Bennington is in the southeast corner of the state, at the junction of Route 9 and US-7. It is the third-largest city in Vermont, with a population of 16,132 residents.

It was a manufacturing center in the 1800s, with famous Bennington Pottery, paper mills, and gristmills. The area is rich in history. The Vermont patriot and Revolutionary War hero, Ethan Allen, met with the Green Mountain Boys in the Catamount Tavern. In 1775 they recaptured Fort Ticonderoga from the British during the Revolutionary War.

Visitors can enjoy panoramic views of Bennington by taking the elevator up the 306-foot Battle of Bennington Monument, a stone obelisk that commemorates the victory of General Stark over the British when they tried to take the town’s stockpile of supplies. This victory contributed to the British Commander “Gentleman Johnny” Burgoyne surrendering two months later. The monument is open from April to October.

The Bennington Area Chamber of Commerce provides a walking tour brochure that tells the stories behind many of the buildings in Old Bennington, the area just west of downtown. Here there are several brick Federal houses and whitecolumned Greek Revival houses circling the village green. Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Robert Frost is buried at the Old First Church at the corner of Monument Avenue and Church Street.

The Bennington Museum has household items from life in the country as well as collections of art and craft from the area. There is the biggest public collection of the folk art of Grandma Moses, who lived and painted nearby. There are exhibits on the history of glassmaking in the United States, including some works by Tiffany, as well as a room devoted to Bennington Pottery.

Bennington College is a small co-ed college, well respected for its arts program. It is a lively place, despite the peaceful surroundings of green meadows, dairy farms, and cornfields. The Vermont Symphony orchestra is in town all winter, and the Old Castle Theatre Company is housed in the Bennington Center for the Arts from April to October.

The William H. Morse State Airport is in Bennington. Trains and buses service the area.