Activities

WELCOME TO TOURS.ROCKOFAGES.COM

We hope you and your family will come to experience Rock of Ages and the Barre, Vermont, area. Rock of Ages offers guided tours to the world's largest deep-hole granite quarry. This quarry is nearly 600 feet in depth! Our factory tour enables visitors to observe our master sculptors and talented artisans as they create from granite enduring works of art and precision products such as surface plates and machine bases. At our Cut-In-Stone Center, learn to sandblast your own souvenir! Barre, known as the "Granite Center of the World", was shaped by the granite industry and strongly influenced by the mix of native Yankees and foreign immigrants who came seeking jobs in its quarries and granite "sheds." Today Barre is a lively community with a rich cultural heritage and an active arts community. Local recreation trails provide numerous opportunities for hiking and biking adventures. World-famous Hope Cemetery is an outdoor art museum, containing such contemporary memorials as a racecar, biplane, soccer ball and chair. Nearby museums and theaters offer Barre's visitors a wide array of cultural, artistic, educational and entertainment experiences. And there are great places to eat, shop and lodge while you are exploring here in Central Vermont. We hope you will let Rock of Ages be your gateway to your Barre experience.

VISITORS CENTER features video presentation, computer-based exhibits, historic displays and outdoor granite bowling lane. May-October (Closed July 4), M-Sat. 8:30-5:00, Sun. 10-5:00. Special Fall Sunday hours: 8:30-5:00 mid-September to mid-October.

CUT-IN-STONE CENTER: Opens June 16th for the 2008 season and operates M-Sat. 10:30-4:30 through October 16, 2008. (Group reservations for schools and coaches may be made for dates before June 16th or after October 16th by calling toll free 1-866-748-6877 or by calling 1-802-476-3119.) Cut-In-Stone Center is closed July 4th.

Our Cut-In-Stone Center is a "BLAST"! Grip the gun, squeeze the trigger and feel the pulsating throb of up to 110 psi of air and abrasive leap from the nozzle as you learn to cut in stone. Make a great memory as you craft a stone souvenir with your very own hands!

Our offering of gift items to design include 3x5" granite decorative tiles (display stand included) and 6x6" Vermont slate tiles for use as a decorative item or functional trivet.

Please note that the participant is shielded from the abrasive and the gun is contained within a booth so that harmful kickback is completely eliminated, making our activity safe for both children and adults. Recommended for ages 8 and above. Parental guidance is required. Our sandblast activity is a great family experience that can be shared and enjoyed by parents and their children.

Our Cut-In-Stone Activity Center periodically features other fun activities for the young and the young at heart:

Toy-by-Me craft--purchase, assemble and decorate a Vermont-made wooden quarry truck. This activity is suited for children 6-12. Parental guidance required

"Core" crafts--use a granite "core" to spur your child's imagination and make people, animals, etc. This activity is suited for children 3-12. Parental guidance required.

Tee-by-Me craft--select one of our cartoon shirts for children, then color and personalize it with your own designs using kid-safe fabric markers. Suitable for ages 3-12. Parental guidance is required.

Grinding flour on a granite mill wheel--One of the earliest uses for Barre granite was for the manufacture of wheels for the grist mills of New England and eastern Canada. Pour some grain into the top, grab the handle and turn the wheel, and voila, real stone-ground flour appears before your very eyes. Suitable for children 5 and up and for the "young at heart" of all ages.

Coloring/Activity Book--Learn more about granite as you and your child explore the pages of the Rock of Ages Activity Book. Suited for ages 3-8.

Narrated Tours, 2008 Season

Our guided shuttle tour takes you to the world's largest dimension granite quarry. From the safety of a platform, you'll watch as quarriers far below cut mammoth blocks of world-famous Barre granite as your friendly guide explains the recovery methods, as well as a little geology relevant to the Barre deposit and some of the impressive history of the two-hundred-year-old Barre granite industry. Learn why Barre granite is prized by sculptors and architects alike and can be found in memorials, statutes and buildings in virtually every city around the globe. The tour lasts about thirty-five minutes.

Guided tours to the world's largest deep-hole granite quarry operate from May 23 to October 17, 2008, Monday-Saturday, 9:15 a.m. to 3:35 p.m., Sunday 10:15 a.m. to 3:35 p.m., departing approximately every forty-five minutes (Closed July 4 th ). Our tour departure times for Monday-Saturday are as follows: 9:15, 10:00, 10:45, 11:30, 12:35, 1:20, 2:05, 2:50 and 3:35. Sunday tours depart at 10:15, 10:55, 11:35, 12:35, 1:20, 2:05, 2:50 and 3:35. All departure times are approximate.

Special fall Sunday Tour Schedule: Quarry tours operate 9:15-3:35 on the following Sundays: September 21, 228 and October 5 and 12.

Please note that the quarry site itself is very impressive and that we believe you will enjoy the tour whenever you come; however, our quarriers typically work Monday to Friday 7:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. They do not work on holidays or company vacation days associated with holidays. Weekday tours after 3:30 p.m. and weekend tours do not typically feature our quarriers.

Senior adults (62 and older) $4.00, Adults $4.50, Children (6-12) $2.00, Children (5 and under) ride for free if they sit on a lap (lapsitters).

Quarry tours are outdoor tours. Although the tours usually operate on rainy days, tours may be postponed or delayed for severely inclement weather.

Factory tours are available as both guided and self-guided experiences. Our factory is available for self-guided observation of our artisans M-F 8-3:30. The factory is closed all holidays and associated vacation days. For example, the factory is closed the Firday after Thanksgiving. The factory is also closed the first two weeks of January. Admission for the self-guided factory tour is free.

Guided Factory Tours are available June-mid-October, M-F. The factory is closed all holidays and associated vacation days. The tour lasts about 25 minutes. The cost is just $2.50 per adult or senior adult, $1.50 per child 6-12. Children 5 and under are admitted to the tour free of charge.

Self-Guided Tours of Our Visitors Center And Factory

Our Visitors Center & Memorial Design Studio is open May 1 to October 31 (Closed July 4), Monday-Saturday 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Sundays 10:00-5:00 p.m. (fall hours: Monday-Sunday 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. mid-September through mid-October) Come see our video presentation in the Swenson Family Theatre, journey pictorially through our impressive history as you walk around our photomural, check out the computer-based exhibits, run a ball down the granite bowling lane and choose from a great selection of Vermont-made, granite gifts, graite jewelry, clothing, Vermont specialty foods and other souvenirs.

Our Memorial Showroom features a fine selection of memorials, showcasing the depth of artistry and personalization for which Rock of Ages is known. Admission to the Visitors Center is free.

Our manufacturing facility offers you an opportunity to observe skilled craftspeople as they cut, polish, sandcarve and hand sculpt granite. The facility is open for self-guided factory tours Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. year 'round, but is closed on all major holidays and associated vacation days, as well as the first two weeks of January. Admission is free.

For safety and liability reasons, no self-guided tours of the active quarry are available. Please see our guided quarry tours section for details about how to tour our 600-foot-deep quarry.

Group Tours

It's all about the experience! We invite you and your groups to experience Rock of Ages. Our fun and informative group tour consists of a step-on service. Our friendly, knowledgeable guide will hop aboard your coach and take your passengers to our fabulous 50-acre quarry. From the safety of a platform, guests watch as quarriers far below cut enormous blocks of granite. Towering metal cranes, called "derricks" lift titan blocks to the surface from the quarry depths. Visiting groups will also wish to stop at our Visitors Center and to view the artisans polishing and sculpting the granite at our factory.

Once you've seen it, TRY it! Our "make it and take it" sandblast activity is very popular with coach groups. Each guest aboard your coach has the opportunity to squeeze the trigger and feeling the pulsing throb as abrasive leaps from a nozzle, cutting a design into stone. They make a great memory and leave with a terrific souvenir crafted by their own hands.

Our "Apple Pie without Cheese is like a Kiss without a Squeeze" package is new for 2008. Everyone loves to eat and culinary tourism is hot! Add a unique Vermont taste experience to your tour. Guests are served the traditional Vermont flavor combination of award-winning Cabot Cheese and Vermont Mystic Pie's delectable apple pie. Tasting is provided on your coach during the step-on quarry tour.

Our "Stone Soup" package is another great blend of cultural and culinary heritage. It features the quarry and factory tour, Visitors Center stop, hands-on sandblast experience, guided walking tour of nearby Hope Cemetery, an outdoor showcase of memorial art, featuring such unusual pieces as a racecar, biplane and soccer ball, to name only a few. Then you head to the Barre studio of "New England Cooks" where entertaining hosts Tony and Carol and a celebrity chef demonstrate the preparation of regional dishes, unique fare that is an interesting melange of Yankee and immigrant fare.

Additionally, we offer catered meals featuring regional foods and themed, guided walking tours of trails that wind around the historic, picturesque quarries.

TRADITIONAL GROUP TOUR PACKAGE--features step-on guided tour of quarry, self-guided tour of master artisans at our factory, video presentation, exhibits, gift shop and outdoor bowling lane--all for only $3.25 per passenger with three comps. given for each coach for driver, group leader and escort. Allow 1 1/2 hours. Shorter tours can be arranged.

EXPERIENCIAL "MAKE-IT-AND-TAKE-IT" CUT-IN-STONE ACTIVITY--A great way to add a uniquely Vermont hands-on experience. While visiting Barre, Vermont, the granite center of the world, create your own stone souvenir. Guest selects from a menu of predetermined designs and is given a stencil and stone with instruction that enables our visitor to successfully cut in stone. Activity is set up for group experience. Experience includes quarry and factory tours, video, gift shop, exhibits, outdoor granite bowling lane and cut-in-stone activity--all for only $15.00 per passenger and 3 comps per coach. Allow 2 hours for groups of 25 and under. Allow 2 1/2 hours for groups over 25.

"STONE SOUP" Cultural and Culinary Heritage Tour--Themed around the culture and cuisine of Barre, Vermont, a blend of Yankee and immigrant influences as thousands of immigrants flocked to Barre to work in its quarries and "sheds", mixing with the then-established culture and fare of the native Yankees. Our "Stone Soup" experience offers a quided quarry tour, choice of self-guided or guided factory tour, guided tour of Hope Cemetery and participation as the live audience at the filming of "New England Cooks" where hosts Tony and Carol and a celebrity chef entertain and delight your coach passengers as regional dishes are prepared--all for only $30.75 per passenger and 3 comps per coach for groups of less than 45 and just $25.75 per passenger plus 3 comps per coach fro groups of 45 or more. Allow 5 1/2 hours. Add to this the Cut-in-Stone experience for just $42.75 per passenger for groups of 45 or under and just $37.75 per passenger and 3 comps per coach for groups of 45 or more, inclusive of all activities and tours. Allow 6 1/2 hours.

Vermont Tasting Tour--"Apple Pie without Cheese is like a Kiss without a Squeeze"--features the traditional tour with an added mouthwatering tasting of famed Cabot Cheddar Cheese and Vermont Mystic Pie Company's delicious apple pie. All for only $6.00 per passenger plus 3 comps per coach. Allow 1 3/4 hours for your traditional tour and Vermont tasting experience.

School Tours

Our fun and informative group tour consists of a step-on service. Our friendly, knowledgeable guide will hop aboard your coach and take your passengers to our fabulous 50-acre quarry. From the safety of a platform, guests watch as quarriers far below cut enormous blocks of granite. In addition to explaining our extraction methods, the guide will share some of the impressive history of the two-hundred-year-old Barre granite industry and some non-technical geology relevant to the Barre deposit. Visiting groups may also wish to stop at our Visitors Center and view our manufacturing facility as well.

The cost for the step-on tour to the quarry is just $2.00 per student and $2.50 per adult chaperone. Teachers, aids and the school bus driver are admitted free of charge.

Those schools without access to a bus may take advantage of our "caravan" tour service. Individual cars will be escorted "wagon train" style to the quarry for the tour. Please note that all costs are the same, except that chaperones who serve as drivers are admitted for free.

School groups may also wish to stop at the Visitors Center for a video presentation (please request our 3-2-1- Contact video presentation for younger viewers.), and to explore the computer and historic exhibits. Then you may wish to proceed to our manufacturing facility for a self-guided observation of our artisans at work. Admission to both buildings is free. Allow a minimum of two hours for your visit if you wish to take the quarry tour, visit the Visitors Center and observe our craftspeople at manufacturing.

Add our Cut-In-Stone Activity to your tour to make it a truly memorable experience. Each student receives a 3x5" granite tile with stencil (several designs to choose from) and is instructed in sandblasting the design into the tile. Student makes a great memory and walks away with a souvenir made with her/his own hands.
The cost for the traditional tour and hands-on actovity is just $10.00 per student, $11.00 per adult chaperone who also wishes to participate.

Although our quarry tours are seasonal due to weather, off-season Cut-In-Stone reservations may be made for school groups (M-F) and combined with a tour of our factory, a video presentation and exploration of our photos and exhibits at our Visitors Center. The cost is just $8.00 per student and $9.00 per adult chaperone who participates in the hands-on activity.

A trip to Rock of Ages complements many areas of study, including basic geology, natural resources, immigration, labor history, industrial history, regional cultural heritage and art. We look forward to educating and entertaining your classes when they visit Rock of Ages. To make a reservation, please contact us by e-mail at tpaton@barre.rockofages.com or by telephone at 802-661-1102.