BARRE

Barre built its identity on granite. Immigrant stonecutters from Italy, Scotland, and Spain settled here in the late 1800s, and that working-class, multi-ethnic character still runs through the city's downtown and its cultural institutions.

The Barre Opera House, a restored 1899 venue on North Main Street, anchors the performing arts calendar with concerts, theater, and community events. The granite industry's artistic legacy shows up in unexpected places — Hope Cemetery functions as an outdoor sculpture gallery, and the Vermont Granite Museum preserves the craft in a former stone shed. Studio Place Arts adds a contemporary gallery to the downtown mix.

Barre feels like a working city that happens to have a serious arts streak. The downtown historic district runs along North and South Main Street, lined with brick and granite commercial buildings from the quarry boom years. You won't find tourist polish here, but you will find an audience that shows up consistently.

Tip: The Opera House sits at 6 North Main Street in the same building as City Hall. Hope Cemetery, about a mile north, is worth a visit before or after a show for its carved granite monuments.

Neighborhoods: Downtown • North Main Street • Graniteville • South Barre