Known as the gateway to Vermont's famous 'Northeast Kingdom', St. Johnsbury is an interesting 10-block mix of historic homes, businesses, and cultural facilities and is one of Vermont's most beautiful downtowns. Visitors looking for the quintessential Vermont town should start with St. Johnsbury.

St. Johnsbury's center of commerce and industry are not far from the railroads and rivers that were the engines of the local economy in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. St. Johnsbury's accessible location and the success of companies like Fairbanks Scales helped foster a prosperous town. The local gentry funded and built numerous cultural and education institutions and many fine homes that exist today as a testament to the town's history.

The former incorporated village of St. Johnsbury has two distinct areas that comprise the downtown. Railroad Street, which parallels the railroad, is a commercial district with a number of distinctive and historic buildings storefronts, offices, and apartments.

Main Street, four blocks to the east and up Eastern Avenue, is a broad, nearly three-quarter-mile long boulevard. This Historic District contains many grand homes, several beautiful churches, plus the St. Johnsbury Athenaeum (pictured), a National Historic Landmark library and gallery; the Fairbanks Museum and Planetarium, a classic museum of natural history; and St. Johnsbury Academy, a private secondary school with an attractive campus.

Several attractive buildings grace Eastern Avenue, connecting Railroad Street and Main Street, including Catamount Arts (in a former post office), the Masonic Temple, and the Windhorse Commons, a collection of older building converted to office and commercial use. In addition to the architectural attractions, the downtown district has film venues, multiple dining options, and many retailers, dining, and lodging venues.