ECHO, Leahy Center for Lake Champlain

ECHO, Leahy Center for Lake Champlain Vermont's innovative science and nature museum on the Burlington waterfront. Visit echovermont.org or call 877-324-6386.
(1624)

Come explore Vermont's innovative science and nature museum on the Burlington waterfront. Discover over 100 interactive family experiences, 70 live species, seasonal changing exhibits, 3D movies, and more. Stop by the Champ Café for coffee, drinks, snacks, and the Museum Store for fun, educational toys.

Thank you to everyone who joined us last night for our first-ever ECHO Open House! We hope you had as much fun as we did...
08/21/2025

Thank you to everyone who joined us last night for our first-ever ECHO Open House!

We hope you had as much fun as we did dancing, singing, and soaking up the sunset at this special 21+ night at the museum. Special thanks to A House on Fire for bringing the music and Sugarsnap for bringing the snacks!

Missed your chance to join us? Stay tuned – we have more exciting adult-friendly events coming up at the museum this fall!

🐢 Big news: the turtles have officially returned to the Upper River at ECHO! Since last September, many of our Animal Am...
08/21/2025

🐢 Big news: the turtles have officially returned to the Upper River at ECHO!

Since last September, many of our Animal Ambassadors have been “on vacation” while our team worked on habitat and filtration upgrades throughout the museum. With the arrival of the turtles, all of our Upper River Animal Ambassadors have officially returned!

In total, four species of turtle now reside in the newly renovated Upper River tank, including an adult eastern spiny softshell turtle, wood turtle, map turtles, and painted turtles.

There are still a few more Animal Ambassadors left to bring back to the museum, including the iconic snapping turtle, which will be moving into the newly refurbished Lower River once habitat installation is complete. Stay tuned!

🐟🌅🎶 ECHO's Open House is tomorrow, Wednesday, August 20, 5:30–8 pm. Join us for a night of mingling and music at the mus...
08/19/2025

🐟🌅🎶 ECHO's Open House is tomorrow, Wednesday, August 20, 5:30–8 pm. Join us for a night of mingling and music at the museum! Come check out all the new updates to ECHO's permanent exhibits and spaces — including the newly-renovated Into the Lake exhibit and three floors of Champ: America's Lake Monster exhibit — with the best views of the sunset on the Waterfront. Music by A House on Fire. Refreshments and cash bar by Sugarsnap. Ages 21+.

Tickets available online and at the door: https://echovermont.ticketing.veevartapp.com/tickets/view/list/echo-open-house

What’s the best day of Science Loves Art Camp at ECHO? Gallery day, of course! Throughout their week at ECHO, Science Lo...
08/18/2025

What’s the best day of Science Loves Art Camp at ECHO? Gallery day, of course!

Throughout their week at ECHO, Science Loves Art campers create STEM-inspired art using an exciting array of materials and techniques. Then, campers curate a gallery show of their favorite artworks to be enjoyed by their friends, family, and ECHO Staff!

Nice work, campers! 🎨🌟

📸🐯 Today is going to be a grrr-iffic day! We hope to see you at our Vermont Public Day with Daniel Tiger! Our friends fr...
08/16/2025

📸🐯 Today is going to be a grrr-iffic day! We hope to see you at our Vermont Public Day with Daniel Tiger! Our friends from Vermont Public will be at ECHO with fun crafts and activities, a Daniel Tiger read along, and a chance to win a Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood prize pack. Bring your camera for an opportunity to take photos with Daniel Tiger!

Meet & Greet Schedule
9:15–9:45 am Sensory Hour (Free for families with sensory processing needs. RSVP here: https://echovermont.ticketing.veevartapp.com/tickets/view/list/sensory-mascot-hour)
10:30–11:00 am
11:30–12:00 pm
12:30–1:00 pm
1:30–2:00 pm
2:30–3:00 pm

It’s been a blast this summer at the waterfront! We are so grateful to everyone who came by to grab some refreshing lemo...
08/15/2025

It’s been a blast this summer at the waterfront! We are so grateful to everyone who came by to grab some refreshing lemonade at King Street Lemonade this season. Thank you to King Street Center for joining us at the waterfront again this year and to everyone who dropped by to support these amazing teen entrepreneurs and make this summer so much fun. See you next year! 🍋🌞

🔎 Did you know that in 1873, P.T. Barnum offered a $50,000 reward — equal to over $1 million today — for the capture of ...
08/14/2025

🔎 Did you know that in 1873, P.T. Barnum offered a $50,000 reward — equal to over $1 million today — for the capture of the Lake Champlain Serpent?

From the sensational tabloids of the 1800s to modern podcasts and local sports, Champ has long fascinated locals and visitors alike. Now at ECHO, investigate the legend of Champ firsthand through hundreds of years of Lake Champlain history and three interactive minigames as part of our all-new permanent exhibit, Champ: America’s Lake Monster!

Do you think you have what it takes to conquer all three of our Champ challenges?

🕹️ Dodge circus trains and wandering livestock as you escape P.T. Barnum’s bounty seekers in The Great Serpent Escape

🔎 Spot the differences between real-world animals and elusive cryptids in Cryptid Inspector

📷 Act fast to snap a photo of Champ in Champ Snap!

What are you waiting for? Dive into the science and history of Vermont’s most iconic legend today at ECHO!

🎮 Games developed by Workinman Interactive

🐢 ECHO’s baby turtle incubation station is up and running for the season!Throughout the summer, biologists and volunteer...
08/13/2025

🐢 ECHO’s baby turtle incubation station is up and running for the season!

Throughout the summer, biologists and volunteers from Vermont Fish & Wildlife monitor nesting sites frequented by the eastern spiny softshell turtle, a threatened species in Vermont. When nests are disturbed by humans or predators, endangering the young turtles, Fish and Wildlife brings the eggs and neonates to ECHO. Here, the turtles are cared for by our Animal Care team until they're ready to be released into the Lake—giving them a “head start” on life and a better chance of survival in the wild.

Yesterday, the first eggs of the 2025-2026 season arrived at ECHO. These new arrivals will stay at the museum until they are ready for release, at which point they will be safely returned to Lake Champlain. Any baby turtles remaining in the fall, when outside and Lake temperatures are cold enough to trigger brumation—AKA the turtle version of hibernation—will instead be kept to overwinter at ECHO until they can be safely released when the weather warms back up in June.

Visitors can see new baby turtle arrivals over the next few weeks in our incubation station on the top floor of ECHO!

At ECHO, we bring hands-on, interactive fun wherever we go — even to our Volunteer & Intern Appreciation Dinner! 🌟Each y...
08/13/2025

At ECHO, we bring hands-on, interactive fun wherever we go — even to our Volunteer & Intern Appreciation Dinner! 🌟

Each year, we come together to celebrate the incredible contributions of the volunteers and interns who help make our mission possible. Thank you to everyone who joined us, and to the 70+ amazing individuals who share their time, curiosity, and passion with our community.

Thinking about volunteering? From engaging with guests to helping care for our animals, volunteers play a vital role in connecting everyone to the wonder of nature, the joy of science, and the care of Lake Champlain.

💡Learn more and get involved: https://www.echovermont.org/join-support/volunteer/

🌅 We can't wait to host our first Open House event on Wednesday, August 20. Come chill by the lake with beautiful sunset...
08/12/2025

🌅 We can't wait to host our first Open House event on Wednesday, August 20. Come chill by the lake with beautiful sunset views while you enjoy music by A House on Fire. Hors d‘oeuvres, beer, wine, cider, cocktails by Sugarsnap (cash bar). All exhibits will be yours to explore and enjoy!

🎟️ Tickets on sale now: https://echovermont.ticketing.veevartapp.com/tickets/view/list/echo-open-house

Last week was an exciting week for our Nature Explorers! Throughout the week, campers and ECHO staff were joined by loca...
08/11/2025

Last week was an exciting week for our Nature Explorers! Throughout the week, campers and ECHO staff were joined by local experts to learn more about the incredible ecosystems of the Lake Champlain Basin.

Pictured here:

🔬 Plankton exploration with Kristen from Lake Champlain Basin Program
🐛 Compost Critters with Recycle Rhonda from CSWD
⚙️ Wetland Wonders & Safe Crossing engineering challenges with Eli from ECHO
🌱 And lots of nature-themed STEM activities with our ECHO Camp Staff!

Thank you to Kristen, Rhonda, Eli, and our ECHO Camp Team for sharing the wonders of nature with our ECHO Campers!

Address

1 College Street
Burlington, VT
05401

Opening Hours

Monday 10am - 5pm
Tuesday 10am - 5pm
Wednesday 10am - 5pm
Thursday 10am - 5pm
Friday 10am - 5pm
Saturday 10am - 5pm
Sunday 10am - 5pm

Telephone

(802) 864-1848

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when ECHO, Leahy Center for Lake Champlain posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to ECHO, Leahy Center for Lake Champlain:

Shortcuts

Share

Our Story

ECHO is an innovative science and nature museum located on the Burlington, Vermont waterfront and overlooks Lake Champlain and the Adirondack Mountains.

Our mission is to inspire and engage families in the joy of scientific discovery, wonder of nature, and care of Lake Champlain. We are a nonprofit organization dedicated to fostering a science-savvy community where people and nature thrive together.

Through more than 100 interactive exhibits; 70 species of fish, reptiles, and amphibians; major changing exhibits; a 2,500-square foot early learning interactive space; ECHO encourages visitors to view the natural environment as part of their neighborhood and to explore, learn about, and consider opportunities for stewardship. This work is delivered by a dedicated team of 27 staff, 175 volunteers and interns who serve more than 16,000 volunteer hours per year, and more than 45 community partners. ECHO is home to a consortium of organizations working for public and academic engagement in science: the Lake Champlain Basin Program; the University of Vermont’s Rubenstein Ecosystem Science Laboratory and research vessel; US Sea Grant Watershed Alliance; and the Lake Champlain Navy Memorial located in Hoehl Park.

Visit our website for more information: www.echovermont.org