Just when you think Vermont can’t get any better, you learn something new.  While you may know of some of these things, the rest will keep you entertained and informed.  After all, you learn something new every day, right?  Here are 25 surprising things that happened in Vermont that you may not know occurred.  Let us know how many of these Vermont trivia facts you knew!

1. In 2012, inmates working in a Vermont prison print shop altered the official Vermont Police Crest to include the hidden image of a pig.
Reuters.com
Flickr/angerbender
The altered decals adorned 30 police cruisers for a year before anybody noticed.
2. The town of Killington voted to secede from the state of Vermont to New Hampshire in March 2004.
Flickr/Jimmy Emerson, DVM
Killington's boundary lies 25 miles away from New Hampshire. Neither Vermont nor New Hampshire has approved the change, though New Hampshire has created a commission to negotiate with Vermont. This is one of those strange facts about Vermont that will impress your friends and family.
3. Ale of the Living Dead.
Flickr/Laura
Magic Hat Brewery in Vermont once brewed a garlic-flavored beer which was promptly returned to the company and labeled "undrinkable."
4. 42 cyclists passed through Vermont completely naked and did not break any laws
Flickr/Nathan Rupert
Public nudity is legal in Vermont, but public disrobing is not. There is no statute barring public nudity in Vermont unless it constitutes "open and gross lewdness and lascivious behavior."
5. A medical researcher carried out an experiment at a Vermont state prison.
Flickr/Michael Letourneau
He recruited inmates to eat as much as they could to gain 25% of their body weight, in return for early release from prison. Some volunteers couldn't reach the target, even though they were eating 10,000 calories a day.
6. Colonial coins.
Flickr/Eli Christman
The currency of colonial Vermont was called 'nillyweiners' and the treasury secretary responsible for its inception was named Pimpy McGrundel.
7. You can take the Bar exam in Vermont without having attended law school.
Flickr/Sandor Weisz
As long as you are an apprentice under the mentorship of a judge or practicing attorney for 3-4 years.
8. Put a cap on it.
Flickr/Sonja Stark
The town of Winooski, Vermont once planned to build a dome over the entire town to save on heating costs.
9. The longest game of dodgeball was played in April 2012 at Castleton State College in Vermont.
Flickr/Kari Bluff
The game lasted for 41 hours, 3 minutes, and 17 seconds.
10. There is a town in Vermont called Satan's Kingdom.
Flickr/Helen K
Satan's Kingdom is an unincorporated community in the town of Leicester in Addison County, Vermont, United States. It is located along Vermont Route 53 near the southern shore of Lake Dunmore and just north of Fern Lake.
11. Matthew Lyon
Wikipedia.org
Matthew Lyon, a Vermont congressman, won re-election while serving time in jail for sedition.
12. Decker Towers is an eleven-floor apartment building located at 230 St. Paul Street in Burlington.
wikipedia.org
At 124 feet tall, it is the tallest building in the state of Vermont, and the shortest of any state's tallest building.

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13. Vermont abolished slavery in 1777 while still an independent nation.
Flickr/Cliff
This means Vermont was both the first state, and the first nation in the Americas to abolish the institution of slavery.
14. Billboards are illegal in Vermont.
Flickr/Sean_Marshall
In order to preserve the state's natural beauty, billboards are completely banned in the state of Vermont and have been for over 45 years.
15. Vermont does not require a permit to carry a concealed firearm.
Flickr/Nicholas Erwin
Furthermore, Vermont (42% gun ownership rate) had the lowest rate of gun murders in 2010: only 2.
16. Eat More Kale?
Flickr/Bobbi Bowers
Chick-Fil-A is suing a Vermont man for printing shirts that say "Eat More Kale" because it is too similar to their "Eat More Chikin" slogan.
17. With so many beautiful churches to choose from...
Flickr/Patrick
56% of people in Vermont describe themselves as nonreligious.
18. There is a library with an entrance in Vermont and an exit in Canada.
Flickr/Stan Hieronymus
It was purposely built on the border and a line of the floor marks the border of the United States on one side and Canada on the other.
19. Healthy fact:
Flickr/dvs
Vermont is consistently ranked as the healthiest state in the United States.
20. You can ride a camel...
Flickr/guido da rozze
But riding elephants is not allowed in Vermont. This is definitely one of the quirkiest of the surprising things about Vermont.
21. Sweet 16.
Flickr/Don Buciak II
A 16 year old can legally buy a handgun without parental consent in Vermont.
22. Calvin Coolidge learned of President Harding's death while visiting his parent's home in Vermont.
Flickr/Boston Public Library
His father, a notary public, used a family bible to administer the oath of office to his son, swearing him in as President of the United States.
23. 911 Emergency.
Flickr/Jared and Corin
Vermont and Maine are the only states in which you can reliably text 911 in an emergency.
24. Not so funny...
Flickr/Jay Parker
The crew for the movie Funny Farm dyed the trees in Townshend, Vermont to look as if it was mid-autumn which ended up killing every tree except one.
25. Jury Duty?
Flickr/Vince
A Vermont man avoided jury duty by wearing a prisoner costume to court.

Which of these surprising things that happened in Vermont do you think is the most interesting? Are there other weird things about Vermont that you would like to see added to this list? Let us know what you think below in the comments section.

If you want to read more about life in Vermont, check out these 17 things we know to be true about our wonderful state.

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surprising things that happened in Vermont

Luke | October 22, 2020

What stereotypes are there about Vermont?

Mud season! Unending winters and frigid temperatures, to name a few. Some other stereotypes are that there’s not much else in VT except mountains, forests, and lakes, or that we all just eat Ben & Jerry’s, and have Maple Syrup on everything.

What are the best things about living in Vermont?

We can’t possibly count the best reasons to live in VT on one hand, and that would take up too much space, anyway; so for the sake of simplicity, we’ll narrow it down to just a few reasons, which are access to pristine and natural areas and parks, organic and healthy food, environmentally and socially aware residents, friendly locals, and a relaxed and casual way of life. Vermont is a delightful place to live if you don’t mind living in a small city or little town, which for us, is one of the best reasons to live in Vermont – no large cities. If you love nature and want to live a healthy life, Vermont is one of the best places to live in the U.S., period.

What are the worst things about living in Vermont?

Vermont is a wonderful place to live, but every state has some negative components to it. So here are a few of the worst things about living in Vermont: 1. It can be frightfully cold in the winter, and our winters can last half a year, no joke. 2. If you want nightlife and other popular city activities, Vermont doesn’t rank so well in comparison to other states. 3. Vermont can be rather expensive to live in. Rent prices, groceries, and real-estate can all be on the pricier side. But these negative aspects pale in comparison to the reasons why living in Vermont is amazing (read above).

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