151 Cool and Unusual Things to Do in Virginia - Atlas Obscura

Unusual
Attractions
in Virginia

Fredericksburg, Virginia

Abandoned Virginia Renaissance Faire

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

Williamsburg, Virginia

President Heads

43 giant busts of U.S. presidents are sitting in a field in Virginia.

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.

Duffield, Virginia

Virginia's Natural Tunnel

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

Richmond, Virginia

Edgar Allan Poe Museum

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

White Post, Virginia

Dinosaurland

Outsider art meets paleontology at this roadside reptile repository.

McLean, Virginia

CIA Museum

A secretive collection featuring objects that were designed specifically for U.S. intelligence operations.

Luray, Virginia

The Great Stalacpipe Organ

An organ located deep within a cave, whose "pipes" are the geological features of the cave itself.

See All 151 Things to Do in Virginia See All 151 Places

Unique
Food & Drink
in Virginia

Southern Butter Rolls

The sweet, spiraled pastries were once a staple on cold days in the American South.

Peanut Pie

The Virginia treat can “make even your deepest-dyed Yankee start complimenting you with a southern accent.”

George Washington’s Whiskey

Taste the white whiskey that the United States' first president once distilled and enjoyed at Mount Vernon.

Cotton Candy Grapes

A crossbred table grape variety that tastes an awful lot like spun sugar.

See all 8 things to eat in Virginia See all 8 things to eat in Virginia

Upcoming Virginia Experiences

On the Trail of DC's First Brewmaster

Alexandria, Virginia

Community Forums / United States / US: South

Top Discussions in the US: South Travel Forum

Post	Replies	Views	Activity
Carolina House with a Natural Cavern underneath	9 September 27, 2019	3624	September 27, 2019
What would you do on a time crunch in DC?	19 December 9, 2019	1554	December 9, 2019
New Orleans suggestions?	13 June 4, 2019	2463	June 4, 2019
Off the beaten path / hidden gems near Nashville?	9 November 20, 2019	1494	November 20, 2019
Arkansas Black Apple	11 January 6, 2020	2026	January 6, 2020

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Stories
About Virginia

The Chef Restoring Appalachia's World-Class Food Culture

A coal fortune is fueling the revival of a cuisine it nearly destroyed.

by Eric J. Wallace

January 10, 2020

Joe Littlejohn's racecar (No. 7) is seen outside “Little Joe’s” tavern in the late-1930s.

How a Group of Daring Bootleggers Created NASCAR

Moonshine money fueled the sport's rise.

by Tove Danovich

January 23, 2019

Unlike its ancient predecessor, this one is made of foam. And you can visit it in Northern Virginia.

Virginia Has Its Own Stonehenge, But It's Made Out of Foam

It even works like its predecessor.

by Matthew Blitz

October 29, 2018

The Avoca Museum in Altavista, Virginia.

The Hidden History of African-American Burial Sites in the Antebellum South

Enslaved people used codes to mark graves on plantation grounds.

by Evan Nicole Brown

October 25, 2018

George Adams draws on his thousands of steins to tell stories about beer and drinking.

Drink Up at the Home-Museum Displaying Over 10,000 Beer Steins

Tours start at the kegerator.

by Eric J. Wallace

In Early Maps of Virginia, West Was at the Top

Mark Cline.

Inside the World of Virginia’s Roadside Attraction King

For more than 30 years, Mark Cline has been keeping the state weird.

by Eric J. Wallace

Gianni Zonin, Count Cicogna, and Gabriele Rausse in 1978 making plans for Barboursville’s Vineyard.

How Two Italians Achieved a 200-Year-Old Dream of Virginian Wine

Since Thomas Jefferson first tried, growing European vines had always failed.

by Eric J. Wallace