The Norman Rockwell Museum Vermont celebrates the life and work of one of the United States’ most beloved artists. Situated on route 4 in Rutland Vermont, the Norman Rockwell Museum Vermont has one of the largest collections of illustrated prints and original magazine covers by Rockwell.
Norman Rockwell (1894–1978) was born in New York City. He became nationally renowned for his illustrated covers of the Saturday Evening Post, the first of which appeared in 1916. He moved with his family to Vermont in 1939 and much Norman Rockwell art reflects the rural and small-town life of Vermont. Norman Rockwell art is recognizable for its vivid and affectionate portrayals of ordinary people.
The Norman Rockwell Museum Vermont was established in 1976. Its Norman Rockwell gallery features a chronological display of more than 2,500 magazine covers, advertisements, calendars, and other published works of Norman Rockwell art. Narrative text links the pieces to important events in American history. The Norman Rockwell gallery includes a complete collection of Rockwell’s 323 Saturday Evening Post covers, 47 Literary Digest covers, 33 Country Gentleman covers and magazine covers of Life, Leslie's, The People's Popular Monthly and other publications.
The Norman Rockwell Museum Vermont is open daily year-round except for on holidays from 9:30 am to 5:30 pm. There is a small fee for entry. Rutland’s Normal Rockwell Museum makes for a pleasant day-trip from Killington ski area, a good activity for days when ski conditions are less than ideal. Combine this trip with a stroll down Merchant’s Row; this revitalized downtown area contains many buildings that hark back to the era when Rockwell was painting.
In addition to the Norman Rockwell gallery, the museum has a large store selling numerous prints and postcards featuring Norman Rockwell art.
Rockwell’s art was heavily influenced by the small-town life he witnessed as a resident of Vermont. Rockwell lived for many years in Arlington, Vermont, and used many of the town’s residents as models for his illustrations. Another Norman Rockwell gallery, the Norman Rockwell Exhibit in Arlington, displays illustrations depicting Arlington residents next to photographs of the models. This Norman Rockwell museum is open daily from 9 am to 5 pm (closed in January). There is a small fee for admission and you should expect to spend more money on the Rockwell prints and books available in the gift shop. The gallery is situated in a 19th-century Gothic-style church in the middle of Arlington.
Norman Rockwell art evokes images of small-town America, so a visit to the Norman Rockwell Museum Vermont in Rutland or the Norman Rockwell gallery in Arlington is a great idea as part of any Vermont vacation.
