After decades of non-use and decay, the opera house was partially reopened in 1980. Similar in design to Ford's Theatre in Washington, D. C., the opera house was a focal point for community activity from 1865 to the early 1940s. Every type of live performance was held there - concerts, vaudeville and boxing matches. Entertainers on the Barre stage included Boris Karloff, George M. Cohan and Eugene O'Neill. Norwich University , the nation's oldest private military college, just 10 miles south of Montpelier, is home to some beautiful buildings as well as a military museum.
Exhibits interpret the history of the institution and achievements of alumni.
Steeple at norwich University Hope Cemetery in Barre. The cemetery shows the skills and art of Barre craftsmanship in granite sculpture and design. Covered bridges dot the landscape. One site in Northfield Falls just off Route 12 is unique in the eastern United States. Two covered bridges are just a few yards from each other, and two others are close by.