Staunton Travel Guide, Virginia

Just as many other cities, Staunton’s development was helped by the arrival of the railroad in this case the arrival of the Central Virginia Railroad and the fact that it was on a major mountain road made the city be an important centre.

Today visitors can follow the old railroad heritage in the city’s downtown. A walking tour is available in the Wharf District and other areas. The whole downtown is full of historic buildings all of great interest and all are worth visiting. The best way to do it is on foot, this way you will be able to fully enjoy the view of the Victorian architecture. You can choose between a self guided tour and a guided one and you won’t have to consider how much money you have in your pocket as there are also free guided tours. The only thing you have to worry about is your physical condition which has to be very good as the city is built on a steep hill so you’ll do a lot of climbing to which will get your heart bumping. But you can also get some good views from the hill tops.

There is a thriving cultural scene in the city that is sustained by the Blackfriars Playhouse built to resemble one of Shakespeare's theatres. It is so popular that it is a must for every visitor that comes in the city. This is where most of the night entertainment takes place and it features Shakespeare's masterpieces as well as classic plays other and concerts. And there’s more for Shakespeare fans as they can find out more about the way the plays were played in the master’s time and about the building itself.

The city’s cultural scene is also sustained by the Frontier Culture Museum located at the outskirts of town tracing the history of the Shenandoah Valley farming culture. Staunton was considered the best location for the museum since it was a major stopping point for pioneers. Visitors will be able to see where the early settlers came from and it is all presented in a lively interactive way most of the exhibits being outdoors. You will see people dressed in costumes of the era going doing the chores their ancestors used to do and the original background is created, animals being part of the picture. What is not presented live can be seen on a film.

Still in the field of history is the next landmark of the city: The Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library at His Birthplace which is a National Historic Landmark. It is a1846 Greek revival building where the 28th president of America was born. He and his family lived here for a short time but there are many interesting exhibits of family items you can see like: his crib, the rocking chair, Wilson's presidential limousine and many others. There are also a library and a museum showing the president’s roots, his study period and the period in which he was the president of the U.S.A. you can choose to have a self guided tour or a guided one any way you will need more than an hour to visit.

The night scene is centred mainly downtown which is a great place to have fun with fantastic bars, nightclubs, lounges, dance clubs and live music venues and a summertime program of free outdoor concerts in Gypsy Hill Park.

For a vacation filled with fun, education, entertainment, history, great music and more, look no further than Staunton.