A Gathering Place for Great Food
The Dining Spaces
The Reception Hall Our main reception hall spans over 4000 square feet of exposed beam architecture, creating an intimate yet spacious atmosphere for seated dinners. The hall comfortably accommodates up to 300 guests with flexible table configurations to suit your event style.
For communal dinners and farm-to-table events, we arrange long harvest tables that encourage conversation and connection. The candlelit warmth of these gatherings, combined with the historic beams overhead and bistro lighting throughout, creates an ambiance that’s both elegant and inviting.
For private celebrations and weddings, the space transforms with round tables for more traditional dining. Dark brown chiavari chairs, white linens, and your personal decor touches bring your vision to life against the backdrop of 1800s barn architecture.
The stage area at the north end of the hall provides a natural focal point for speakers, toasts, or entertainment. During dinner service, it’s often used as a chef’s presentation area or beverage station, keeping the flow of service seamless and engaging.
The Bar and Lounge The bar and lounge area encompasses more than 2000 square feet of versatile space, perfect for pre-dinner cocktails, appetizer service, or post-meal mingling. The large bar serves as a natural gathering point, while bistro lighting and the iconic pool table add character and entertainment value.
During multi-course dinners, the lounge often serves as a welcome area where guests arrive, check in, and enjoy a signature beverage before being invited into the main hall. This creates a natural transition and builds anticipation for the meal ahead.
For buffet-style events, the bar and lounge become an extension of the dining experience. Buffet lines, carving stations, and appetizer displays are set up here, with large barn doors opening between spaces to create seamless flow.
Seasonally, the lounge spills onto the west lawn through large doors, extending the dining experience outdoors and taking advantage of those incredible Vermont sunsets over Lake Champlain and the Adirondacks.
The Green Room Located just off the reception hall, our Green Room provides a private space for event hosts, chefs, or special guests. With seating, climate control, and a large mirror, it serves multiple purposes depending on your event.
For intimate chef’s table experiences, the Green Room can host 8-10 guests for an exclusive dining experience with direct access to the kitchen. For larger events, it serves as a prep area for catering staff, a private dining space for VIPs, or a quiet retreat for parents with young children.
Outdoor Dining Spaces
The West Lawn The west lawn is our largest outdoor gathering space, offering ample room for tented dinners, cocktail receptions, or casual picnic-style gatherings. The lawn sits just outside the bar and lounge, creating easy indoor-outdoor flow during warmer months.
Sunset views are the highlight here. As the sun dips behind the Adirondack Mountains across Lake Champlain, the lawn becomes bathed in golden light – a photographer’s dream and a dining experience guests won’t forget. From late spring through early fall, this space sees everything from rehearsal dinners to wood-fired pizza parties to sunset cocktail hours.
The lawn accommodates tented dining for up to 150 guests, with electrical hookups available for lighting and catering needs. For casual gatherings, picnic tables, lawn games, and standing cocktail tables create a relaxed Vermont countryside vibe.
The East Lawn & Covered Porch The east lawn opens from the reception hall through large barn doors, providing a second outdoor dining option with a different character. A covered porch runs the length of the barn’s east wall, offering shade and weather protection while maintaining the outdoor experience.
This space is popular for ceremony sites, outdoor appetizer service, and post-dinner gatherings. The hillside beyond the lawn leads to the Charlotte Village Loop Trail, where guests often wander for photos or a peaceful moment during longer events.
During summer dinners, the covered porch becomes an extension of the dining room. Cocktail tables, dessert stations, or coffee service are set up here, encouraging guests to step outside and enjoy the evening air while staying connected to the main event inside.
The Dining Experience
Climate Control & Year-Round Comfort One of the Old Lantern’s greatest advantages is our central heating and air conditioning throughout the entire barn. This means dining with us is comfortable year-round, whether you’re enjoying a cozy winter feast by candlelight or a summer celebration with the comfort of air conditioning on a hot Vermont day.
Unlike many historic barns that are limited to fair-weather events, we host dinners every month of the year. Winter becomes an especially magical time for intimate gatherings, when the barn is warm and inviting while snow falls outside the windows.
Capacity & Configurations Our dining capacity ranges from intimate gatherings of 20 to grand celebrations of 300, with flexible table configurations to suit any style:
Communal Harvest Tables | Long farm tables seat 8-12 guests per table, creating a shared dining experience perfect for farm-to-table dinners and family-style meals.
Round Tables | 5-foot round tables seat 8 guests comfortably, offering the most traditional dining setup for weddings and formal events.
Rectangular Tables | 8-foot rectangle tables work beautifully for buffet lines, dessert displays, or family-style plated meals.
Mixed Configurations | Many events use a combination of table styles to create distinct zones – VIP tables, family seating, general guest areas, etc.
Our events team handles all table and chair setup according to your floorplan, ensuring the space is ready for your event when you arrive.
Included Dining Amenities Every event at the Old Lantern includes:
Tables & Chairs | Dark brown chiavari chairs and tables in multiple sizes and configurations Place Settings | B&B plates, salad plates, dinner plates, salad forks, dinner forks, and knives Glassware | Stemmed water goblets, stemmed wine goblets, and full bar glassware selection Linens | White table linens included, with upgrade options available Decor Elements | Wooden rounds, easels, hurricane glasses, votive glassware, bud vases, table numbers
This all-inclusive approach means you can focus on food, company, and celebration rather than logistics and rentals.
Service & Flow The layout of our barn is designed for seamless service. Kitchen access, bar placement, and the flow between spaces have been refined over decades of hosting events. Whether your caterer is plating in our commercial kitchen or setting up buffet stations in the lounge, the space works intuitively.
For multi-course dinners, servers move efficiently from kitchen to table without disrupting the atmosphere. For buffet-style service, guests flow naturally from their seats to the food stations and back. The large barn doors between spaces can remain open for continuous flow or closed to create distinct zones for different parts of your event.
Sound System & Atmosphere Our built-in, optimized sound system ensures that toasts, announcements, and background music reach every corner of the barn without overwhelming conversation. For events featuring live music or DJs, the acoustics of the space bring out the best in performance while our 11 PM music curfew (one of the latest in Vermont) gives you plenty of time to celebrate.
Lighting plays a crucial role in atmosphere. Bistro lighting throughout the barn creates warmth and intimacy, while natural light floods the space during daytime events. As evening falls, the combination of candlelight on tables and soft overhead lighting transforms the barn into something truly magical.
Accessibility & Parking All dining spaces are ADA compliant with accessible entrances and multiple restroom facilities. Paved pathways connect the parking lot to the barn’s main entrances, and ample parking accommodates events of any size.
For guests traveling from afar, Burlington International Airport is just 24 minutes away. Downtown Burlington is 15 minutes north on Route 7, and Middlebury is 30 minutes south. The Charlotte-Essex Ferry is just minutes down the road, offering scenic Lake Champlain crossings for guests from New York.
Dining at the Old Lantern
Whether you’re attending one of our Vermont Farmers & Foragers dinner series events, hosting a private celebration, or joining us for a community gathering, the Old Lantern provides a setting where great food and great company come together naturally.
The combination of historic architecture, modern amenities, and Vermont’s natural beauty creates dining experiences that guests remember long after the last course is served. From intimate 20-person dinners at communal tables to grand 300-guest celebrations, the barn adapts to your vision while maintaining the warmth and character that makes it special.
Ready to experience dining at the Old Lantern? Explore our upcoming Farmers & Foragers dinners, inquire about hosting your own private event, or join us for a community gathering. We can’t wait to welcome you to the table.
