In Dummerston, you can choose between exploring local history, taking a hike with a scenic road approach to the trailhead, and attending an annual festival. In Dummerston Center, the Historical Society is located next to the Town Office. The trail up Prospect Hill begins in the historic village; the Apple Pie Festival is a separate event with a variety of offerings. These different highlights can help you plan your visit according to whether you are interested in local history, the view from the summit, or the festival program.
Local History in Dummerston Center
Admission to the Dummerston Historical Society is free. It is open on the first and third Sunday of each month from 1 to 3 p.m.; visits are also available by appointment. You can plan a visit for one of the regular Sunday afternoons or arrange one with the Society. The opening hours provide a clear time frame for a visit, while appointments offer another planning option.
The Society plans one to four public events each year. These include photo and art exhibits, educational programs, and open houses. These events supplement regular visits with a changing program of public activities. Those interested in Dummerston’s history can choose between visiting the collection and attending one of the planned events, rather than treating them as the same offering.
The Dummerston Historical Society was established in the Center Schoolhouse after the building was moved in May 1978. When the former schoolhouse is open, its collection offers a glimpse of genealogies, photographs of previous exhibits, scrapbooks, artifacts, and albums on Dummerston’s local history. The schoolhouse thus connects its own history as a building with materials about the town’s history. One important condition for a visit is that this glimpse of the collection is available when the building is open.
Hiking and Summit Views at Prospect Hill
The hike up Prospect Hill begins in the historic village of Dummerston Center with a scenic 0.4-mile road walk. This stretch of road is part of the approach to the hike; it is not the stated total length of the trail. The Prospect Hill Trail then leads to a large meadow at the summit of Prospect Hill, also known as Blueberry Hill.
The summit meadow offers a 180-degree view that includes Mount Monadnock and Mount Snow. The trail thus connects a specific starting point with a clearly described destination: an open meadow at the summit and sweeping views of the named mountains. Unlike a visit to the Historical Society, the focus here is on the landscape, while the schoolhouse collection offers insights into genealogies, images, and other materials on local history.
Apple Pie Festival and Local Offerings
The Dummerston Congregational Church holds an annual Apple Pie Festival in Dummerston Center. A 2025 report describes the event as annual, notes its 56th edition, and reports that visitors came from across the Northeast. If you want to plan your trip around the festival, check the dates for the relevant edition when making your plans.
Depending on the edition, whole apple pies or slices are available, with Grafton Village Cheddar or ice cream on request. Offerings also include fresh apple cider and cider doughnuts. The selection puts apple pie at the heart of the festival while adding other food and drink. Since offerings may vary from one edition to the next, you should not assume the exact selection will be the same every year.
The festival program also includes an arts and crafts market and a cookout hosted by Evening Star Grange, with more than 20 vendors. The Dummerston Fire Department serves an all-you-can-eat pancake breakfast at its station in Dummerston Center during the festival. Together, these activities show that the festival includes arts and crafts, a cookout, and breakfast in addition to its pie offerings. The Society, meanwhile, plans its public events throughout the year, while the festival is a separate annual event. These follow different schedules for planning purposes: with the Historical Society, it’s the first and third Sundays or an appointment; with the festival, it’s the date of the relevant edition.
Discover more destinations: West Dover, Stratton, Putney, Brattleboro, Halifax, Newfane, Rockingham, Whitingham.
For the regional travel overview: Windham County.
