Must-see attractions in Virginia
Virginia
Run by the NPS, this fascinating place is the original Jamestown site, established in 1607 and home of the first permanent English settlement in North…
Richmond
Richmond is a cultured city, and this splendid art museum is the cornerstone of the local arts scene. Highlights of its eclectic, world-class collection…
Virginia
Entered through Colonial Williamsburg's former public hospital, this complex is home to two equally splendid museums: the DeWitt Wallace Decorative Arts…
Virginia
One of the biggest, most comprehensive maritime museums in the world. The on-site USS Monitor Center houses parts of the Civil War–era Monitor, one of the…
Richmond
Contains the world's largest collection of manuscripts and memorabilia of poet and horror-writer Edgar Allan Poe, who lived and worked in Richmond…
Richmond
Designed by Thomas Jefferson, the capitol building was completed in 1788 and houses the oldest legislative body in the Western Hemisphere – the Virginia…
Virginia
Dating from 1726, this plantation on the James River was the birthplace and home of Benjamin Harrison V, a signatory of the Declaration of Independence,…
Virginia
A glorious setting for an eclectic collection of artifacts from ancient Egypt to the present day, including works by Henri Matisse, Albert Bierstadt,…
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Virginia
This influencer in the oyster world was established in 1899. It harvests more than 180,000 oysters each week, many of which are shipped to restaurants…
Fort Ward Museum & Historic Site
Alexandria
Washington, DC’s best-preserved Civil War fort is surprisingly hidden away in a residential Alexandria neighborhood. But there it is, a vivid foray into…
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…
Virginia
This island in the middle of the Chesapeake is a veritable trip into the past. Its inhabitants, watermen whose families have lived here for centuries,…
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…
Lyceum: Alexandria's History Museum
Alexandria
For a quick primer on Alexandria’s history, stop by this small city museum in a beautiful Greek Revival building dating from 1839. A somewhat dusty array…
Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center
Virginia
If you want to see an aquarium done right, come here. In various habitats, you can see a great array of aquatic life, including sea turtles, river otters…
Richmond
Famous southerners including JEB Stuart, Robert E Lee, Matthew Fontaine Maury, Jefferson Davis and Stonewall Jackson are memorialized in statue form along…
American Revolution Museum at Yorktown
Virginia
Formerly the Yorktown Victory Center, this expanded exhibition space and living history museum vividly describes the build-up to the Revolutionary War,…
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…
Richmond
By 1864, Union general Ulysses Grant was ready to take the battle into Virginia. His subsequent invasion, dubbed the Overland (or Wilderness) Campaign,…
Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge
Virginia
This lush preserve has hiking trails where you can look for wild horses. There's also beachfront and a lighthouse. The 3¼-mile Wildlife Loop is open 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…
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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,…
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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…
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Contrabands & Freedmen Cemetery
Alexandria
During the Civil War, the Union-controlled southern city of Alexandria, VA, became a safe haven for formerly enslaved African Americans. Though they had…
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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…
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Alexandria
Alexandria is known for its landmark archaeological protection code – one of the first in the US – which encourages local archaeologists and developers to…
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Virginia
Built in 1735, this historic country church approximately two miles north of Irvington was the gift of wealthy landowner and colonial politician, Robert…
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Alexandria
Once a real tavern (operated by John Gadsby from 1796 to 1808), this building now houses a museum demonstrating the prominent role of the tavern in…
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George Washington Birthplace National Monument
Virginia
An obelisk fashioned from Vermont marble, a one-tenth replica of the Washington Monument in Washington, DC, greets visitors at this national monument, run…
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Richmond
Perched above the James River rapids, this tranquil cemetery contains the gravesites of two US presidents (James Monroe and John Tyler), the only…
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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…
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White House of the Confederacy
Richmond
This 1818 building was the executive mansion of the Confederacy between 1861 and 1865, and the wartime home of its president, Jefferson Davis. Guided 45…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
