58 Best Sights in Central and Western Virginia, Virginia

About 20 miles south of Lexington, this impressive limestone arch (which supports Route 11) has been gradually carved out by Cedar Creek, which rushes through 215 feet below. The Monacan Native American tribe called it the Bridge of God. Surveying the structure for Lord Halifax, George Washington carved his own initials in the stone; Thomas Jefferson bought it (and more than 150 surrounding acres) from King George III. The after-dark sound-and-light show may be overkill, but viewing and walking under the bridge itself and along the wooded pathway beyond are worth the price of admission. On the property are dizzying caverns that descend 34 stories, a wax museum, a toy museum, and an 18th-century village constructed by the Monacan Indian Nation.

At New Market, the Confederates had a victory during the late date of 1864. Inside the Hall of Valor, in the 260-acre New Market Battlefield Historical Park, a stained-glass window mosaic commemorates the battle, in which 257 Virginia Military Institute cadets, some as young as 15, were mobilized to improve the odds against superior Union numbers; in the end, 10 were killed. This circular building contains a chronology of the war, and a short film deals with Stonewall Jackson's legendary campaign in the Shenandoah Valley. A farmhouse that figured in the fighting still stands on the premises. The battle is reenacted at the park each May.

Seven miles east of Staunton, the P. Buckley Moss Museum is a free full-scale gallery of paintings and drawings by one of the Valley's most recognized artists. Moss, who moved to Waynesboro in 1964, was inspired by the quiet dignity and simplicity of the "plain people"—those in the Mennonite communities of the Shenandoah Valley—and has made these neighbors her subject matter. Don't miss the large-scale dollhouse built into a staircase. Her studio, a converted barn about 2 miles from the museum, opens a few times a year to the public.

Peaks of Otter Recreation Area, 25 miles northeast of Roanoke, offers a close-up view of cone-shaped Sharp Top Mountain, which Thomas Jefferson once called America's tallest peak. At 3,875 feet it's not even the tallest in the park—nearby Flat Top is 4,004 feet. You can hike to both peaks and to little brother Harkening Hill, as well as to Fallingwater Cascades, a thrilling multi-tier waterfall. For those not up to the climb, a bus heads most of the way up Sharp Top hourly throughout the day during the on-season. The peaks rise about the shores of Abbott Lake, a bucolic picnic spot. A pleasant lakeside lodge and campground along the placid lake below are an ideal base for local trekking.

Built in 1815, this mansion on Daniel's Hill was named to commemorate the many duels fought on the site. Once part of a 900-acre estate, this redbrick house surrounded by lawns retains a commanding view of the James River. It was the home of Dr. George Cabell, a friend of Thomas Jefferson and the physician of Patrick Henry. The facade is elegantly symmetrical, with two octagonal bays joined by a balustrade on each of the building's two stories. Interiors have been restored and furnished with pieces authentic to the early 19th century Federal period.

The octagonal architecture of Poplar Forest, now standing in a residential neighborhood and surrounded by only a few remaining poplars, was conceived and built by Jefferson, and he would occasionally stay here between 1806 and 1813. This Palladian hermitage exemplifies the architect's sublime sense of order that is so evident at Monticello. Erected on a slope, the front of the house is one story high, with a two-story rear elevation. The octagon's center is a square, skylighted dining room flanked by two smaller octagons. The restoration to its Jefferson-era state is ongoing, and likely to continue for years to come. Every July 4 there's a free celebration that includes a reading of the Declaration of Independence and living-history exhibits. The house is deliberately unfurnished, so visit during a special event to see the property at its best.

In the town of Brookneal is the final home of Revolutionary War patriot Patrick Henry, whose "Give me liberty or give me death" speech inspired a generation. The 1770s house has been reconstructed on its original site and contains numerous furnishings owned by the Henry family. Henry's grave is also on the property.

The one surviving example of Jeffersonian church architecture, St. Thomas's Episcopal Church is a replica of Charlottesville's demolished Christ Church, originally designed by Virginia's preeminent architect and statesman. It's here that Robert E. Lee worshipped during the winter of 1863–64. The church's biggest decorative asset is its Tiffany window. Sunday services are at 8 am and 11 am.

This arboretum, 9 miles east of Winchester, has the most extensive boxwood collection in North America. Hands-on workshops and tours are available throughout spring, summer, and fall. You can stroll through the perennial and herb gardens and have a look at more than 8,000 trees. This spot is a wonderful place to bird-watch or to have a picnic.

Confederate general Jackson's private life is on display at the Stonewall Jackson House, where he is revealed as a dedicated Presbyterian who was devoted to physical fitness, careful with money, musically inclined, and fond of gardening. The general lived here only two years, while teaching physics and military tactics to the cadets, before leaving for his command in the Civil War. This is the only house he ever owned; it's furnished now with period pieces and some of his belongings.

The 1854 home of this civil war general is now a museum filled with his personal memorabilia. Jackson used this house as his base of operations during the Valley Campaign in 1861–62. Among the artifacts on display are his prayer book and camp table. The reproduction wallpaper was a gift from the actress Mary Tyler Moore; it was her great-grandfather Lieutenant Colonel Lewis T. Moore who lent Jackson the use of the house. A $10 block ticket purchased at the museum also includes entry to two nearby historic attractions: George Washington's Office Museum, a preserved log cabin where Washington briefly lived during the French and Indian War, and Abram's Delight Museum, the oldest residence in Winchester. The stone house was owned by Isaac Hollingsworth, a prominent Quaker.

miles south of Middletown in the quirky and historic downtown of Strasburg (which was settled by Germans), this emporium covers 1.4 acres. Inside, more than 100 dealers and artisans sell everything from furniture to jewelry to vintage clothing.

Opened in the fall of 2008, this Randall Stout-designed faceted-glass structure soars amid the surrounding mountains, the contemporary architecture striking a balance with its natural location. Formerly known as the Art Museum of Western Virginia, the Taubman, with its new 81,000-square-foot home, quadruples its previous exhibit space, housing 19th- and 20th-century American art, modern art, and small special collections of European and ancient Mediterranean art. Norah's Café serves light fare throughout the day.

Listed on the National Register of Historic Landmarks and operated by the historical society, the Daniel Harrison House is named for Dayton's first settler and is the oldest house in the town. It's also called Fort Harrison, a nod to its fortified stone and frontier style. Costumed interpreters discuss how the furnishings—beds with ropes as slats and hand-quilted comforters—were made. Artifacts on display come from recent excavations undertaken adjacent to the house.

One block north of the Rotunda, the Fralin Museum of Art (formerly known as the University of Virginia Art Museum) houses art from around the world, including pieces from ancient times to present day.

The biggest event of the year for more than 80 years, the Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival in April lasts for 10 days, and features more than 30 events including a huge parade led by a celebrity grand marshall. The apple industry, once the largest employer in the valley, is celebrated with foods like apple candy and apple butter.

is one of the most well-respected breweries on the East Coast, featuring four house brews—Amber Ale, Pale Ale, Jomo Lager, and Dark Starr Stout—and open for tastings on weekends from noon to 5.

The University of Virginia is simply called "The University" by many associated with it, annoying its rivals. Unquestionably, though, it is one of the nation's most notable public universities, founded and designed by 76-year-old Thomas Jefferson, who called himself the university's father in his own epitaph. Even if you're not an architecture or history buff, the green terraced expanse called The Lawn, surrounded by redbrick columned buildings, is astounding. The Rotunda is a half-scale replica of Rome's Pantheon, suggesting Jefferson's Monticello and the U.S. Capitol. Behind the Pavilions, where senior faculty live, serpentine walls surround small, flowering gardens. Edgar Allan Poe's room—where he spent one year as a student until debt forced him to leave—is preserved on the West Range at No. 13. Campus tours (daily at 10, 11, 2, 3, and 4 pm) begin indoors in the Rotunda, whose entrance is on the Lawn side, lower level.

The Virginia Discovery Museum at the east end of the downtown mall is full of hands-on exhibits. Children can step inside a giant kaleidoscope, explore a reconstructed log cabin, or watch bees in action in a working hive.

By far the most popular event here is the during the first two weeks of August: 200,000 people come to hear live music performances ranging from bluegrass to opera, to visit the exhibitions of mountain crafts, and to browse among the wares of more than 100 antiques dealers.

Adjacent to Washington and Lee University, the Virginia Military Institute, founded in 1839, is the nation's oldest state-supported military college. With an enrollment of about 1,300 cadets, the institute has admitted women since 1997. After a two-year expansion and renovation effort, the Virginia Military Institute Museum now includes a 3,000-square-foot main exhibit hall in Jackson Memorial Hall, dedicated to the VMI Heritage. Displays include 15,000 artifacts, including Stonewall Jackson's stuffed and mounted horse, Little Sorrel, and the general's coat, pierced by the bullet that killed him at Chancellorsville, and on the lower level, the Henry Stewart antique firearms collection.

The Virginia Museum of Natural History at Virginia Tech presents rotating exhibits on local and national wildlife; a separate geology museum in Derring Hall displays gems and minerals.

Near Market Square, just a short stroll along the Railwalk, the Virginia Museum of Transportation has the largest collection of diesel and steam locomotives in the country—not surprising, considering that Roanoke got its start as a railroad town and was once the headquarters of the Norfolk and Western railroad. The dozens of original train cars and engines, some of which can be boarded and many built here in town, include a massive nickel-plate locomotive—just one of the many holdings that constitute an unabashed display of civic pride. The sprawling model-train and miniature-circus displays please young and old alike.

A resource center for the study of the role of quilts and quilting in American culture, the Virginia Quilt Museum hosts exhibits of significant work by both early and contemporary quilt artisans. Located in the historic Warren-Sipe House, there's also a Civil War history room.

Virginia Tech is the state's largest university. A small college just a few decades ago, the school is now known for top-notch research programs and its Hokies football team, regularly ranked in the top 10. The focal point of the sprawling campus is the Drillfield, a vast green space surrounded by hefty neo-Gothic buildings built of what is known locally as "Hokie Stone" masonry.

The ninth-oldest college in the United States, Washington and Lee University was founded in 1749 as Augusta Academy and later renamed Washington College to commemorate a donation made by George Washington. After Robert E. Lee's term as its president (1865–70), it received its current name. Today, with 2,000 students, the university occupies a campus of white-column, redbrick buildings around a central colonnade. Twentieth-century alumni include the late Supreme Court Justice Lewis Powell, newsman Roger Mudd, and novelist Tom Wolfe. The campus's Lee Chapel and Museum contains many relics of the Lee family. Edward Valentine's statue of the recumbent general, behind the altar, is especially moving: the pose is natural and the expression gentle, a striking contrast to most other monumental art. Here you can sense the affection and reverence that Lee inspired.

What is now the Wilderness Road Regional Museum was once lodging for settlers making their way west on a Native American route that went from Pennsylvania through the Cumberland Gap. The man who founded the town of Newbern built this house in the same year, and the structure has since served as a private home, a tavern, a post office, and a store. Today the house contains antique dolls, swords and rifles, an old loom, and other artifacts of everyday life. A self-tour map of Newbern, the only Virginia town entirely within a National Register of Historic Places district, is available at the museum.

Interactive exhibits and displays children can touch make this museum family-friendly. The collection features period antiques, items from Wilson's political career, and some original pieces that belonged to Wilson's father, a Presbyterian minister. Wilson's presidential limousine, a 1919 Pierce-Arrow sedan, is on display in the garage. An interactive World War I trench exhibit simulates the soldier's experiences and there's also a hands-on kids' corner.