268 Best Sights in Virginia, USA

Constructed in 1739, St. Paul's Church was the only building in town to survive the bombardment and conflagration of New Year's Day 1776; a cannonball fired by the British fleet remains embedded in a wall. An earlier church had been built on this site in 1641, and the churchyard contains graves dating from the 17th century. Get a free visitor parking pass in the church office.

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.

Once patronized by Martha Washington, the Stabler-Leadbeater Apothecary is one of the oldest in the country. The shop now houses a museum of memorabilia, including one of the finest collections of apothecary bottles in the country. In fact, they have so many of these original bottles (20,000 in total) that it took six years to process them all. Tours include discussions of the history of medicine as it was practiced at this family-run business for 141 years.

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.

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.

Unlike the museum on the Mall, which is divided into smaller galleries with dense history and science exhibits, the Udvar-Hazy Center, its annex, displays large aircraft and spacecraft, hung as though in flight throughout two vast, multilevel hangars. This focus makes the center more appealing for families with kids who may not be old enough to take in detailed historical narratives but will certainly be in awe over the marvelous planes. It is also much less crowded than the Mall museum, with room to move. Gaze upon historic aircraft like the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird, the fastest jet in the world; the sleek, supersonic Concorde; and the Enola Gay, which, in 1945, dropped the first atomic bomb to be used in war on Hiroshima, Japan. Walk alongside space shuttle Discovery, and browse displays of astronaut paraphernalia, including space food and space underwear! If you want to visit the museum while you are waiting for a flight or connection at Dulles, the Fairfax Connector Bus 983 runs daily between the museum and airport for $2 (SmarTrip card or cash); the trip takes 15 minutes.

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.

Robert E. Lee, who became the commander of the Confederate Army, was born in the Great House of Stratford Hall Plantation, one of the country's finest examples of Colonial architecture. Eight chimneys in two squares top the H-shape brick home, built in the 1730s by one of Lee's grandfathers, Colonial governor Thomas Lee. The house contains Robert E. Lee's crib, original family pieces, and period furnishings. The working Colonial plantation covers 1,600 acres and has gardens, a kitchen, smokehouse, laundry, orangery, springhouses, coach house, stables, slave quarters, and a gristmill that grinds from 11 am to 2 pm on the first whole weekend of each month from April through September. The Plantation Dining Room, a log cabin restaurant, serves meals and sandwiches daily from 11 to 3. Its outdoor screened deck overlooks the woodlands.

This Federal-period home has changed hands many times since it was built in 1794 by Richard Bland Lee, Northern Virginia's first representative to Congress. Citizen action in the 20th century saved it from destruction during construction of nearby Dulles Airport; it is now on the Register of National Historic Places. In the 1970s the house and its outbuildings were restored to their original appearance, with a representative kitchen and flower gardens. A 45-minute tour is offered every hour on the hour, and tours of the outbuildings and slave quarters are available daily at 2 pm from mid-March–mid-November. Educational programs, special events, and living-history programs are held here throughout the year.

Tangier is a Virginia island in the Chesapeake Bay named by Captain John Smith. This largely unspoiled fishing village with quaint narrow streets also happens to be the soft-shell crab capital of the nation. There's a small airport here for private planes, and it also can be reached by the Chesapeake Breeze ship of Tangier Island. The ship departs at 10 am and returns at 3:30 pm daily, cruising 1½ hours each way. There are Chesapeake Bay cruises that stop here as well, and ships that leave from Onacock, Virginia, and Crisfield, Maryland, on the Eastern Shore. The island has several restaurants serving lunch. From the intersection of highways 360 and 646, drive 1 mile, then turn left on Highway 656 (Buzzard's Point Road), which leads to the dock. Reservations are required.

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.

This overlook enjoys an elevation of nearly 2,500 feet. Peer out into Thornton Hollow, then refocus for expansive views of rolling mountains, including Fork Mountain, Mt. Marshall, and Oventop Mountain. Captivating panoramas make this a crowd-pleasing destination for sunrise-seekers.

Many countries established a memorial to their war dead after World War I. In the United States, the first burial at the Tomb of the Unknowns took place at Arlington National Cemetery on November 11, 1921, when the unknown soldier from the "Great War" was interred under the large white-marble sarcophagus. Unknown servicemen killed in World War II and Korea were buried in 1958. The unknown serviceman killed in Vietnam was laid to rest on the plaza on Memorial Day 1984, but was disinterred and identified in 1998. Officials then decided to leave the Vietnam War unknown crypt vacant. Soldiers from the Army's 3rd Infantry ("The Old Guard") keep watch over the tomb 24 hours a day, regardless of weather conditions. Each sentinel marches exactly 21 steps, then faces the tomb for 21 seconds, symbolizing the 21-gun salute, America's highest military honor. The guard is changed with a precise ceremony during the day—every half hour from April through September and every hour the rest of the year. At night the guard is changed every hour.

The Memorial Amphitheater west of the tomb is the scene of special ceremonies on Veterans Day, Memorial Day, and Easter. Mementos from foreign governments are displayed in an indoor trophy room. Across from the amphitheater are memorials to the astronauts killed in the 1986 Challenger space shuttle explosion and to the servicemen killed in 1980 trying to rescue American hostages in Iran. Rising beyond that is the main mast of the USS Maine, the American ship sunk in Havana Harbor in 1898, killing 299 men and sparking the Spanish-American War.

Between Nauticus and Waterside Festival Marketplace, this park is the site of many free outdoor festivals and concerts, the annual Fleet Week and Harborfest, and a wine festival. Fun, food, and music are here most Fridays from May through October. Check the website and local newspapers for events.

Originally owned by the Randolph family, Tuckahoe is 7 miles west of Richmond, on the James River. Thomas Jefferson spent his boyhood years here, from 1745 until 1752. In fact, he began his studies in the one-room schoolhouse that still stands on the beautifully landscaped grounds, which are open daily for self-guided tours. Guided tours of the house are by appointment only, except during the special Christmas tour in December.

This museum, at Fort Eustis, traces the history of army transportation by land, sea, and air, beginning with the Revolutionary War era. More than 90 vehicles, including experimental craft and numerous locomotives and trains dating to the 1800s, are on display. The museum's Korean War and World War II–era trucks can be toured inside and out. Be prepared to show a driver's license or other identification at the military checkpoint at the base entrance.

On a beautiful hillside in Arlington, the Air Force Memorial honors the service and sacrifice of America's airmen. Three stainless-steel, asymmetrical spires slice through the skyline up to 270 feet, representing flight, the precision of the "high bomb burst" maneuver performed by the Air Force Thunderbirds, and the three core values of the Air Force: Integrity first, Service before self, and Excellence in all we do. The spires are adjacent to the southern portion of Arlington National Cemetery and visible from the Tidal Basin and Interstate 395 near Washington. At the base of the spires are four 8-foot statues standing guard, a glass wall engraved with the missing man formation, and granite walls inscribed with Air Force values and accomplishments.

Also known as the Iwo Jima Memorial, it is inspired by the iconic photograph taken during the Battle of Iwo Jima in World War II. The memorial depicts six marines raising the current U.S. flag and honors all U.S. Marine Corps personnel whose lives were lost since 1775. It's a 15-minute walk from the Metro station at Arlington National Cemetery, some of it uphill.

Better known simply as "the Iwo Jima," this memorial, despite its familiarity, has lost none of its power to stir the emotions. Honoring Marines who gave their lives since the Corps was formed in 1775, the statue, sculpted by Felix W. de Weldon, is based on Joe Rosenthal's Pulitzer Prize–winning photograph of six Marines raising a flag atop Mt. Suribachi on the Japanese island of Iwo Jima on February 23, 1945. By executive order the U.S. flag flies day and night from the 78-foot-high memorial. On Tuesday evenings from early June to mid-August there's a Marine Corps sunset parade on the grounds of the memorial. On parade nights a free shuttle bus runs from the Arlington Cemetery visitors parking lot.

On campus are two art galleries: the Ridderhof Martin Gallery, which hosts art exhibitions from various cultures and historical periods, and the duPont Gallery in Melchers Hall, which houses paintings, drawing, sculpture, photography, ceramics, and textiles, by art faculty, students, and contemporary artists. Free parking is available for visitors in the lot at the corner of College Avenue at Thornton Street.

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.

For more than 100 years, the Valentine, established in 1898, has celebrated one of America's most historic cities. It has collected more than a million objects—one of the nation's largest collections focusing on a single city—including preserved photographs, textiles, and artifacts, and interprets 400 years of Richmond's history through items of everyday life. Wickham House (1812), a part of the Valentine, is more rightly a mansion; it was designed by architect Alexander Parris, the creator of Boston's Faneuil Hall. John Wickham was Richmond's wealthiest citizen of the time, and Daniel Webster and Zachary Taylor were frequent guests. The last owner of the house, Mann Valentine Jr., left a bequest in his will to turn the home into a museum. Mann's brother, sculptor Edward Valentine, worked from his carriage house studio to create the Robert E. Lee memorial at Washington and Lee University, and the famous statue of Thomas Jefferson in Richmond's grand Jefferson Hotel. His studio is one of only four surviving 19th-century sculptors' studios in the United States open to the public.

The sea is the subject at the popular Virginia Aquarium and Marine Science Center, a massive facility with more than 200 exhibits. This is no place for passive museumgoers; many exhibits require participation. You can use computers to predict the weather and solve the pollution crisis, watch the birds in the salt marsh through telescopes on a deck, handle horseshoe crabs, take a simulated journey to the bottom of the sea in a submarine, and study fish up close in tanks that re-create underwater environments. The museum is almost 2 miles inland from Rudee Inlet at the southern end of Virginia Beach. The Virginia Aquarium and Marine Science Center has a nature trail—well worth it, but be sure to wear comfortable shoes.

The long boardwalk from 2nd to 33rd Street is considered one of the top beach destinations in the country, and past the boardwalk the sand goes on for miles more on both sides. The boardwalk is active with people-watching, food trailers, bicycles, and rollerblading (bikes have their own path). The beach can get crowded and the sand can get hot! Wear your flip-flops, sand is brown. Chair and umbrella rentals are everywhere, as are bikes and family-style bikes that seat four with canopies. The water is wavy, so bring boogie boards! Colorful statues on each block make for fun photography. Summer nights include fireworks and live concerts. A block back, the street is lined with bright shops and entertainment at night on many blocks, from mimes to music to acrobats. The nicest place to hang out, Hilton Resort has rocking chairs, fire pits, live music throughout the day, palm trees, and a view of the famous Neptune Statue. There are numerous public parking lots a block or two back from the beach. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; toilets. Best for: surfing; swimming; walking.

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.

This visitor-friendly museum mounts regularly changing exhibits, as well as permanent exhibitions, like an 800-piece collection of Confederate weapons and equipment, and, "The Story of Virginia, an American Experience," which covers 16,000 years of history. The Society also operates the Virginia House, a 16th-century manor house transported to Richmond from England.