Most likely, avid skiers may already be familiar with the Village of Stowe, the home of the Vermont Ski Museum . Located in the center of the town inside the 192 year old Perkins Building, which is also known as the Old Town Hall, the museum strives to collect and preserve the state’s skiing history. The collection is broken up into seven sections: ski equipment, ski clothing, Vermont ski area and ski Vermont items, fine art, mechanical equipment, and related library and archival subject matter. Most of the items in the collection date from the present to as far back as the late 19th Century.

The collections at the museum began in 2002, and since that time, the holdings have doubled, reaching over 5,200 items in the catalogue. Among the ski equipment, there are 275 pairs of boots, 100 pairs of poles, 400 pairs of skis, 55 pairs of climbing skins, and 60 loose bindings used in cross country and downhill skiing as well as carrying equipment, such as bags, ski racks and boot trees. Part of the mechanical equipment includes snow making equipment, lifts, and communication devices. This area also includes the first timing equipment, such as the first electronic eye used in Vermont, and perhaps in the United States — an eye that starts and stops timing based on movement.

Amid the many skiing areas in the state, enthusiasts of the sport will be able to locate the best Vermont resorts , taking time for some terrific skiing; they should also take time for the ski museum. Currently, the museum rotates its exhibits, changing five each year, pulling together the sport’s past and tying it to the sport’s future.

Be sure to take a look as well at the Vermont Ski Museum Hall of Fame, which honors athletes and pioneers of Vermont skiing, including all Vermonters who served in the 10th Mountain Division during World War Two. Stop by the Old Town Hall and see who’s been inducted recently.