museum, history museum, and planetarium located in St. Johnsbury, Vermont. It was founded in 1890 by businessman, politician, naturalist, and collector Franklin Fairbanks. The museum and its buildings are on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.

The Eye on the Sky Weather Center is a meteorology and weather forecasting station operated regularly at the site since 1893. Meteorologists broadcast their unique weather forecasts for Vermont, New Hampshire, and areas immediately around the region, on Vermont Public Radio and Magic 97.7. The facility also produces daily weather forecasts for three newspapers: The Caledonian Record, Times Argus, and Rutland Herald.

The Lyman Spitzer Jr. Planetarium, established in 1960, is located at the museum, and produces public astronomy shows, as well as educational classes on various space science topics. Astronomers and educational presenters from the planetarium, along with members of the Vermont Astronomical Society, regularly contribute to and appear on science segments for local news stations, notably WCAX. Other productions of the planetarium include the Eye on the Night Sky astronomy program for radio broadcast, and the Night Owl astronomy & spaceflight news articles for online and print publication.

For travelers who use our international travel planner, Saint Johnsbury holidays become easier to arrange, with trips to the Fairbanks Museum and Planetarium and other attractions mapped out and timetabled.
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Fairbanks Museum and Planetarium reviews

TripAdvisor traveler rating

170 reviews

Google

4.7

By Clovergro

Great little museum, really well maintained exhibits, friendly and helpful staff. The live astronomy show in the planetarium was the highlight.

Great little museum, really well maintained exhibits, friendly and helpful staff. The live astronomy show in the planetarium was the highlight. more »
By Trip790059

Planetarium was a great treat as well as butterfly house but other aspects were a tad creepy......so many dead and stuffed things. Not for people with any kind of mobility issues....steeps steps and.... more

Planetarium was a great treat as well as butterfly house but other aspects were a tad creepy......so many dead and stuffed things. Not for people with any kind of mobility issues....steeps steps and.... more »
By Natnan137

An amazingly comprehensive museum that we wandered through for hours! Helpful staff, too. We never expected the depth and variety of exhibits in this small town. Would have stayed longer, but not...

An amazingly comprehensive museum that we wandered through for hours! Helpful staff, too. We never expected the depth and variety of exhibits in this small town. Would have stayed longer, but not... more »

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By Audrey P

The Fairbanks Museum is something you have to experience to fully appreciate. With that being said, it's a haven celebrating science, nature, and culture. The collection is priceless, from the carefully positioned birds of Vermont to the beautifully woven Abanaki baskets. There is obvious care and consideration put into every single piece displayed in this museum. I live in Burlington and don't mind taking the beautiful 1.5 hour drive to Saint Johnsbury just to see this museum. The wildflowers of Vermont display, the butterfly garden, and the planetarium are all parts of this museum worth enjoying and visiting. I hope this special place is celebrated for many more years to come. Definitely worth a visit!

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By Alyssa Conn

We really enjoyed our visit! Our toddler especially liked the interactive exhibits and the audio tour guide that you can enter exhibit numbers into for more information. The building is gorgeous and worth seeing in person. They also have a couple of EV chargers available for EV drivers in their small parking area.

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By Holly U

The building is just as interesting as the many exhibits in this museum! We loved looking at and reading everything and our 3 year old had a blast in the kids science area.

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By Brendon Velletri

They pack a lot of information into that building, my daughter had a blast. Very interesting, very fun, and very interactive for the little ones

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By angela oakes

This was a very fun experience! They have so many different animals on display for you to view and learn about. Upon arrival you get handed this divice and you enter in the codes displayed by the animals. It explains a bit about them and you get to hear the sounds they make. Entry cost $12. But if you want to see a movie in the planetarium it costs $7. Total fee was $19. The planetarium shows a film on the round dome ceiling. I suggest sitting towards the back you get a better view. On the balcony level there are displays about history and geography. I will definitely return!!!

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