50 States of Wonder
9 Rocking Places in Vermont

Granite enthusiasts should pay their respects to the greats at Hope Cemetery, also known as the “Granite Capital of the World.” Come for the gallery of granite artistry, but stay to pay tribute to the stone cutters and artisans interred amongst the sculptures they created while they lived. (Read more.) 

In the late 1700s, the small town of Dorset experienced a mining boom due to the high-quality, uniquely colored marble that sat in the bedrock of the surrounding mountains. Today, it’s unique for another reason: In winter, its cavern features a large pond of water that freezes solid, making it a unique spot to ice skate. (Read more.)

Visiting the Rock of Ages Corporation’s granite quarry is basically a tour of the immense. This is the world’s largest deep-hole dimension granite quarry, and is also home to a facility that produces most of America’s granite headstones. Before you leave, be sure to roll a few bowling balls down the outdoor granite lane. (Read more.)

These two unique houses on the village green of Fair Haven are tributes to the state’s marble and slate industries. Built in the 1860s, both houses are of the highest Italianate style that was popular at the time, and if you peer close enough, you’ll see that the creamy white marble has just the slightest tinge of green. (Read more.)

This is the world’s largest underground marble quarry, where 4,000 square feet of marble slabs are churned out per day, totaling roughly 200,000 cubic feet per year. The quarry’s marble legacy includes the U.S. Supreme Court building, and it still exports coveted marble to projects across the globe. Truly a marble marvel. (Read more.)

In 1848, the construction worker Phineas Gage was blasting through boulders when the gunpowder he was using prematurely ignited, rocketing a 3.5-foot-long bar of iron directly through his cheek bone, brain, and skull. Incredibly, Gage survived, with only some scarring belying the accident. A memorial dedicated to him now stands in the middle of Cavendish. (Read more.)

If it’s a fairytale adventure you’re after, wander through the small island town of South Hero in search of its miniature stone castles. These castles were the passion project of Harry Barber, a Swiss immigrant-turned-local gardener, who built the stone fortresses as tributes to his home country. (Read more.)

To feel like you’re on top of the world, clamber up to “The Chin,” the highest point on rocky Mount Mansfield. At 4,393 feet above sea level, this is Vermont’s tallest peak—and here, you’ll find some of the only alpine tundra in the eastern United States. If you’re lucky, on a clear day you’ll see Lake Champlain and the Adirondack Mountains of New York. (Read more.)

Pull off Route 103 while driving through the tiny village of Cuttingsville to witness a mysterious marble man frozen in the act of walking up the steps of his own crypt. This is the likeness of John Porter Bowman, who built the mausoleum to honor the tragic, too-soon deaths of his children and wife. It contains 750 tons of granite, 50 tons of marble, sculpted busts of the deceased, and mirrors positioned to make the room seem larger than it really is. When construction wrapped in 1881, the mausoleum became a local tourist attraction, with Bowman even hiring an usher and guide to conduct short tours. The inside is locked to the public today, but you can still see parts of the interior. (Read more.)