Shelburne Museum

Over twenty gardens add splashes of color and natural beauty to the museum grounds throughout the season. From hundreds of lilacs and peonies in the spring to thousands of daylilies in the summer. Perennial and annual gardens, even an heirloom vegetable garden, are a favorite attraction at the Museum.

Gardens and grounds are  maintained organically without the use of chemical pesticides or herbicides. Each year, new gardens are added to complement special exhibitions.

Main Entrance Gardens
A magnificent preview of the extensive gardens on the Museum grounds.

Welcome Garden
A restful garden oasis welcomes visitors with color and textures, and fragrance.

Danby Fountain Garden
Colorful annuals flow from decorative garden ornamentation.

Circus Building Daylily Garden
A brilliant burst of summer color with over 1,700 daylilies in 38 varieties ringing the Circus Building.

Railroad Station Gardens
Vibrant beds of annuals.

Gardens of Pleissner Courtyard
Artistic palettes of color and texture.

Diamond Barn Garden
Bright blossoms against a backdrop of warm wood.

Owl Cottage Garden
A playful pathway of zinnias.

Prentis/Stencil Garden
A sensory-filled garden path.

Apothecary Garden
Plants and blossoms for health and well-being.

Meeting House Garden
A formal, floral-lined walkway

Dyer’s Garden
A patch of colorful herbs and plants for fabric dyes.

Hat and Fragrance Garden
Plants and herbs traditionally used for fragrances and dyes.

Alyssia’s Garden
Perennials and schoolhouse playground

Vermont House Garden
Stately beds of geraniums.

Dutton Dooryard Garden
A 19th century array of scent and color.

The Pauline Cropper Mallory Heritage Garden at Dutton House
Extensive 1820s heirloom kitchen garden.

Settlers’ Gardens
1790s Vermont flax and kitchen gardens.

Webb Gallery Garden
A dramatic display of natural materials and blooms inspired by the exhibit in Webb Gallery each season.

Bostwick Garden
A formal garden designed to evoke an artist’s color palette.

J. Watson Webb, Jr. Memorial Peony Garden
Over 700 peonies in 25 varieties.

Lilacs
Over 400 lilacs grace the Museum grounds.