8 unique attractions in Virginia

Think you’ve seen all Virginia has to offer? It might be time to take the path less traveled. Nestled between (and beneath) the beaches, mountains, and historic towns are one-of-a-kind attractions you won’t find anywhere else.

These 8 unique places to visit in Virginia are worth adding to any travel itinerary, whether as a pit stop or a destination all its own.

If you can’t make it across the pond to England, a trip to Cox Farms is the next best thing. Here, you can feast your eyes on Foamhenge: a full-size Stonehenge replica made entirely of Styrofoam.

Artist Mark Cline constructed the duplicate in 2004 using the same dimensions and coordinates as the outer ring of the original landmark for a sight that’s equal parts amazing and amusing. Free. Open 1–2 p.m. on Saturdays in spring and summer; access included with admission for the farm’s fall festivals.

The mastermind behind Foamhenge created something even kookier in Natural Bridge. In its simplest form, Dinosaur Kingdom II (the original was destroyed in a fire) is a wooded park featuring lifelike statues of prehistoric creatures interacting with Civil War leaders, including Abraham Lincoln and Stonewall Jackson.

If you look a little deeper, you might see that the display actually imagines Union troops using dinosaurs as weapons of mass destruction. This is one walk in the park you won’t soon forget. Adults, $17; open weekends only through Memorial Day, then daily from Memorial Day to Labor Day.

“When you walk through the caverns, you’re standing in the instrument itself,” says Bill Huffman, director of marketing at Luray Caverns. The organ, which is operated via an automated system, has been in continuous use since its debut in 1957. Visitors can hear its melody every 5 to 10 minutes. Adult admission to Luray Caverns, $32.

Fans of the morbid and morose will delight in the Old City Cemetery, Virginia’s largest municipal cemetery that’s still in use. Not only are there Civil War–era graves to explore, but there’s also the Victorian Mourning Museum, a tribute to grief in the 19th and 20th centuries. The small museum displays photographs, mourning attire, and hairwork jewelry—then-popular accessories that featured the hair of loved ones who had passed.

A short walk away is the Pest House, or the House of Pestilence. Situated in the original office of Civil War physician John Jay Terrell, this museum pays homage to his medical achievements as well as to Lynchburg’s first hospital.

“The House of Pestilence was a hospital for highly contagious diseases,” says Ashleigh Meyer, the cemetery’s manager of marketing and historical research. “Smallpox was a huge problem, but Dr. Terrell came up with several new techniques to prevent the spread of disease, and reduced the death rate at his hospital by about 80 percent.”

Set up as part quarantine hospital, part doctor’s office, the museum offers a rare view into medical care during the Victorian era. Free self-guided exterior tours are available all day, and interior tours can be arranged by appointment.

Hidden behind an unassuming discount piano store in Williamsburg sits a treasure trove of antique instruments, phonographs, and collectibles. What began as the private collection of Buddy Parker and his wife 45 years ago, the Virginia Musical Museum is now an impressive tribute to Virginia’s greatest musical acts. 

“We have people every week come through and say they didn’t know this person was from Virginia,” says Parker, the museum’s president. “They’re amazed that so much talent came out of our state.”

That talent includes June Carter Cash, Wayne Newton, and Patsy Cline, all memorialized in the museum’s hall of fame. See a dress worn by Ella Fitzgerald, Ralph Stanley’s banjo, and Marvin Gaye’s 1978 roadster. The modest yet impressive piano gallery display includes a restored 1790 Joshua Shudi harpsichord—1 of only 2 known to exist. Adults, $12.

“Wow!” is the most common reaction of people who walk into the American Celebration on Parade at Shenandoah Caverns. And for good reason. The museum houses 20 of the nation’s biggest parade floats, giving visitors a rare opportunity to get up close and personal with displays typically only seen on a screen.

The attraction was a passion project of the late Earl C. Hargrove Jr., owner of Shenandoah Caverns and Hargrove Incorporated, one of the nation’s leading parade float builders.

The floats on display have participated in presidential parades and inaugurations, as well as California’s Rose Parade and Philadelphia’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. The sheer size of the floats—some more than 30 feet tall—make for a unique canvas for artists to display their skills. Free admission; open Memorial Day through Labor Day.

Regardless of how much time you spent under the neon lights of an arcade growing up, you’ll be hard-pressed to resist the fun at Roanoke Pinball Museum. 

“Both nostalgia and curiosity bring people in,” says Executive Director Nic Schell. “People who are older remember when pinball used to be everywhere, and they bring kids and relatives who may not have played and realize it’s an amazing game.”  

Leave your quarters at home. For the price of admission, guests can try their hand at 65 machines. That includes legendary games like 1947’s Humpty Dumpty—the first pinball machine designed with flippers—as well as 1979’s Gorgar, the first talking pinball machine. Pop culture fans will recognize the Captain Fantastic machine from Tommy, as well as the familiar characters of the 1992 Addams Family game.

While the museum features plenty of nostalgia, it also peeks into pinball’s future. Among the more modern games is the Weird Al machine, which includes a TV and a module that can be switched out for different gaming experiences. 

“We have a wide range of games that span almost a century, and all of them are playable,” says Schell. “We want to be the highest-quality pinball experience you can have.” Ages 11 and up, $13.50; closed Mondays.

While religious freedom is now a fundamental right, going against the Church of England in the 1700s meant harassment and ridicule at best. But that was a risk Virginia colonists took during the Great Awakening.

Among the prominent leaders of the movement was Reverend Samuel Davies, the first non-Anglican minister licensed to preach in Virginia, who started the Historic Polegreen Church.

The original church burned down during the Civil War, but a monument was rebuilt on its foundation in 2001. There’s a key difference between the 2 structures, though: the new church has no walls, ceilings, or windows. Rather, it’s made entirely of simple steel beams. 

“My opinion is that [the architect] kept the church open air because you can’t contain [religious] freedom,” says Leslie Luck, director of operations with the Historic Polegreen Church Foundation. “And that’s what this site is about: Religious freedom and civil liberty are open to everyone.”

Visitors can learn more about early religious leaders such as Davies and Patrick Henry, as well as the impact of the Civil War on the area, while also enjoying a picnic in the spacious, park-like setting. Free admission.

Betsy Abraham is a freelance writer who enjoys discovering new places, food, and characters.