ECHO, Leahy Center for Lake Champlain

ECHO, Leahy Center for Lake Champlain is the kind of museum where nobody has to be told twice to touch the exhibits. Set right on the Burlington waterfront with views across the lake to the Adirondacks, this science and nature museum packs in more than 100 interactive exhibits and over 50 live species. Kids can come face to face with the fish of Lake Champlain at the largest aquarium tank in Vermont, catch a live animal demo, or dig into the legend of Champ, the lake’s famously camera-shy monster. Hands-on engineering and weather exhibits keep older kids and plenty of grown-ups busy, and the 3D Theater brings wildlife films to the big screen.

ECHO is about 50 minutes from Topnotch, which makes it a great rainy-day plan or an easy half-day trip paired with a stroll along Burlington’s waterfront or Church Street. Exhibits rotate throughout the year, so check ECHO’s website for what’s on and for current tickets before you go. By the time you’re back at Topnotch, the kids will have a dozen new facts to share at dinner, whether anyone asked for them or not.