Freyne Land

It’s Tuesday morning, which means a lot of balls in the air vis-a-vis the ol' "Inside Track" print column for tomorrow's paper. But this old dog wanted to share a brand new trick.

On Sunday at 3 p.m., yours truly was the 10th person, that’s right, just the 10th, to enter the hallowed halls of the Vermont Historical Society Museum in the Pavilion Building on beautiful State Street in Montpeculiar.

I was heading for some coffee at Capitol Grounds. Quiet street. But there was a “Open” sign out front on the State Street sidewalk and I followed the impulse. After all, I realized, I’ve been to a million gubernatorial press conferences on the Fifth Floor above, but I have never, ever been in the first floor of the building...ever. And these days, trying new tricks is what this gracefully-aging Freyne does.

A marvelous surprise! Top shelf exhibit! Freedom & Unity: One Ideal, Many Stories.

Something for everyone with a taste for Vermont history. And a political junkie’s feast. Great audio and video of the politicians of yesteryear like Phil Hoff, Ralph Wright, Madeleine Kunin and George Aiken and many more. Plus wigwams and old colonial shops, a movie theater and many great surprises. I'm definitely going back.

Mostly the many surprising, informative and mysterious rooms play to a lot of 4th Grade school tours during the week, but let me tell ya’, it’s a precious gem for kids of all ages - and need I repeat, a political junkie's field day? Easy to kill a couple hours and get lost in the old days and the people who made them.

The exhibit’s in the 3rd year of a 10-year-run. Admission is $5 for adults. A great spot on a rainy weekend. Check out the museum website.