Trapp Family Lodge facts for kids
The Trapp Family Lodge is a large resort in Stowe, Vermont. It covers about 2,400 acres (9.7 square kilometers). Sam von Trapp manages the lodge. He is the son of Johannes von Trapp. The Trapp family is a famous musical family from Austria.
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The Trapp Family Story
The Trapp family became very well-known from the 1959 musical The Sound of Music. This musical was based on a book called The Story of the Trapp Family Singers. Maria von Trapp wrote the book in 1949.
The family, led by Baron Georg von Trapp and his wife Maria, left Austria in 1938. They moved because things became difficult in their home country. In 1942, they settled with their family in Vermont.
After Baron Georg passed away in 1947, the family decided to turn their home into a ski lodge. It had 27 rooms. On December 20, 1980, a fire sadly destroyed the lodge. About 45 people had to leave quickly. A new lodge was built in 1983. It was designed in an Austrian style and had 93 rooms.
Maria von Trapp died in 1987. At that time, 32 family members owned parts of the lodge. Later, Johannes von Trapp worked to change the ownership. Some family members were not happy with the new plan. They went to court to discuss how much money they should get for their shares. This disagreement even went to the highest court in Vermont.
What You Can Do at the Lodge
The Lodge offers many fun activities. You can explore trails for cross-country skiing and mountain biking. There is also a fitness center, tennis courts, and swimming pools. You can even enjoy wagon rides in warmer weather or sleigh rides in the snow.
The lodge has a restaurant, a lounge, and a gift shop. It is also a working farm! They make their own maple syrup. They also raise Scottish Highland cattle, chickens, and pigs. They grow their own vegetables too. All these fresh ingredients are used in their three restaurants.
The meadow at the Lodge used to be a main spot for the yearly Vermont Mozart Festival.
In 2010, the Lodge started making its own special drinks. This part of the business is called Von Trapp Brewing. They make about 60,000 US gallons (227,000 liters) of these drinks each year. They create drinks in traditional German and Austrian styles. In 2016, the Von Trapp Bierhall opened. It is down the hill from the Lodge and serves food and drinks. You can buy their drinks at the Lodge. They are also sold in restaurants and bars across Vermont, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts.
Family Cemetery
There is a cemetery on the Lodge grounds. Several family members are buried there, including Maria von Trapp.
Cross-Country Skiing Fun
In the winter of 1968–69, Johannes von Trapp had a great idea. He was the president of Trapp Family Lodge, Inc. He decided to create cross-country skiing trails at the Lodge. Today, there are about 67 kilometers (42 miles) of trails that are prepared for skiing. There are also about 100 kilometers (62 miles) of trails that are not prepared, for more adventurous skiers.
