Staunton's Historic Attractions & Museums

Armed with a Historic Staunton Foundation Walking Tour map, Staunton is best explored by foot. The visitor can stroll leisurely into the past surrounded by examples of Greek Revival, Gothic Revival, Italianate, Chateauesque, Queen Anne, and Georgian Revival architecture.

On Beverley Street in the city center stands Trinity Episcopal Church surrounded by its colonial graveyard. The first Augusta Parish Church was built on this site in 1763. The present church, a distinguished example of early Gothic Revival architecture, was begun in 1855.

Staunton is the home of the Frontier Culture Museum, an international living history facility depicting working farms and traditional cultures of 17th, 18th, and 19th century England, Germany, Northern Ireland, and America, and the birthplace of the nation’s 28th President. The beautiful Woodrow Wilson Birthplace and research library, overlooking the old town is open year round for tours. Enjoy a night of theater at the Blackfriars Playhouse, the only re-creation in the world of Shakespeare’s legendary indoor theatre. Also an art lover should not miss the gallery of the Staunton Augusta Fine Arts Center at the R. R. Smith Center for History & Art.

The Gypsy Hill Park is a major attraction with golf course, Lake Tams, duck pond, bandstand for free Monday night concerts by the Stonewall Brigade Band in the summer, and ballpark that is home to the Staunton Braves. Staunton is a shopper’s delight, too. Award-winning restorations of Victorian storefronts in the Beverley and Wharf Historic Districts now house shops for antiques, crafts, gifts, books, gourmet foods, specialty clothing, and much more.

Wilderness Adventures

Wilderness Adventure is a specialty outdoors shop, that offers a wide variety of clothing for men, women, and children, plus tons of outdoor gear, accessories, and an exceptional footwear department. Stop by our shop. Located in downtown at 50 Middlebrook Avenue.

Kathy’s Restaurant

One of the Shenandoah Valley’s great finds is located in Staunton. Known as the restaurant “so good” she put her name on it. Kathy’s is located at 705 Greenville Ave. Everyone knows that when you find out where the locals go, that is the place to be. Real food, real people, a real delight.

North Mountain Outfitter

Experience a world of forgotten ways and lost traditions, inspired by the Old West. North Mountain Outfitter rekindles the cowboy way of life by providing riders with a unique wilderness adventure. Explore the picturesque mountains of the George Washington National Forest within Virginia’s own Shenandoah Valley. Visit www.NorthMtnOutfitter.com.

Historic Wharf District

The area of Staunton surrounding the railroad station is known as The Wharf, a curious name for a neighborhood that is nowhere near a wharf. In fact, the name is an historical one dating to the 19th century. The warehouses in this neighborhood reminded people of buildings that you might see along a wharf. In Staunton’s case, the railroad acts in same manner as a wharf, and in fact, the neighborhood’s old warehouses really do look like those that one might see along the waterfront of a port city.

The Wharf Historic District harks to the days when the railroad changed Staunton from a rural village to a center of commerce. Since 1972 the Wharf Historic District has been on the National Register of Historic Places, and its depot and other preserved buildings houses restaurants, antique shops and specialty boutiques.

Located in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains near the intersecting point of the Skyline Drive and the Blue Ridge Parkway, Waynesboro welcomes travelers to the Shenandoah Valley with a warm hospitality.

Established in 1797, the town was named for General Anthony Wayne, a hero of the Revolutionary War, but it was in the Civil War that Waynesboro distinguished itself. Re-enactors still recreate the Battle of Waynesboro each year. Stop by the Plumb House Museum, the oldest city residence, which straddled battle lines. Also, you’ll want to visit the Waynesboro Heritage Museum at the corner of Main Street & Wayne Avenue. The museum has a wonderful collection of pictures, photographs, antiques, collectibles, and Valley