Antiquing in Burlington, Vermont: A Winter Getaway to Barge Canal Market & Vintage Inspired Marketplace

Antiquing in Burlington, Vermont, might just be the most eclectic chapter yet in my Antiquing in New England series. On this cozy winter getaway, I’m visiting two very different Burlington, Vermont, antique shops, Barge Canal Market in the South End and Vintage Inspired Marketplace in nearby South Burlington, along with a delightfully quirky Victorian inn that fits right in with the vintage treasures. From ski lodge decor and antique rope beds to vintage chocolate molds and antique ski poles, this little loop is all about character-filled, “only in Vermont” finds. Come along as I share my favorite moments, what I brought home, and how you can plan your own antiquing escape in Burlington, Vermont.

Today’s Antiquing in Burlington, Vermont post is part of my Antiquing in New England series, where I pair vintage shops with cozy places to stay and a memorable find from each trip. Browse the posts below to plan your next New England antique weekend.

Barge Canal Market: Eclectic Antiquing in Burlington, Vermont

As you pull into Barge Canal Market, it feels a little bit off the beaten path, tucked into a warehouse-style building in Burlington’s South End, so don’t be surprised if you almost drive by it. Step inside, though, and it’s beautifully styled and oh-so Vermont. Room by room, different vendors have layered in vintage ski lodge decor, rustic furniture, and quirky finds, creating a space that feels like authentic, eclectic Vermont at its best. Get Directions

Everywhere you look, there are little nods to this corner of New England: authentic State of Vermont pure maple syrup stickers, a vintage sled with a “Ski Smuggs Vermont” sign (shout-out to Smugglers’ Notch), and more skis, sleds, snowshoes, and ski poles than you can count. I fell hard for a gigantic pair of antique wooden ski poles and immediately pictured them on my Vermont porch. They came home with me, of course. You’ll also find vintage bar carts, retro glassware, mid-century modern dining sets, bottle brush Christmas trees, Scandinavian-inspired pieces, transferware, rugs, and even a candy counter complete with an old-fashioned scale.

Two antique rope beds stopped me in my tracks, charming twin beds with that perfectly timeworn look, and I thought the prices were very fair. Throughout the market, furniture, lighting, clothing, and seasonal decor are mixed in a way that feels collected rather than curated, which I love. It’s not a massive space, but you can happily wander for 45 minutes to an hour, and it’s exactly the kind of spot I look for when I’m antiquing in Burlington, Vermont: eclectic, approachable, and filled with pieces that tell a story without shocking you on price.

Antiquing in Burlington, Vermont: Church Street Lunch and Checking into Made INN Vermont

After wrapping up my visit to Barge Canal Market, I still had plenty of daylight left in my antiquing in Burlington, Vermont getaway. So I headed downtown to Church Street for a cozy late afternoon “lupper,” a little retail strolling, and then made my way back up the hill to check in at Made INN Vermont for the night. It turned into the perfect mix of vintage hunting, good food, and quirky lodging, all within just a few minutes’ drive of each other.

Lunch on Church Street at Leunig’s Bistro & Café

Whether you’re in the mood for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, Church Street Marketplace is full of options, but I highly recommend Leunig’s if you love a charming, old-world bistro vibe. It’s the perfect spot to warm up, refuel, and people-watch before heading back to the car and continuing your Burlington antiquing adventure. Get Directions

If you’re spending any time in Burlington, a stroll down Church Street is a must, no matter the season. The brick-lined, pedestrian-only stretch is packed with restaurants, cafés, and shops, and it feels especially cozy on a chilly day. You’ll find everything from pizza and breweries to Italian and brunch spots, but for this trip, I headed straight to one of my long-time favorites: Leunig’s Bistro & Café on the corner of Church and College.

Leunig’s is a classic French bistro, and the minute you step inside, you feel like you’ve landed in a little café in Paris, with warm lighting, bistro tables, mirrors, and a happy hum of conversation. I tucked into a bowl of rich French onion soup (exactly what you want when you’ve been out antiquing in Burlington, Vermont, in winter) and treated myself to a macaron for dessert before wandering back out to window shop along Church Street.

My love for French bistros began with a trip to Paris antiquing, learn more in my Paris Flea Market Travels: Vintage Finds, Travel Tips, and Secret Spots post.

Staying at Made INN Vermont, an Eclectic Victorian Inn in Burlington

If Barge Canal Market is eclectic Vermont shopping, Made INN Vermont is eclectic Vermont living. Tucked into a historic Victorian on a hill above downtown Burlington, this tiny, art-filled inn feels more like staying with your most creative friend than checking into a traditional bed-and-breakfast. Every hallway and room is layered with old photos, records, books, vintage objects, and little surprises; you almost don’t know where to look first. Get Directions

My room is small (we’re talking cozy “two-by-four” territory), with the bathroom down the hall just like an old-fashioned boarding house. But it’s adorable, and what it lacks in square footage it makes up for in personality. One wall is an entire chalkboard, where guests sign their names and leave notes from their stay, like a running guestbook right above the bed. There are stacks of vinyl and an assortment of old Wi-Fi instructions and music gear scattered around, all adding to that wonderfully lived-in, eclectic charm.

Nothing here is cookie-cutter, and honestly, that’s the fun of it. The Wi-Fi password has clearly had a few lives, the TV remote needed a battery refresh, and the hot tub is currently out of commission, but then you wander into a room filled with old bottles and barware where guests can help themselves to a cocktail, and suddenly it all feels perfectly, delightfully Vermont. The morning’s avocado toast breakfast that I ordered was the best I’ve ever had and a perfect slow start before I headed just a mile down the road to Vintage Inspired Marketplace to continue my antiquing in Burlington, Vermont adventure.

Meet Elizabeth, the Talkative “Ghost” of Room 903

Over breakfast the next morning, homemade avocado toast piled high with capers and lemon, made with all Vermont made ingredients, Linda, the owner of Made INN Vermont, shared one of the inn’s most eclectic stories. Every now and then, she said, she has a visitor named Elizabeth. Elizabeth doesn’t sign the guest book, and she doesn’t come down for coffee… because she’s a ghost.

According to Linda, a medium once stayed at the inn and kept feeling a woman following her from room to room. Eventually, the medium told her, “She’s dying for me to tell you she cannot stand what you’ve done with her house, and whatever you do, don’t touch the wallpaper in her room.” That room? 903, the very room I stayed in, which used to be Elizabeth’s office back when the house was a private home.

Linda later dug into the history of the house and learned that the man who owned it used this as his second home, likely traveling up from a city like New York by train or boat on Lake Champlain. From the old photos, she suspects he was gay, and that Elizabeth may have been what’s sometimes called a “beard”, a wife in a marriage of convenience who, in exchange, enjoyed homes, security, and social standing. Whether that’s exactly how it played out or not, it adds another layer to the house’s already colorful past.

Linda says Elizabeth shows up most often when millennials stay in the room, flicking lights, turning the TV on and off, and playing with the blinds until she scares them right out of the house. She hasn’t made an appearance in a few years, maybe she’s still deciding how she feels about Linda finally tearing down that original 1800s wallpaper, but I love the idea that she’s still drifting around, listening to the music, and keeping an eye on the ever-changing, eclectic decor. Believe what you will, but it’s exactly the kind of story you only hear when you get out of your comfort zone, stay somewhere a little different, and take time to chat over breakfast.

Vintage Inspired Marketplace in South Burlington: Antiquing in Burlington, Vermont

Walking into Vintage Inspired Marketplace in South Burlington feels like stepping into a cozy, indoor vintage fair that never packs up and leaves. Housed in a warehouse-style building just a short drive from Burlington, it’s home to 58 vintage vendors, each with their own little corner of personality. If you love hunting for smalls, the kinds of pieces that tuck into bookshelves, hutches, and tabletops, this is absolutely a must-stop when you’re antiquing in Burlington, Vermont. Get Directions

Because I visited right around Thanksgiving, the market was overflowing with vintage Christmas decor: bottle brush trees, ornaments, holiday tins, ruler stars made from old folding yardsticks, Santa mugs, and all sorts of nostalgic bits and bobs. There were also plenty of Vermont memorabilia pieces, like Middlebury College pennants, maple syrup buckets, and snowy Vermont scenes in old paintings and prints. Between the beautifully styled hutches, cottage farmhouse displays, and walls of vintage glassware and Depression glass, it’s the kind of place where you can easily spend an hour slowly wandering the aisles.

It’s not just decor, either. You’ll find clothing booths, like the wonderfully eclectic Mouthy Broads display, along with vinyl records, maple products, vintage tins, furniture, chairs, and small chippy dressers that would be right at home in a New England farmhouse bedroom. Overall, Vintage Inspired Marketplace feels approachable and fun; most of the booths lean toward affordable, unique smalls rather than big-ticket investment pieces, making it a fantastic spot to gather a few special accents for your home or gifts for the holidays. If you have time for only one indoor vintage stop in the Burlington area, this one definitely deserves a place near the top of your list.

And be sure to tell Rebecca I said hello!

Eclectic Vintage Finds from Antiquing in Burlington, Vermont

No antiquing in Burlington, Vermont getaway would be complete without bringing home a few eclectic treasures. On this trip, I leaned into pieces that feel perfectly “Vermont in winter,” from soft blue and yellow bottle brush trees for my yellowware styled hutch and tiny vintage chocolate molds I may turn into ornaments, to a spectacular pair of oversized wooden ski poles that practically begged to come home with me.

I also found a small chippy dresser with fantastic antique hardware for our master bedroom, a petite porcelain bust that will tuck into my Christmas bookshelf decor displays, a folding yardstick star for the holidays, and a snowy Vermont schoolhouse painting to add to our bedroom’s growing art wall. Each piece feels like a little snapshot of this Burlington adventure, and together they tell the story of an eclectic winter weekend well spent.

Map of My Antiquing in Burlington, Vermont Route and Antique Shops

To make it easy to plan your own antiquing in Burlington, Vermont getaway, I’ve mapped out my simple loop below. You’ll see Barge Canal Market in the South End, Vintage Inspired Marketplace in South Burlington, Made INN Vermont, and Church Street for lunch or dinner. Use this map to tweak the route, add your own favorite stops, or save it for your next cozy Vermont day trip.

Why This Burlington Antiquing Loop Works So Well

When it comes to antiquing in Burlington, Vermont, this simple loop checks all the boxes: it’s easy to navigate, indoor for winter, and packed with eclectic New England charm. Here are a few reasons I’d happily do this Burlington antiquing route again:

Easy to repeat in any season
Because these are year-round shops, you could do this same Burlington antiquing route in another season and see completely different inventory, new booths, fresh displays, and more stories waiting to be found.

All indoors and winter-friendly
Both Barge Canal Market and Vintage Inspired Marketplace are fully indoors, which makes this the perfect antiquing in Burlington, Vermont itinerary for cold or rainy days.

Everything is close together
Barge Canal Market in Burlington’s South End, Vintage Inspired Marketplace in South Burlington, and my inn are all just a short drive apart. You’re not spending the day in the car, you’re actually browsing, eating, and exploring.

Eclectic, affordable vintage finds
From Vermont memorabilia and ski lodge decor to cottage farmhouse smalls, vintage glassware, and Christmas pieces, this loop is ideal if you love eclectic vintage decor and want a mix of one-of-a-kind treasures at approachable prices.

Plan Your Own Antiquing in Burlington, Vermont Getaway

As I drove back through the snowcapped Vermont mountains, it struck me how perfectly this little loop captured what I love about antiquing in Burlington, Vermont: eclectic shops, authentic ski lodge style, and a character-filled inn that feels like part of the adventure. From vintage holiday candy counters, rope beds, and bottle brush trees at Barge Canal Market to the treasures at Vintage Inspired Marketplace, this winter antiquing trip proved you don’t need a packed itinerary to come home inspired.

If you’re dreaming up your own cozy Vermont escape, add Burlington and South Burlington to your antiquing list, book yourself a stay in a character-filled inn, and leave a little room in the trunk for that one piece you didn’t know you needed.

Know Before You Go Antiquing in Burlington, Vermont

Before you retrace this antiquing in Burlington, Vermont, loop, here are a few helpful tips to make the day feel easy and enjoyable:

Plan for food and breaks
Build in time for a warm-up stop on Church Street, a French onion soup at Leunig’s, or a coffee and snack makes the perfect reset between antique shops.

Best time to visit
Weekdays in late fall and winter are ideal. Barge Canal Market and Vintage Inspired Marketplace are both indoors and open year-round, and you’ll usually find lighter crowds and easier parking.

Driving and distance
From Manchester, Vermont, it’s about a 2-hour 15-minute drive up Route 7 to Burlington, with pretty small towns along the way. South Burlington and the Made INN Vermont were just a few minutes apart, which kept this whole Burlington, VT, antique shops route feeling very manageable.

Parking
Both Barge Canal Market (in the South End) and Vintage Inspired Marketplace (in South Burlington) offer straightforward parking, no complicated garages or city maneuvers required.

What to bring
Pack a tape measure, a tote or reusable bags for smalls, and a blanket or bin in the car for artwork and furniture. In winter, dress in layers and wear comfortable boots; you’ll be on your feet browsing for a while.

Ready to plan your own trip?
Start with this post, then explore the rest of my Antiquing in New England series for more favorite shops, small towns, and vintage-friendly stays across Vermont, Maine, and beyond. And if you’d like first dibs on my newest routes and finds, make sure you’re subscribed to the blog so you don’t miss the next adventure.

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