Tourist Guide - Barre (pronounced "Barry") is both a town and a city, the latter situated inside the former, in the Central Vermont region. Known as the
"Granite Capital of the World," Barre owes its rise to the development of the area's granite quarries in the 19th century. Immigrants from Scotland, Italy, and other countries in Europe came over to work in the granite industry and helped make Barre what it is today. A wonderful place to visit, Barre offers a wide variety of lodging options including charming inns and bed and breakfasts. If you should manage to pry yourself away from the coziness of your Barre inn or bed and breakfast, you should set out to explore the
Barre Downtown Historic District, which offers a showcase of historic 19th century architecture, featuring a number of majestic buildings built in styles ranging from Italianate to Neo-Classical. There is also a memorial to the Scottish poet Robert Burns, as well as several old churches built in Gothic and Romanesque styles. Also worth seeing, just northeast of the Barre Downtown Historic District, is the
Currier Park Historic District, a well-preserved residential neighborhood where you can find many charming houses of 19th and early 20th-century vintage. Granite quarries are what put Barre on the map, and they are definitely worth visiting. You will enjoy an especially unique experience at the historic quarry called
Rock of Ages, which offers a shuttle tour to the world's largest deep-hole granite quarry--a tour that takes you nearly 600 feet underground! You can also check out the factory tour and the stone activity center, where you can try the art of sandblasting granite yourself and even create your own souvenir to take home. The hosts at your Barre lodging will likely point you towards the
Elmwood and Hope Cemeteries--not because they wish to see you end up there, but simply because these cemeteries are showcases of beautiful stone-cut art, captured in magnificent detail on their granite monuments and tombstones.
