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All United States Virginia

The Atlas Obscura Guide To Virginia

278 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in Virginia

Updated May 30, 2023

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Cities

Top Cities
Alexandria
Dark Star Park.
Arlington
Edgar Allan Poe Museum
Richmond
Abandoned Virginia Renaissance Faire
Fredericksburg
Exterior of prison buildings.
Lorton
Williamsburg
All Cities
  1. Alexandria
  2. Arlington
  3. Bristol
  4. Burke
  5. Centreville
  6. Charles City
  7. Charlottesville
  8. Fairfax
  9. Fairfax Station
  10. Falls Church
  11. Fort Belvoir
  12. Fredericksburg
  13. Front Royal
  14. Great Falls
  15. Herndon
  16. Lexington
  17. Lorton
  18. Lynchburg
  19. Manassas
  20. Mc Lean
  21. Natural Bridge
  22. Newport News
  23. Norfolk
  24. Petersburg
  25. Portsmouth
  26. Richmond
  27. Roanoke
  28. Smithfield
  29. Springfield
  30. Staunton
  31. Sterling
  32. Vienna
  33. Virginia Beach
  34. White Post
  35. Williamsburg
  36. Winchester
Attractions
Food & Drink
Map
Leaderboards
Stories

Unusual Attractions in Virginia

Williamsburg, Virginia

President Heads

Giant busts of 42 U.S. presidents are sitting in a field in Virginia.
Abandoned Virginia Renaissance Faire

Fredericksburg, Virginia

Abandoned Virginia Renaissance Faire

The remains of a failed attempt at medieval nerdery are hidden deep in the woods of Virginia.
Note the size of the person below

Natural Bridge, Virginia

The Natural Bridge

A sacred site for Native Americans surveyed by George Washington and owned by both King George III and Thomas Jefferson.
Great Channels of Virginia.

Saltville, Virginia

Great Channels of Virginia

This maze-like slot canyon is a unique gem within an already fascinating geological area.

Duffield, Virginia

Virginia's Natural Tunnel

A 300-yard long natural tunnel runs through a ridge deep in the Appalachian Mountains.
Edgar Allan Poe Museum

Richmond, Virginia

Edgar Allan Poe Museum

This museum devoted to the gothic author holds such interesting ephemera as his socks and walking stick.
Dinosaurland

White Post, Virginia

Dinosaurland

Outsider art meets paleontology at this roadside reptile repository.
A hydrotherapy tub in St. Albans Sanatorium.

Radford, Virginia

St. Albans Sanatorium

Paranormal investigators claim this abandoned asylum is the most haunted spot in the eastern U.S.
See All 278 Things To Do in Virginia

Cool Places to Eat & Drink in Virginia

Norfolk, Virginia

Doumar's Barbecue

This old-fashioned carhop restaurant gave the world the waffle cone.

Alexandria, Virginia

George Washington's Distillery

The only place for a truly presidential dram.
Festival sign

Gordonsville, Virginia

Gordonsville Fried Chicken Festival

This Virginia town has been famous for its fried chicken since the 19th century.

Charlottesville, Virginia

Monticello's Vegetable Garden and Fruitery

Thomas Jefferson's estate is home to hundreds of varieties of historic fruits and vegetables.
See all 10 Places to Eat in Virginia
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Atlas Obscura Itineraries

Eat Across the Blue Ridge Parkway

In 1933, President Franklin D. Roosevelt so enjoyed a ride through Virginia’s Skyline Drive that he wanted to make it go on longer—nearly 500 miles longer, to be exact. In the coming months, his administration kicked off a massive roadway project to connect Skyline with Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and the Blue Ridge Parkway was born. Today, the Parkway remains one of the most beautiful drives in the country, connecting the Great Smoky Mountains to Shenandoah National Park. While its scenic overlooks get all the attention, the region’s restaurants offer a more intimate way to experience the landscape: through the very flavors of the berry bushes that line its trails, the trout that swim in its rivers, and the vegetation that gives its green mountains their striking hue. From elk burgers at a Native-owned diner to a foraged feast at an Afro-Appalachian restaurant, here’s a guide to the most incredible places to taste the flora and fauna of the Blue Ridge mountains.

View Itinerary
The winding parkway offers stunning views of the surrounding mountains.

Explore Virginia

History & Culture 51
History 46
Military 32
Civil War 32
Military History 22
Museums And Collections 22
Houses 21
Cemeteries 20
Monuments 17
Slavery 15
Graves 15
Homes 15
Unique Restaurants & Bars 2

Virginia Leaderboard

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Stories About Virginia

Podcast: Telling Time Through the Trees With the Places Team

These trees have seen major moments in history.
by The Podcast Team
April 24, 2023
Dontavius Williams thanks Caesar, the 18th-century enslaved chef who managed Stratford Hall, before beginning a demonstration in the historic hearth where Caesar once cooked.

Remembering Caesar, Colonial Virginia’s Enslaved Chocolatier

In Robert E. Lee's birthplace, Dontavius Williams honors an unsung chef.
by Sam Lin-Sommer
March 9, 2023

Podcast: Anne Spencer’s Garden

Join us for a daily celebration of the world’s most wondrous, unexpected, even strange places.
by The Podcast Team
August 30, 2022
The filling is smooth and sweet, but with something deeper and more complex.

Resurrecting Virginia's Forgotten 'Caramel' Pie

Beloved by Edna Lewis, this plum-based favorite deserves a resurgence.
by Claiborne Milde
June 2, 2022
The Higby variety of the Hog Island Fig.

The Surprising Resilience of the Hog Island Fig

Virginia's Eastern Shore has rallied around a sweet, centuries-old local delicacy.
by Rachel Kester
November 24, 2021
Twitty's handful of picked persimmons in North Carolina.

For Enslaved Cooks, Persimmon Beer Combined Ingenuity and Joy

A conversation with Michael Twitty about the powerful history behind a centuries-old beverage.
by Diana Hubbell
November 12, 2021

Podcast: The Great Stalacpipe Organ

Join us for a daily celebration of the world’s most wondrous, unexpected, even strange places.
by The Podcast Team
October 20, 2021
Brewing beer at Jamestown.

The Brides 'Imported' to Colonial America for Their Brewing Skills

English colonists needed alcohol to survive. And for that, they needed women.
by Stephanie Castellano
September 30, 2021

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