Virginia Travel Guide
Natives of the Commonwealth State of Virginia on America's east
coast are enormously proud of their local history and have put a
great deal of effort into preserving their historical landmarks,
homes and public buildings. The bountiful land of Virginia is where
America's first permanent English colonists put down roots,
founding the town of Jamestown in 1607. They stepped ashore
originally on a sandy beach at the mouth of Chesapeake Bay, a large
estuary that became their gateway to the scenic hinterland.Following the rivers inland, the early pioneers found rolling
hills and then the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains towering over
fertile valleys in the western part of the state. Today, 400 years
later, a great deal of Virginia's wilderness areas remain in their
untouched pristine condition, making it the perfect destination for
lovers of the outdoors as well as for those intent on discovering
some living history.Virginia has not just preserved its historic relics, it actually
uses them as settings for living history displays. Historic parks
and even whole towns, like Williamsburg, act as time machines to
transport visitors to a bygone age, where bewigged gentlemen stroll
the streets and craftsmen ply their trades along cobblestone
streets.The State has also preserved numerous battlefields and monuments
associated with the Civil War, in which Virginia played a central
role, with its capital, Richmond, being the seat of the
Confederacy. Many of Virginia's sons have played a vital role in
politics during the centuries: the state has produced eight United
States presidents, including George Washington and Thomas
Jefferson, whose homes are national treasures and open to the
public.Even Virginia's popular seaside resort city of Virginia Beach is
steeped in history, so visitors who come simply to enjoy the
State's many miles of Atlantic Coast sandy beaches cannot help but
absorb some of the region's historic importance along with their
suntans.Virginia's worth as an enjoyable destination can be proven by
the fact that tourism is a main source of state revenue, employing
more than 200,000 people and bringing in about $15-billion each
year.
Virginia Travel Guide
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Virginia Travel Guide
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Description:
Richmond's Capitol Square is a glorious oasis of old trees and
green lawns in the heart of the downtown area, perched on a
hilltop. The magnificent centrepiece is the neo-classical State
Capitol building, designed by Thomas Jefferson, which has been in
continuous use since 1788. In the Capitol's Rotunda stands
Virginia's most treasured artwork, the life-sized statue of George
Washington sculpted by Jean Antoine Houdon, for whom Washington
posed. Another highlight of the square is the Governor's Mansion,
home of Virginia governors since 1813. The mansion, which has been
restored but boasts its original woodwork, plaster cornices and
ornamental ceilings, is open for tours on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and
Thursdays (first floor only). Another historic building in the
square is the old Bell Tower, dating from 1824, which houses a
visitor centre providing tourist information about Virginia.
Address:
Main entrance on Bank Street, between 9th and 10th
Streets
Postcode:
Telephone:
(804) 698 1788 (tour information)
Email:
Website:
www.vacapitol.org/square.htm
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Description:
Civil War buffs flock to the Museum of the Confederacy, which
houses the most comprehensive collection of Confederate artefacts,
personal memorabilia and art to be found anywhere in the United
States. The exhibits include 550 battle flags, 215 uniforms,
including those of well-known officers, and 1,000 military buttons.
Art works on display include E.B.D. Julio's heroic painting, 'The
Last Meeting of Lee and Jackson'. Beside the museum is the White
House of the Confederacy, the 1818 mansion in which Confederate
President Jefferson Davis and his family lived during the Civil
War. It is still furnished with original items. Visitors have to
join a tour to see the White House. These depart regularly
throughout the day.
Address:
1201 East Clay Street
Postcode:
Telephone:
(804) 649 1861
Email:
info@moc.org
Website:
www.moc.org
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Description:
Between 1861 and 1865, Union armies repeatedly set out to
capture Richmond, strategic capital of the Confederacy, and end the
Civil War. Three of those campaigns came within a few miles of the
city. The park commemorates 11 different sites associated with
those campaigns, including the battlefields at Gaines' Mill,
Malvern Hill, and Cold Harbor. Established in 1936, the park
protects 763 acres of historic ground. There is a visitor centre in
the Tredegar Irons Works on Richmond Riverfront Canal Walk at the
corner of Tredegar and 5th Streets. Here, visitors can watch a film
depicting the battles around the city and get information about
self-guided tours of the battlefields.
Address:
Postcode:
Telephone:
(804) 226 1981
Email:
Website:
www.nps.gov/rich
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Description:
Richmond boasts an exceptional Fine Arts Museum, which presents
a panorama of world art from ancient to modern, including the
largest public Fabergé imperial Easter egg collection outside of
Russia, consisting of roughly 150 jewel-encrusted creations made
for Tsars Alexander III and Nicholas II. The Museum also boasts a
collection of English silver, one of the world's leading
collections of the art of India, Nepal and Tibet, and six Gobelin
Don Quixote tapestries.
Address:
200 N. Boulevard
Postcode:
Telephone:
(804) 340 1400
Email:
Website:
www.vmfa.state.va.us
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Description:
St John's Church has stood on Richmond Hill above the James
River since 1741, and is known for having been the venue for the
second Virginia Convention in 1775, attended by George Washington
and other historic personalities. The church is also where
legendary Pocahontas was baptised and married to John Rolfe. The
wooden building still boasts its original pulpit and some exquisite
stained-glass windows. Between May and September living history
performances are given every Sunday recreating the historic Second
Virginia Convention. Informative tours explore the historic
significance of the church building and grounds.
Address:
2401 East Broad Street
Postcode:
Telephone:
(804) 648 5015
Email:
Website:
www.historicstjohnschurch.org
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Description:
The hands-on Virginia Science Museum allows visitors to touch,
feel, observe and explore the impact of science on their lives,
covering everything from astronomy to computers, and crystals to
flight engineering. The museum is housed in a soaring historic
building, the former Broad Street Station designed in 1919 by John
Russell Pope. The fascinating and fun museum is complemented by a
275-seat Ethyl Universe Planetarium and Space Theatre that screens
Omnimax films as well as providing multimedia planetarium
shows.
Address:
2500 West Broad Street
Postcode:
Telephone:
(804) 864 1400
Email:
Website:
www.smv.org
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Description:
Following the Blue Ridge Mountains for 100 miles (161km) through
west Virginia, the Shenandoah National Park is a wilderness area
where deer and black bears roam among about 100 species of trees on
the forested slopes. Hiking trails snake through the area from the
azalea-trimmed Skyline Drive, the 105-mile (169km) long road that
runs through the park from the Piedmont Plateau, providing
wonderful vistas of the Shenandoah Valley from its overlooks.
Services and visitor centres are available on the drive, but are
closed during winter. Wildflower weekend is celebrated in May, and
ranger-led tours and programs are offered between April and
October.
Address:
Postcode:
Telephone:
(540) 999 3500
Email:
Website:
www.nps.gov/shen
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Description:
The sedate town of Lexington, 138 miles (222km) west of Richmond
in the Shenandoah Valley, boasts one of the most picturesque
downtown areas in America, its fine old buildings having been
preserved and restored so it appears that the clock stopped here in
the 1800s. Tourists visit the town simply for its ambience, and
perhaps to pay tribute to Civil War General Robert E Lee, who after
the war served as president of the Washington and Lee University
here and was eventually buried in Lexington along with his famous
horse, Traveller. Apart from the University, which has one of the
oldest and most attractive campuses in the country, Lexington is
also home to the Virginia Military Institute, one of whose
graduates was General George C. Marshall, winner of the Nobel Peace
Prize. The Institute has a museum dedicated to his memory.
Address:
Postcode:
Telephone:
Email:
Website:
www.lexingtonvirginia.com
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Description:
The three east-Virginian towns of Williamsburg, Jamestown and
Yorktown make up a unique historical attraction where the clock has
been turned back 200 years or more. The first British settlers in
the 'New World' founded Jamestown in 1607. In nearby Yorktown in
1781 Americans won their independence during the last major battle
of the Revolution. Visitors can now see what life was like in the
fledgling Virginia during the colonial period by visiting
Williamsburg, where a British flag still flies over the Capitol
building and women are still wearing long dresses and ruffled caps,
with men in powdered wigs populating the taverns. It all adds up to
the greatest historic theme show ever, but it makes Williamsburg
into more than just a recreation of an 18th-century town. Chat to
the locals and you feel you are actually back in those days, as
blacksmiths puff their bellows at the forge and clip-clopping
horses pull carriages along the cobblestone streets. The Colonial
Williamsburg Foundation looks after 88 original buildings in the
town, while 300 others have been reconstructed, including two
taverns, a parish church, the courthouse and capitol building.
Address:
Postcode:
Telephone:
(757) 229 6511
Email:
Website:
www.visitwilliamsburg.com
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Description:
Originally founded in 1933, the Chrysler Museum of Art is
located on the waters of The Hague, in the Ghent district of
Norfolk, and is home to the art collection of Walter P. Chrysler,
Jr. Over time it has increased its collection significantly and is
one of Norfolk's most esteemed attractions. The museum is
family-friendly, and kids will love the Daniel Rozin interactive
installation.
Address:
245 West Olney Road
Postcode:
Telephone:
(757) 664 6200
Email:
Website:
www.chrysler.org
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Description:
Nauticus is a valuable attraction for both educational and
entertainment purposes. This maritime-themed science centre and
museum now stands where Norfolk's
banana pieronce was and features exhibits, interactive
theatres and touch tanks, as well as a weather station. It is also
home to the USS Wisconsin, an additional interest for mariners and
vacationers alike.
Address:
1 Waterside Drive
Postcode:
Telephone:
(757) 664 1000
Email:
Website:
www.nauticus.org
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Description:
One of Virginia's most popular tourist attractions and the
highlight of any historical Virginia tour, Mount Vernon is the
colonial estate of George Washington. The plantation has been
restored to look just as it did during Washington's era. Consisting
of 500 acres situated on the Potomac River, the gardens, mansion,
and other buildings are open to the public, and costumed employees
demonstrate life in the 18th century. In 2007, Mount Vernon was
given permission to reopen Washington's distillery, which now
produces its own whiskey, available only at the Mount Vernon Gift
Shop. The estate offers tours of the mansion and grounds,
sightseeing cruises on the Potomac River, and special tours showing
scenes from the movie National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets.
Address:
3200 Mount Vernon Memorial Highway, Mount Vernon
Postcode:
22309
Telephone:
Email:
Website:
www.mountvernon.org
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Description:
Monticello was the estate of Thomas Jefferson, third president
of the United States and author of the Declaration of Independence.
The distinctive neoclassical building of the main house was
designed by Jefferson himself, and he continued to improve and add
to it until his death in 1826. Jefferson's time at Monticello is
surrounded by controversy regarding his treatment of his slaves,
and particular relationship with one named Sally Hemings. The
house, outbuildings and gardens are all open to the public, and
tours are offered year-round.
Address:
Albemarle County, outside of Charlottesville
Postcode:
Telephone:
(434) 984-9822
Email:
info@monticello.org
Website:
www.monticello.org
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