The Green Mountain Club invites you to enjoy the scent of fresh lumber, feeling of open space, and beautiful views of the Green Mountains at our new Rothberg-Birdwhistell Visitor Center. Part of the GMC headquarters complex in Waterbury Center, it will open in January to help hikers, adventurers and visitors to explore the foot trails of Vermont.
Headquarters History
The club bought and moved into the old May Farm in Waterbury Center in 1992. We paid off the mortgage thanks to a major gift and challenge grant in 1996, solidifying our financial footing and providing room to grow. The Herrick Office Building, the South Barn, and the North Barn on Route 100 housed staff offices and operations, a visitor center and retail space, and inventory and equipment storage.
By 1999, poor ventilation, heating, and cooling in the Herrick Office Building forced renovations addressing the most pressing deficiencies. But in 2003 the South Barn burned down, complicating renovation plans.
After analyzing the needs of visiting hikers and a growing staff, the club completed a $1.5 million building project in 2009 to replace the South Barn and house the visitor center, retail space, staff offices, and a meeting hall. Replacement of the Herrick Office Building was planned too, but financial pressure put the project off.
Herrick’s structural deterioration worsened, and staff members were moved out for their safety. In 2019 GMC launched the Long Trail Legacy Campaign to raise money for the endowment and other investments for future stability, including a safe and welcoming headquarters for our staff and visitors.
We saw a need for a space where hikers, tourists, members, and groups could really connect with the Green Mountains and the natural environment around them. A place where they could spend time poring over maps or flipping through historic ephemera. A place where folks could gather and unite around the shared passions for the trail and stewarding the treasured natural spaces of Vermont. A place where GMC’s talented field staff could plan new trail projects in safe, effective office space. The new Rothberg-Birdwhistell Visitor Center was born, made possible by a generous gift from David Rothberg and Nan Birdwhistell.
Facilities and Features
- Marvin B. Gameroff Hiker Center: Knowledgeable staff can answer questions, provide personalized hiking and trail recommendations, and share information about the club’s trail protection programs in person or by phone or email. There is space for you to sit down, spread out, and plan hikes using GMC’s library and other resources.
- New Displays: New exhibits will engage visitors with the Green Mountain Club’s past, present, and future as we address climate change and further protection of the Long Trail.
- Enhanced Retail Area: Guidebooks, maps and GMC gear are available, in addition to merchandise made by local artisans reflecting their love of the Long Trail and the Green Mountains.
- Club Room: A comfortable sitting room with sweeping views of Camel’s Hump, Bolton Mountain, and Mount Mansfield invites visitors to relax, plan their next adventures, or explore GMC’s history through displays of artifacts.
- Climate-Controlled Archive Storage: Scheduled visits here accommodate research or informal exploration of the hiking and trail building of the past in GMC’s robust collection of archives. Desk space will be available.
Events and Programs
The visitor center will offer programs and workshops to build hikers’ skills. We plan to test new programming possibilities this winter and spring, so stay tuned. This winter, the club’s 32nd season of the James P. Taylor Outdoor Adventure Speaker Series will host informative and inspiring presenters. We will offer introductory courses such as Hiking 101 and Winter Hiking 101 throughout the year, and Map and Compass courses, Wilderness First Aid, and seasonal foraging classes.
In late spring the visitor services manager will begin regular guided hikes on the Short Trail and other trails in Vermont. We also plan to partner with youth and adult affinity groups to increase access to and participation in hiking.
The meeting hall and club room will be available for rental, perfect for trainings, meetings, and private events. More information on rentals will be forthcoming.
Extending the Visitor Experience
For almost 90 years Barnes Camp in Smugglers’ Notch has sheltered loggers, GMC caretakers, skiers, and summer hikers. This summer will be its tenth year of serving hikers as Barnes Camp Visitor Center in cooperation with the Smugglers’ Notch Partnership.
Barnes Camp, at the base of Mount Mansfield and on the Long Trail, is popular with day hikers, thru hikers, and out-of-state visitors. Green Mountain Club volunteers staff the center three days a week in season, orienting visitors and providing trail recommendations and information about the fragile alpine zone on Mount Mansfield. They support thru hikers with trail snacks, battery charging, and a dry place to take breaks.
In 2024 Barnes Camp volunteers served more than 7,000 visitors from all over the world. Hikers often return after their hikes to thank volunteers for their help, often with the comment, “That was just the hike we were looking for!”
“After every shift at Barnes Camp, I’m struck by the interesting people I’ve talked to,” says Dale Smeltzer, a three-year Barnes Camp volunteer, “and by how much fun it is to help happy people enjoy being outside in the Green Mountains!”
Marc Vincent, after his second season at Barnes Camp, also commented: “The setting and location, of course, are extraordinary, and I enjoy interacting with the many visitors and hikers who come through the camp. Everybody is always in a great mood because they are outdoors, hiking or walking, and relishing Vermont’s natural beauty. An added bonus for me is my interaction with French Canadians. I grew up in France and speak fluent French, and Quebecers are always surprised that one of the volunteers can speak their language!”
GMC also staffs the Mount Mansfield Visitor Center at the top of the Stowe Toll Road in season. Caretakers answer hiking questions, stressing the importance and fragility of the alpine zone at one of the busiest hiking destinations in Vermont. Theirs is a crucial role in GMC’s stewardship and education missions. Last season Mansfield caretakers encountered 27,296 visitors.
The Next 10 Years
Since reopening in 2009, the Marvin B. Gameroff Hiker Center has served more than 50,000 visitors in person, and thousands more by phone and email. The Barnes Camp Visitor Center has seen more than 60,000 visitors in its 10 years. and the Mansfield Visitor Center has seen nearly 400,000 visitors in the last 15 years.
Not resting on our laurels, we have invested still more to improve our visitor services. We’ve hired a visitor services manager with expertise in interpretive programming, and assessed community needs to develop better programming for all hikers. Robust digital education resources supplement our three staffed centers to achieve our strategic goal of providing trail resource education and information while cultivating the next generation of hikers and GMC members.
We look forward to welcoming you at the Rothberg-Birdwhistell Visitor Center!
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