GRILLE & BAR
A Burlington Gathering Place Since 1904
For more than a century, the brick Armory at 101 Main Street has been where Burlington comes together: for dances and exhibitions, for rock and blues, and now for good food and live music. Here's the story of the building we call home.
1904: BUILT FOR THE VERMONT NATIONAL GUARD
The Armory was built on Main Street in 1904 for the Vermont National Guard, and it opened the following winter with a grand military ball. Its big open hall quickly became a civic room as much as a military one. Over the decades its hardwood floors held dances, roller skaters, and Vermont's first auto show, and the building later took on new lives as a warehouse and a car dealership as the city around it changed.
1977–1987: THE HUNT'S YEARS
In 1977, the building became the R.W. Hunt Mill & Mining Company, known to everyone as Hunt's. For the next decade it was the center of Burlington's music scene, long before the city's better-known clubs put it on the national map.
Burlington sits right on the touring route between Montréal, Boston, and New York, and Hunt's made the most of it. National acts like B.B. King, Roy Orbison, and Taj Mahal played the room, while local bands found their first real audiences on the same stage. Among them was a young Phish, who played Hunt's in their early years before the rest of the country caught on.
Ask anyone who was in Burlington in the '80s, and they'll likely have a Hunt's story.
2003: FIRE, AND A LONG QUIET
In 2003, a fire swept through the building and shut its doors. For more than a decade, one of Main Street's most storied addresses sat dark, its history waiting for its next chapter.
RESTORED & REOPENED
After years of planning by Burlington developers Redstone, construction began in 2013 on a project that would bring the Armory back to life. The historic brick walls, steel beams and trusses were preserved and became the heart of a new hotel, with a modern four-story wing of guest rooms rising behind them. The Hilton Garden Inn Burlington Downtown opened in January 2015 as the brand’s first Vermont hotel, and the old armory once again opened its doors to the public, this time as the hotel lobby and home of The Armory Grille & Bar.
THE ARMORY TODAY
The building has changed with the city, but its purpose hasn't: it's still where Burlington comes together. Today, Armory Grille & Bar serves Vermont-inspired American food made with seasonal ingredients, alongside local craft beer, a curated wine list, and cocktails worth lingering over.We're open to everyone, whether you're a neighbor stopping in after work, a friend group settling in for the evening, or a traveler staying upstairs at the Hilton Garden Inn.
LIVE MUSIC IS BACK
More than three decades after Hunt's closed, live music has returned to the building with Armory Sessions. Our spaces are also ready for celebrations and gatherings of every size, from rehearsal dinners to company parties.After more than a century, the Armory is still a place for good company.
