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.

White Post, Virginia

Dinosaurland

Outsider art meets paleontology at this roadside reptile repository.

Richmond, Virginia

Edgar Allan Poe Museum

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

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.

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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
Nashville Music Shops — seeking recommendations	10 September 12, 2019	489	September 12, 2019
What would you do on a time crunch in DC?	9 November 11, 2019	132	November 11, 2019
Off the beaten path / hidden gems near Nashville?	8 November 5, 2019	299	November 5, 2019
Salvador Dalí Museum	3 September 13, 2019	1266	September 13, 2019
Vintage Sewing Center and Museum	1 September 26, 2019	654	September 26, 2019

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Stories
About Virginia

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

The recently described species <em>Apheloria whiteheadi</em>.

Up Close With the First and Only Millipede Lab in the United States

They got legs, and they know how to use them.

by Vittoria Traverso

January 31, 2018