History is everywhere in Virginia.
Four of the first five presidents were born in the state, giving it a head start on the record of eight, the most of any state. Two of its top tourist attractions — Mount Vernon and Monticello — are homes of presidents. Virginia also claims the most Civil War battlefields of any state and the places where both the Revolution and the Civil War ended.
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1. Colonial Williamsburg
Few places can recreate a setting for the period of the American Revolution as well as Williamsburg, where the original 18th-century buildings are either still standing or have been faithfully reproduced on their original foundations.
Here, you can stand where Patrick Henry gave his stirring speech, walk the same streets as Thomas Jefferson, and savor a meal where George Washington enjoyed seafood dinners.
Williamsburg was the capital of Virginia from 1705 and throughout the Revolution, and the final battle of the war was fought nearby, so it was a hotbed of the independence movement, along with being one of the most prosperous and politically active colonial capitals.
Costumed interpreters help show what life was like for the gentry, the farmers, and the slaves that lived and worked here, and frequent re-enactments add color and action that makes Williamsburg a fun place to visit for all ages.
In addition, you can visit two outstanding museums of folk and decorative arts and dozens of authentically recreated colonial gardens.
2. Virginia Beach
Named the golden sand stretching from the east of Norfolk, Virginia Beach is a very popular resort town and is often crowded with hotels, amusement parks, and long walkways.
If the Atlantic Ocean is not warm enough for the children, take them to the 19-acre Ocean Breeze Water Park, with Caribbean-themed waterslides, a wave pool, and a water playground.
The Virginia Aquarium and Marine Science Museum explore the climate, seafloor, and fauna of the coast, with an 800,000-gallon aquarium, hands-on exhibits, and a touch tank. Outdoors is an aviary, nature trail, marshlands to explore, and an adventure park.
More than 9,000 acres of coastline has been protected in the Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge, where you'll find walking and hiking trails and picnic facilities at the visitor center. This is a favorite spot for birders, as more than 10,000 birds visit annually, including snow geese, falcons, ducks, and piping plovers.
The Atlantic Wildfowl Heritage Museum displays historical and contemporary waterfowl decoys. To visit the Old Cape Henry Lighthouse in 1791, open the Chesapeake Bay area for safe movement, and the nearby New Lighthouse was built in 1881, you will need to pass through security at Military Base the Fort Story.
Between Virginia Beach and Norfolk is the entrance to the 20-mile-long engineering marvel Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel, which spans the entrance to the Chesapeake Bay, connecting the mainland to Virginia's Eastern Shore.
3. Shenandoah National Park and Skyline Drive
In central Virginia, Shenandoah National Park protects parts of the Blue Ridge Mountains, with a height of 2,000 to 4,000 feet.
Along their peaks and running the length of the park is Skyline Drive, the northern continuation of Blue Ridge Parkway, with stops to enjoy the scenery and attractions, including summer's accommodation. President Hoover and the Old Cave Cemetery under Dark Hollow Falls.
The beautiful hiking trails are some of the park's main attractions in the park. Flowering trees and shrubs are at their finest in spring and summer, but the park is best known for its autumn colors in October.
Only a short drive west from the Skyline Drive on US 211 is Luray Caverns containing magnificent formations of stalactites and stalagmites. One of the cave's highlights is the world's only stalactite organ, where the stalactites resonate when struck with rubber mallets.
4. Arlington National Cemetery
Spread across 600 acres overlooking Washington, D.C., Arlington National Cemetery is where some of the most famous people in the United States are buried. The most visited are the grave of President John F. Kennedy and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
Kennedy's grave is marked by a slate headstone covered with Cape Cod fieldstone and contains inscriptions of his 1960 inaugural address carved in marble, as well as an eternal flame.
The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is carved of white marble and watched over by an honor guard 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. It contains the remains of soldiers from both World Wars, the Korean Conflict, and the Vietnam War.
The third site tourists look for is the famous Iwo Jima Memorial, the Marine Corps War Memorial depicting the Joseph Rosenthal photo of five Marines and one sailor raising the flag on Mount Suribachi.
Other notable monuments include the Seabees Memorial, sculpted by former Seabee Felix de Weldon who also created the Iwo Jima Memorial, and the Women in Military Service for America Memorial, a tribute to all women in the US military.
Arlington House was built in the early 1800s by George Washington Parke Custis as a tribute to his step-grandfather, George Washington. However, the house is most famous for being the residence of Robert E. Lee and his wife for 30 years until they abandoned it during the Civil War.
Lee was a commander of the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia during the American Civil War. The house has been restored and now serves as a memorial to him. Near the mansion is the tomb of Pierre Bennfant, who designed the city of Washington, D.C.
His original city plan was etched into stone, and his burial place commanded a beautiful view of the city he intended. The mast of the Battleship Maine is incorporated into a memorial to the casualties of the ship that sunk in Havana Harbor in 1898, leading to the Spanish-American war.
Place: 3200 Mount Vernon Memorial Highway, Mount Vernon, Virginia
Official site: https://ift.tt/MSM5H6
5. Mount Vernon
George Washington's home from 1754 until his death 45 years later, Mount Vernon was a work in progress under Washington's close supervision, even while he was leading the Continental Army during the Revolution.
The architectural design, construction, and even interior décor in each renovation and addition received his personal attention, resulting in the gracious 21-room plantation house you see today.
You may be surprised at the vivid paint and wallpaper colors throughout the house, but these shades were popular in the late 18th century — the bright green walls in the "New Room" were Washington's favorite.
Unlike many historic homes, Mount Vernon is filled with personal reminders of George and Martha Washington: family portraits, crests, and the couple's belongings.
The grounds and gardens overlooking views of the Potomac River were a great pride of the first president, and again he took a personal part in their planning and care. He chose a less formal and more natural plan than his predecessors, reshaping the lawns and paths and planting native species of trees and shrubs.
The outbuildings have been preserved or reconstructed, and you'll often see the many skills used on the plantation demonstrated: blacksmithing, plowing, sheep shearing, weaving, even grinding grain at the water-powered gristmill.
Location: 3200 Mount Vernon Memorial Hwy, Mount Vernon, Virginia
Official site: www.mountvernon.org
6. Monticello and Charlottesville
One of the finest country houses in the United States and one of the most visited presidential homes, Thomas Jefferson's Monticello is a Palladian-style mansion he designed himself, inspired by a villa outside Vicenza, Italy.
He continued altering and improving it over a period of forty years, from 1768 to 1809. Throughout the house, you will see some Jefferson inventions, showing another aspect of the talent of the versatile man.
To the rear of the house are the extensive historic gardens, also designed by Jefferson, and below is the family cemetery with an obelisk marking Jefferson's grave. An interesting outdoor exhibit, Landscape of Slavery: Mulberry Row at Monticello, sheds light on the lives of the people who worked and lived on the 5,000-acre plantation.
The Monticello Visitors Center has more than 400 items on display, an introductory film, and hands-on activities for children.
Jefferson founded the University of Virginia in 1819 and also designed its red-brick buildings. Be sure to see the outstanding Rotunda; fans of Edgar Allan Poe can see his room in the West Building.
The university's Art Museum has a permanent collection of American, European, and Asian art. Not far from Monticello is Ash Lawn-Highland, the country house of President James Monroe, with beautiful period gardens. At Michie Tavern, built during Jefferson's time, you can dine in 18th-century surroundings.
Address: Thomas Jefferson Parkway, Charlottesville, Virginia
Official site: www.monticello.org
7. Jamestown and Yorktown
Colonial National Historic Park encompasses both Jamestown and Yorktown, where the Revolution ended. Jamestown is the oldest British settlement in North America, founded in 1607 by Captain John Smith.
Only the foundations of the 1639 church tower, the churchyard, and the outlines of a few other buildings remain of the original settlement, but you'll find a re-creation of a Powhatan village based on contemporary drawings and archaeological finds, and replicas of the three ships that brought the settlers from England: Susan Constant, Godspeed, and Discovery.
Jamestown Settlement was built in 1957 to commemorate the 350th anniversary of Jamestown's founding. A museum and exhibition galleries focus on England's colonization in the New World, the history and culture of the Powhatans, and Jamestown's first 100 years.
The statue of Pocahontas by William Ordway Partridge was erected in 1922 in memory of her role in smoothing relations between the Native Americans and the settlers. The statue of John Smith by William Couper was erected in 1909.
Triangular James Fort is a re-creation of the one constructed by the colonists, with thatch-roofed structures representing Jamestown's earliest buildings. Although none of the original buildings are still standing, the foundations are still in place, and you can see them on a half-mile walk through New Towne, part of Colonial National Historical Park.
It was at Yorktown Battlefield that the English Army under Lord Cornwallis surrendered to the combined American and French Armies, paving the way for American Independence. The events on the battlefield are well documented and easy to understand from the interpretive displays and dioramas.
Park Ranges also guide frequent tours, and you can see the early 18th-century Moore House where Cornwallis surrendered. Nelson House, which has a cannonball lodged in the wall near the upper window, is well-restored and an excellent example of Georgian architecture.
Grace Episcopal Church has been standing since 1697 despite the ravages of war during the sieges of Yorktown in 1781 and 1862 and despite the fire of 1814.
A silver procession dating from 1649 is still in use.
Address: Colonial National Historical Park, Yorktown, Virginia
8. Luray Caverns
Luray Caverns contain breathtaking examples of calcite formations within an extensive underground system that sometimes feels more like an alien landscape than a terrestrial natural landmark.
Visitors can walk through the caves and admire these limestone crystals, which have, over the centuries, formed an impressive landscape.
Among the highlights are Titania's Veil; the giant Double Column; interior lakes, which magnify the scene; and a one-of-a-kind musical instrument called the Great Stalacpipe Organ, which creates music using the stalactites themselves.
In addition to the caves, visitors can also enjoy other attractions as part of the admission. The Luray Valley Museum explores the history of the Shenandoah Valley throughout a seven-acre 19th-century village, which is filled with both authentic and reproduction buildings and artifacts.
The Car & Carriage Caravan Museum features historic vehicles, including an 1897 Mercedes Benz, and Toy Town Junction is home to an antique train set and toy collection form the 1940s.
Address: Luray Caverns, 101 Cave Hill Road, Luray, Virginia
9. Chincoteague and Assateague Islands
Assateague is a 38-mile-long barrier island to the east of Chincoteague Island, which it protects from the Atlantic Ocean. The entire island of Assateague, which is partly in Maryland and partly in Virginia, is protected as a wildlife sanctuary.
The southern end of Chincoteague is protected by a National Wildlife Refuge with 14,000 acres of shoreline, fresh and saltwater marshes, wetlands, and forest habitat for more than 320 species of shorebirds and waterfowl.
But the two islands' most famous residents are the wild ponies. Partly because of these ponies and partly because Assateague Island is lined by one of the most beautiful beaches on the entire Atlantic Coast, these islands get about one-and-a-half million visitors each year.
Along with watching the wild ponies, you can swim, walk nature trails, take wildlife tours by boat or bus, watch birds, visit the famous lighthouse, kayak, go fishing, and collect seashells (up to a gallon each day).
10. Natural Bridge of Virginia
Towering more than 215 feet high with a span of 90 feet, the Natural Bridge is one of America's oldest tourist attractions and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. During the 18th and 19th centuries, it was one of the two most popular sights for European visitors, ranking with Niagara Falls.
It was formed by the collapse of a cavern through which the Cedar Creek flowed. The legend that George Washington surveyed the bridge for Lord Fairfax gained credence when a rock with his initials and survey mark was discovered in 1927. Thomas Jefferson owned the land for some time, building a log cabin here as a retreat.
In 2014, Natural Bridge became a state park. Stroll along Cedar Creek Trail from Cascade Falls, under the bridge, and to Lace Falls, visiting an exhibit on the Monacans, the local Native American tribe, and a saltpeter mine used during the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812. US Route 11 runs over the top of the bridge.
Nearby is the Natural Bridge Caverns, where you can go 34 floors underground to see the Colossal Dome, Mirror Lake, and stalactites and stalagmites. Natural Bridge Zoo is known for its work in breeding rare and endangered species and for the chance for visitors to interact with some of the animals.
Address: 6477 South Lee Highway, Natural Bridge, Virginia
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