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ECHO, Leahy Center for Lake Champlain, Burlington, VT

Photo: Cbcrowley74, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.

AttractionsFamily FavoriteRainy-Day Pick

ECHO, Leahy Center for Lake Champlain

1 College St · Burlington, VT

Why you should go…

ECHO, Leahy Center for Lake Champlain is a science and nature museum on the Burlington waterfront that opened in 2003. Inside you will find more than 100 interactive exhibits, live animals, aquariums and a 3D theater showing science and nature films. Look for the 30-foot plesiosaur model of Champ, the legendary Lake Champlain monster, and note that the building was Vermont's first LEED-certified green building.

  • #science center
  • #aquarium
  • #lake champlain
  • #kids museum
  • #waterfront

Good to know

General attractions guidance

Habits that pay off across this whole category, not rules for this one venue. Always check the official site for the specifics.

  • Book the time slot, not just the ticket

    Timed entry is now the norm at big-draw attractions, and online tickets are often cheaper than the gate.

  • Grab the daily schedule on arrival

    Feeding times, keeper talks, and shows run on a posted timetable that changes day to day.

  • The first hour is the quietest

    Queues build through late morning and peak after lunch, so an early start buys you the shortest waits.

  • Budget past the ticket price

    Parking, lockers, strollers, and food inside the gates are common extras worth planning for.

What's around here?

The closest stops to ECHO, Leahy Center for Lake Champlain, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.

  • Sightseeing
    Free

    Church Street Marketplace

    Free

    Stroll four car-free blocks of downtown Burlington lined with local shops, restaurants and a busy calendar of street events.

    0.4 mi awaySwitch it up: Sightseeing

  • Museums
    History Buff

    Shelburne Museum

    $25–$50

    Wander 39 buildings on a 45-acre campus filled with folk art, quilts, Impressionist paintings and the steamboat Ticonderoga.

    7.3 mi awaySwitch it up: Museums

  • Sport & Outdoor
    Outdoor Adventure

    Ausable Chasm

    Under $25

    Hike rim and gorge trails through a two-mile sandstone chasm, then float the Ausable River by raft or tube.

    12 mi awaySwitch it up: Sport & Outdoor

  • Sport & Outdoor
    Outdoor Adventure

    Mount Mansfield

    Free

    Hike or drive to the alpine ridgeline of Vermont's highest peak for views from the Chin, its 4,395-foot summit.

    21 mi awaySwitch it up: Sport & Outdoor

  • Attractions
    Family Favorite

    Ben & Jerry's Factory

    Under $25

    Take a 30-minute guided ice cream factory tour with a sample, then visit the Flavor Graveyard for retired flavors.

    25 mi awayMore like this

  • Attractions
    Iconic

    Saratoga Race Course

    Under $25

    Watch summer thoroughbred racing from the grandstand or a backyard picnic spot at a track opened in 1863.

    101 mi awayMore like this