St. Johnsbury Athenaeum — Attraction in Saint Johnsbury

This is a wonderful informative respite from the nonstop most of us find ourselves daily. It is both a look back with its cared-for fine exterior and very impressive interior architecture. The craved wood staircases, the built for the ages book coves, and the wooden floors that seem to speak. But the library has two other wonderful surprises. The up-to-date collection of books, magazines, and other publications. The locals must love this place as I, a visitor, immediately loved it. Last but not least is the Art collection. The Library itself has several well-placed paintings that blend in with the furniture and neighboring books. The separate Art collection, in a separate climate-controlled room, was a wonderful well-thought-out collection of masterpieces. As a frequent art museum visitor, especially in my hometown of Houston Texas, I was surprised to find the same artist’s work here in St Johnsbury Vermont as in the art museum in the 4th largest U. S. city. The Athenarum’s stated mission “is to promote life-long learning through art, literature and information services, and to preserve its National Historic Landmark building, art collection, and furnishings.” It certainly accomplishes that and so much more....

St. Johnsbury in its entirety is a delight. Worth the detour. The Atheneum is one of those dream libraries with architecture to marvel over. It also has a small art museum with paintings, bronzes, and sculptures mainly from the 1870s. Staff was great about pointing out elevators - wish that staff had looked up from their computers and said hello as we went from room to room as we had lots of questions that went unanswered (I realize library staff doesn't have enough time to be tour guides all the time, smiles). Regardless, the Library is both a moment in history and a vibrant community hub and a must see architectural feature of the town. Flyers for Library programs looked inviting and current. Combine with a visit to the Fairbanks Museum - there's a nice deli across the...

I loved visiting the St. Johnsbury Athenaeum. Not only is the building itself beautiful and a joy to spend time in, but the staff are lovely, too. Adele in the 2nd floor space was so kind, and she cheerfully helped me book a private room to use for some work calls on more than one occasion. The tables all had power outlets nearby, and the chairs were comfortable to sit in while I worked on my laptop. The WiFi was sometimes incredibly fast, but always fast enough for my needs. Bathrooms were clean and easy to access in the basement.

If I lived in the area, I think I would come here on a very regular basis. I am grateful for public spaces like this that are so, so nice. Thank you, St. Johnsbury Athenaeum and your...