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.

Saltville, Virginia

Great Channels of Virginia

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

McLean, Virginia

CIA Museum

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

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Upcoming Virginia Experiences

Explore Alexandria's Brewing History

Alexandria, Virginia

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.”

Cotton Candy Grapes

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

Sugar Toad

Chefs carefully detoxify this East Coast pufferfish to create sweet, fried “chicken wings of the sea.”

See all 7 things to eat in Virginia See all 7 things to eat in Virginia

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Post	Replies	Views	Activity
What would you do on a time crunch in DC?	19 December 9, 2019	3057	December 9, 2019
Carolina House with a Natural Cavern underneath	12 April 1, 2020	5478	April 1, 2020
New Orleans suggestions?	15 March 26, 2020	3550	March 26, 2020
Off the beaten path / hidden gems near Nashville?	9 November 20, 2019	2951	November 20, 2019
Nashville Music Shops — seeking recommendations	10 September 12, 2019	939	September 12, 2019

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Stories About Virginia

Monticello’s 1,000-foot-long garden terrace served as both a source of food and an experimental laboratory.

At Monticello, Thomas Jefferson's Garden Is Still Growing

Restoring the grounds and its rare, heirloom crops recreated what was effectively the country's first seed bank.

by Eric J. Wallace

A slave house at Ivy Cliff in Bedford County, Virginia. This site was documented by the Virginia Slave House Project, which chronicles the architecture of slavery in the commonwealth.

Meet the Iowa Architect Documenting Every Slave House Still Standing

Jobie Hill has visited 700 former residences. Many have been abandoned. Some have become storage space. Others are B&Bs.

by Sabrina Imbler

February 26, 2020

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