Virginia
Yorktown Battlefield, run by the NPS, is the site of the last major battle of the American Revolution. Start your tour at the visitor center and check out…
Must-see attractions in Virginia
National Museum of the Civil War Soldier
The Piedmont
West of downtown and inside the privately run Pamplin Historical Park, the excellent National Museum of the Civil War Soldier illustrates the hardships…
The Piedmont
Consistently ranks as one of Virginia's best wineries; try its flagship Meritage. Bring a picnic (the winery also sells gourmet goodies) and enjoy the…
Manassas National Battlefield Park
Northern Virginia
The site of two major Confederate victories early in the Civil War, Manassas National Battlefield Park today is a curving green hillscape, sectioned into…
Northern Virginia
Wander landscaped grounds along the Potomac and get a sense of what the region looked like in George Washington’s day. The first president once owned…
Alexandria
This demure Federal-style row house holds a tragic story. At a time when Alexandria was the nation’s second-largest slave center (after New Orleans), a…
Alexandria Black History Museum
Alexandria
Paintings, photographs, books and other memorabilia documenting the African American experience in Alexandria, one of the nation’s major slave ports, are…
Alexandria
If you have time for just one historic house tour in Alexandria, make it this one. The house dates from 1753 when merchant and city founder, John Carlyle,…
Stabler-Leadbeater Apothecary Museum
Alexandria
In 1792 Edward Stabler opened up his apothecary (pharmacy) – a family business that would operate until 1933, when the Depression forced its doors to…
Richmond National Battlefield Park
Richmond
The dozen Civil War sites and four visitor centers that comprise this park can be visited on an 80-mile driving tour around Richmond. The best place to…
Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge
Virginia
We reckon this 112,000-acre refuge deserves an award for best name in the country. Some 30 miles southwest of Virginia Beach, it straddles the North…
Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge
Virginia
This 9250-acre wildlife and migratory-bird marshland habitat is most stunning during the December migration season. The refuge's visitor center is open…
Virginia
Belle Isle State Park beckons travelers who want a full menu of outdoor activities. This is a small state park, yet it boasts picnic areas, boat launches,…
Blue Ridge Highlands & Southwest Virginia
During WWII, 30 Bedford National Guard soldiers joined the invasion of Normandy. Nineteen were killed in action on D-Day, the highest per capita loss of…
Mount Rogers National Recreation Area
Blue Ridge Highlands & Southwest Virginia
This seriously beautiful area is well worth a visit for outdoor enthusiasts. Hike, fish or cross-country ski among ancient hardwood trees and the state's…
George Washington Masonic National Memorial
Alexandria
Alexandria’s most prominent landmark features a fine view from the observation deck of its 333ft tower. Modeled after Egypt’s Lighthouse of Alexandria, it…
Northern Virginia
Preserved and operated by the National Trust of Historic Preservation, Woodlawn Plantation was once part of George Washington’s Mount Vernon. In 1799,…
Shenandoah Valley
You'll either be impressed or put off by the extreme discipline of the cadets at Virginia Military Institute, the only university to have sent its entire…
Shenandoah Valley
Named for George Washington and Robert E Lee, this pretty and preppy liberal arts college was founded in 1749. George Washington saved the young school in…
Oatlands Historic House & Gardens
Northern Virginia
Established in 1803 by a great-grandson of Robert ‘King’ Carter, a wealthy pre-Revolutionary planter, this plantation has as its focal point a lovingly…
National Inventors Hall of Fame & Museum
Alexandria
Housed in the atrium of the US Patent and Trademark Office, this museum tells the history of the US patent. Step inside to see where the story started in…
Shenandoah Valley
One of the wackiest attractions yet from artist and creative wunderkind Mark Cline, this kitschy theme park transports visitors to an alternate reality: a…
Virginia
Built in 1735, this historic country church approximately two miles north of Irvington was the gift of wealthy landowner and colonial politician, Robert…
Northern Virginia
Middleburg is foxhunting territory (Middleburg's Hunt meets regularly), so it's not surprising that its main museum takes as its focus equine sports…
Richmond
Perched above the James River rapids, this tranquil cemetery contains the gravesites of two US presidents (James Monroe and John Tyler), the only…
Smith Mountain Lake State Park
Blue Ridge Highlands & Southwest Virginia
Smith Mountain State Park is located on the north shore of an enormous, 32-square-mile reservoir, one of the most popular recreation spots in Southwestern…
The Piedmont
The cows living near this secluded, verdant and peaceful Trappist monastery must be happy – their milk is so sweet that the nuns at the monastery are…
George Washington's Distillery & Gristmill
Northern Virginia
George Washington is America's most renowned general and statesman, but not many know that he was also a savvy businessman. The distillery and gristmill…
Northern Virginia
Morven Park is a 1000-acre property that was once the home of Virginia governor Westmoreland Davis. The Greek Revival mansion (tours hourly, last tour at…
Virginia
Built on the banks of the James River, this is Virginia's oldest plantation (1613). It retains an original row of brick service and trade houses – tool…
Richmond
It was here that firebrand Patrick Henry uttered his famous battle cry – 'Give me Liberty, or give me Death!' – during the rebellious 1775 Second Virginia…
Northern Virginia
An eternal flame flickers beside this simple but moving gravesite – the final resting place for President John F Kennedy and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis…
Shenandoah Valley
This picturesque chapel inters Robert E Lee (1807–70). After Lee's death, Virginia sculptor Edward Valentine created its life-size 'Recumbent Lee' statue…
Blue Ridge Highlands & Southwest Virginia
The jewel in Roanoke's cultural crown, this impressive museum is set in a sculptural steel-and-glass edifice. Inside, you'll find a small permanent…
Shenandoah Valley
One of the most revered generals of the south, Thomas Jonathon 'Stonewall' Jackson lived in this handsome brick Federal-style town house with his wife and…
George Washington & Jefferson National Forests
Shenandoah Valley
There are far too many trails in this area alone to list here. Note that most trails in the region are not actually in the town of Warm Springs; there is…
Shenandoah Valley
The excellent Frontier Culture Museum is cooler than its name might suggest. On the 100-plus acre grounds you'll find authentic historic buildings from…
Virginia
Popular with kids, the state-run Jamestown Settlement reconstructs the 1607 James Fort; a Native American village; and full-scale replicas of the first…
Virginia
Here’s the place to get the historical lowdown on the region’s fishers. The small museum is filled with photos and artifacts. See the historic work boats…
Northern Virginia
Love visiting wineries but find that the junior members of your household cramp your style? This hilltop winery near Delaplane in Fauquier County is the…
