One of Vermont's best-known PYO destinations, distilling its own apple and pear brandy on-site, but its pet policy is stricter than most orchards in this research — service dogs only, no pets at all.
Shelburne Orchards is located at 216 Orchard Road in Shelburne, in Chittenden County’s Champlain Valley region of Vermont, with a phone number of (802) 985-2753 and an email contact also confirmed. The farm’s site states it’s open Tuesdays through Sundays, 9am-5pm, starting 9/11. A cider mill and cider donuts are both confirmed, and the farm distills apple and pear brandy and pommeau on-site — a distinctive production capability beyond standard cider pressing. Wagon rides and live music round out the weekend programming.
The research notes describe Shelburne Orchards as one of Vermont’s best-known PYO destinations, and the on-site apple and pear brandy and pommeau production is the clearest reason why. That’s a meaningfully different offering from the cider-mill-and-donuts combination common across most of this research — distilling brandy requires a different kind of licensed production operation than simply pressing cider, and it positions Shelburne Orchards alongside farms like Russell Orchards in Massachusetts and Holmberg Orchards in Connecticut, both of which also pair apple picking with winery or cidery production, though neither of those records mentions distilled spirits specifically.
Among every orchard researched across this entire four-state project, Shelburne Orchards’ pet policy stands out as one of the strictest: service dogs only, no pets. That’s the direct opposite of Alyson’s Orchard in New Hampshire, which explicitly welcomes leashed dogs, and it’s stricter even than the outright pet bans at some Massachusetts orchards, which at least sometimes carve out ADA service-animal exceptions without further restriction language. A visitor planning to bring a family dog along should know this in advance rather than discover it at the gate.
As with many other New England orchards in this research, the specific start date (9/11) is confirmed directly from the farm’s own text, but the year wasn’t spelled out. Given the page appears to be the current live season page, 2026 is a reasonable inference, though not a certainty the way, say, Averill Farm’s explicitly year-stamped August 15, 2026 reopening date is.
The record notes that peach picking is available by appointment, separately from the main apple PYO operation. That’s a distinct logistical detail — a visitor interested in peaches specifically would need to arrange that separately rather than assuming it’s part of a standard walk-in visit, unlike the combined apple-and-peach picking implied at some other orchards in this research.
No apple variety list is confirmed, and no PYO pricing structure is available. The exact 2026 status of the September 11 start date isn’t independently verified beyond the inference described above.
Shelburne Orchards combines a strong regional reputation with a genuinely distinctive on-site brandy and pommeau production, plus weekend wagon rides and live music on the shores of Lake Champlain. The service-dogs-only pet policy is the detail most likely to change a visitor’s plans, so anyone hoping to bring a family pet should look elsewhere or confirm directly by calling (802) 985-2753.
Starting September 11, when the farm's Tuesday-through-Sunday, 9am-5pm schedule begins, per the site's own statement — though the year wasn't spelled out alongside that date.
you were planning to bring a pet — only service dogs are allowed, a stricter policy than most orchards in this research.
The farm's site states Tuesdays through Sundays, 9am-5pm, 'starting 9/11' — the year wasn't spelled out in that text, so it's inferred as 2026 from the page being the live current-season page.
Yes — the farm distills apple and pear brandy and pommeau on-site, alongside standard cider donuts, per the record.
No — the record states the farm requires service dogs only, a stricter policy than most orchards researched, which typically allow leashed pets or ban dogs outright for food-safety reasons.
Peach picking is noted as available by appointment separately from the main apple PYO operation, per the record.
Wagon rides and live music, per the record.
Opens September 11, 2026 (closing date not published). Tue-Sun starting 9/11. Hours: 9am-5pm.
Pricing was not published when we last checked.
Yes — it's a pick-your-own orchard, with pre-picked apples at the farm stand too.
216 Orchard Road, Shelburne, VT 05482, in Chittenden County. It is one of 4 orchards we track in Champlain Valley.
We track 4 orchards in Champlain Valley, 4 of which let you pick your own apples. The orchard has not published a starting price, so it cannot be compared on cost — call before you budget.
What sets it apart locally: it has a hayride or wagon ride, which most Champlain Valley orchards on our list do not.
There are 2 other orchards we track in Chittenden County. All Champlain Valley orchards →
Map pin is set to the town centre. Navigate to the street address above, not the pin.
shelburneorchards.com
Checked September 2026.