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Travel

Virginia: Guide

to going places

The Homestead Greece Colonial Williamsburg Blandford

Top

Travel Destinations:

Central Virginia

Appalachia

Blue

RidgeShenandoah

Valley

Fredericksburg/Northern

Virginia

Chesapeake

Bay

Tidewater/Hampton

Roads

Central

Virginia

 

Walton’s

Mountain Museum

6484 Rockfish River Rd. (Rt. 617)

Schuyler, Va.

“Good

night, John Boy,” is almost audible at the Walton’s Museum in Nelson

County. In the same building young Earl Hamner, Jr., also known as, “John

Boy,” attended school, now holds replicas of sets from “The

Waltons,” the poignant television series he created. Take a step

back into time to John-Boy’s bedroom, the Waltons’ home and Ike Godsey’s

store, which is also the museum’s gift shop. Open daily from the first

Saturday in March through the last Sunday in November. Closed Easter,

Thanksgiving and the last Saturday in September.

Telephone:

(434) 831-2000;(888) 266-1381; (800) 282-8223 (event information)

E-mail: [email protected]

Montpelier

11407 Constitution Highway

Montpelier Station

“Father

of the Constitution,” and fourth President, James Madison, established

Montpelier as his home. Madison described Montpelier as, “a squirrel’s

jump from Heaven,” and visitors today have the opportunity to tour

his historic estate. Explore a 200-acre-old growth forest with two miles

of hiking trails, watch active archeological excavations, or visit the

restored formal gardens. The Madison family and slave cemeteries are also

open for tourists as well as a landscape arboretum on this 2,700-acre

manor.

Telephone:

(540) 672-2728

(540) 672-0004

E-mail: [email protected]

Pamplin

Historical Park/The National Museum of the Civil War Soldier

6125 Boydton Plank Road

Petersburg

Pulitzer

Prize-winning historian James McPherson called Pamplin Historical Park

and The National Museum of the Civil War Soldier “the new crown jewel

of Civil War History destinations in America.” Covering 422 acres,

the park features an antebellum plantation home, living history demonstrations,

a museum and a historic battlefield, where on April 2, 1865, Union forces

broke through Petersburg’s defense lines. This resulted in the capture

of the Confederate Capitol in Richmond that night and Gen. Robert E. Lee’s

surrender less than a week later. Pamplin Park opened its doors in 1994

and is fast becoming America’s finest Civil War attraction. Hours: 9 a.m.

to 5 p.m. Daily.

Telephone: 804-861-2408; 877-PAM-PLIN

E-mail: [email protected]

 

Petersburg

National Battlefield

1539 Hickory Hill Road

Petersburg

Multiple

battles raged here during the Civil War between June 15, 1864 and April

1, 1865. Petersburg was the main supply source for Richmond, the Capital

of the Confederacy, and Ulysses S. Grant knew it. In June 1864, Grant

surrounded the city of Petersburg and wore down the supply lines to the

desperate Confederate soldiers. General Robert E. Lee and his troops managed

to hold off Grant and his army for nine and-a-half months, the longest

siege in American warfare. By early April the Confederates could hold

on no longer and evacuated the damaged and bombarded city, leaving 70,000

casualties behind. Lee’s surrender at Appomattox Courthouse occurred one

week later.

Telephone: 804-732-3531; 804-732-3571

E-mail: [email protected]

 

Monticello

Jack

Hollingsworth/Virginia Tourism Corp.

Thomas

Jefferson’s Monticello is one of many things to see in the Charlottesville

area.

Monticello/The

University of Virginia

931 Thomas Jefferson Parkway

Charlottesville

Thomas Jefferson

called this architectural masterpiece home. Outdoor gardens and plantation

tours are offered daily April-October, while guided tours of the house

are offered daily throughout the year.

Admission

prices are as follows: Adults: $13; Children: $6; Children under 6: admitted

free; Reduced rates for adult and student groups. Hours: March-October:

8 a.m.-5 p.m.; November-February: 9 a.m.- 4:30 p.m. And don’t forget to

stop in at the University of Virginia – which Jefferson created, nurtured

and loved — five miles from Monticello near downtown Charlottesville.

Telephone: (434) 984 -9822; (434) 984-9800

E-mail: [email protected]

 

Virginia

State Capitol

9th and East Grace Street

Capitol Square

Richmond

Thomas

Jefferson designed the Capitol of Virginia, which houses the oldest legislative

body in the western hemisphere and officially became the Capitol of the

Confederacy of May 21,1861. The Rotunda holds noted sculpter Jean Antoine

Houdon’s statue of George Washington that is the only work he posed for

from life and one of Virginia’s most treasured works of art. Busts of

Confederate heroes Stonewall Jackson, J.E.B. Stuart, Joseph E. Johnson

and Fitzhugh Lee, and a statue of Robert E. Lee are located here. Free

guided tours are given daily.

Telephone: 804-786-4344

White

House of the Confederacy/Museum of the Confederacy

1201 East Clay Street

Richmond

The

White House of the Confederacy was home to Confederate President Jefferson

Davis and his family during the Civil War and contains more than half

the furnishings that were there with the Davis family. The adjacent museum

is home to the world’s largest collection of artifacts, manuscripts and

images associated with the domestic, military and political life during

the time of the Confederacy. Open daily Mon.-Sat: 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sun:

Noon-5 p.m. Free parking.

Adults $10.00 $7.00 $7.00; Seniors 62 and older $9.00

Telephone: 804-649-1861

E-mail: [email protected]

 

St.

John’s Church

2401 East Broad Street

Richmond

In

the spring of 1775 more than 100 Virginia colonial leaders, including

George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Richard Henry Lee and Patrick Henry,

met at this church. The Second Virginia Convention opened in March 1775

and Patrick Henry’s famous speech in defense of liberty, “Give me

liberty, or give me death!” occurred on March 23, 1775 inside St.

John’s. The American Revolution began the following month when shots were

fired at Lexington and Concord. Tourists can attend a reenactment of the

Second Virginia Convention or take a guided tour. Sunday, May 30, 2004

– Sunday, Sept. 5, 2004 – Monday-Saturday 10 a.m. until 3:30 p.m.; Sunday

1 p.m. until 3:30 p.m.

The last tour of the day begins at 3:30 p.m. The grounds and gift shop

are open until 4 p.m. each day.

Telephone: 804-648-5015; 804-649-7938

E-mail: [email protected]

Paramount’s

Kings Dominion

1600 Theme Park Way

Doswell

Four

hundred acres of rides and family entertainment, including a 19-acre WaterWorks

Park, make up this theme park. Kings Dominion has 12 roller coasters filled

with unexpected twists, hairpin turns and drops. The “Triple Spin”

rotates and spins riders 360 degrees; the Hypersonic XLC takes riders

90 degrees straight up and then 90 degrees straight down.

Telephone: 804-876-5000

Berkeley

Plantation

12602 Harrison Landing Road

Charles City

The first official Thanksgiving took place at Berkeley in 1619. It is

also the birthplace of Benjamin Harrison, signer of the Declaration of

Independence, and ninth President William Henry Harrison whose grandson,

Benjamin, became the 23rd president. The elegant 1726 Georgian mansion,

furnished with rare period antiques, has five terraces of restored boxwood

and flower gardens overlooking farmlands with breathtaking views of the

James River. There is an audio-visual program, where you can hear “Taps,”

composed at Berkeley in 1862. Hours:8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily

Telephone: (804) 829-6018

 

Evelynton/Westover

Plantation

7000 Westover Road

Charles City

Originally part of William Byrd’s expansive Westover Plantation, Evelynton

was named for Byrd’s daughter, Evelyn, and has been home to the Ruffin

family since 1847. Edmund Ruffin fired the first shot of the Civil War

at Fort Sumter, S.C.. This plantation was the site of ferocious Civil

War skirmishes in 1862, when General George McClellan waged the Peninsula

Campaign. The 2,500-acre farm is still family owned and operated with

the house, grounds and gardens open daily from 9 a.m to 5 p.m.

Telephone:

(804) 829-2882

Sherwood Forest

Plantation

Route 5

14501 John Tyler Highway

Charles City

Home of President John Tyler, the first Vice President to ascend to the

presidency, and ninth president, William Henry Harrison, this estate is

one of the few complete plantation yards in America. Outstanding architecture

makes up, “The House,” circa 1730, which is the longest frame

dwelling in America. Keep your eyes and ears open for the “Gray Lady,”

a ghost who has been heard rocking in the Gray Room for more than 200

years. Grounds

open daily, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., except Thanksgiving and Christmas day. $5

per person. AAA discount $4. Guided tours of the president’s big house

available by advanced registration and payment. $ 35 per guest minimum

$350 or 10 guests.

Telephone: (804) 282-1441

Shirley

Plantation

501

Shirley Plantation Road

Charles City

Shirley

is the oldest plantation in Virginia, circa 1613, and the oldest family-owned

business in North America, circa 1638, and is inhabited by descendants

of the original owners. Anne Hill Carter, mother of General Robert E.

Lee, was born and married here. Guided tours of the Manor House highlight

family portraits and the famous, “flying,” staircase. Outbuildings

included on the self-guided tour are the old kitchen, laundry, ice house/granary,

tool barn, smokehouse, stable, root cellar and pump house. Shirley Plantation

has been designated a National Historic Landmark. Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Telephone:(800) 232-1613; (804) 299-5121

E-mail: [email protected]

 

Appomattox

Court House National Historic Park

Appomattox

Come see where the Civil War ended and General Robert E. Lee surrendered

to General Ulysses S. Grant. Park personnel and slide presentations brief

visitors on the background of the park. Highlights include the McLean

House, where the actual surrender took place, the Clover Hill Tavern,

where parole passes were printed, and the surrender triangle, where the

stacking of arms occurred. Period re-enactors bring living history to

your visit. 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Telephone: (804) 352-8987

 

Virginia

Museum of Fine Arts

200 N. Blvd.

Richmond

One of the world’s leading collections of the art of India, Nepal and

Tibet are only some of the highlights at this museum. The Mellon collections

of British Sporting Art, French Impressionism; Post-Impressionism; the

Lewis collections of Art Nouveau, Arts & Crafts, Art Deco and Modern

Decorative arts, are some of the outstanding features. The museum also

features The Pratt Collection of Russian Imperial Easter eggs by Faberge;

the Gans collections of English silver; European and American masterpieces,

Ancient, Classical, and Egyptian art. Hours: Wed. – Sun: 11 a.m.-5 p.m.;

Free with a $5 suggested donation.

Telephone: (804) 340-1400; (804) 340-2702; (804) 340-1405-(event

ticket desk)

Email: [email protected]

Science

Museum of Virginia

2500 West Broad St.

Richmond

First hand interaction with science and scientific theories come to life

at this museum. Explore this historic renovated railroad station filled

with inter-active life sciences exhibitions such as Bioscape. The five-story

theater with its tilted dome screen and digital sound system allows you

to be in the middle of the action. Find out how a computer works, examine

gem specimens from around the globe, play laser pool, and watch the Foucault

pendulum prove the Earth’s rotation.

Telephone: (804) 864-1400; (800) 659-1727

E-mail: [email protected]

 

Children’s

Museum of Richmond

2626 W. Broad St.

Richmond

Interaction comes to life in what has been dubbed the East Coast’s most

exciting innovative children’s museums. Experiment with kitchen chemistry,

climb to an Eagle’s nest, explore a cave, tinker in an inventor’s lab

or create one-of-a-kind works of art. Voted 11th Best Children’s Museum

in America by CHILD Magazine. Hours: Tues. – Sat. 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sun.

Noon – 5 p.m. Closed on Mondays from Labor Day to Memorial Day.

Telephone: (804) 474-CMOR; (877) 295-CMOR

E-mail:

[email protected]

Hollywood

Cemetery

412 South Cherry St.

Richmond

This historic cemetery was named for its multitude of holly trees and

is situated in Richmond’s Oregon Hill neighborhood overlooking the James

River. President Monroe is buried here as well as President John Tyler

and Confederate President Jefferson Davis. Notable Civil War Generals

George Pickett and J.E.B. Stuart are buried here as well as 18,000 Confederate

soldiers, who lie beneath an amazing 90 foot pyramid made entirely without

mortar. Hours: Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Telephone:

804-648-8501

E-mail: [email protected]

 

Sources:

Virginia Tourism Corporation, U.S. National Park Service, Paramount’s

Kings Dominion, Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, the Children’s Museum of

Richmond

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