You don’t want to miss the Frontier Culture Museum. The Museum tells the story of the people who migrated to America during the 1600s and 1700s from England, Germany, Ireland, and West Africa. To tell their story, the Museum has moved or reproduced examples of traditional rural buildings from each of these communities. The Museum engages visitors to these exhibits with a combination of interpretive signage and living history demonstrations.
In nearby Waynesboro, it’s all about the river! The South River runs through Waynesboro’s downtown area and continues on through farmland and villages. The South, along with the Middle and North Rivers, make up the mighty Shenandoah River as the branches converge at Port Republic, split to flow around Massanutten Mountain, and join again at Front Royal, near the Valley’s northern end.
Waynesboro puts on at least two major festivals each spring, highlighting the advantage of having a river in your downtown. The Virginia Fly Fishing Festival is held each spring on the banks of the South River in Waynesboro, Virginia, drawing anglers from across the Mid-Atlantic with nonstop free lectures and tips on where, when, and how to fly fish in the Old Dominion and across the globe as well as wine-tasting and live music. The city also celebrates fall with Apple Days and Fall Foliage Festival in October.
Wine is a Shenandoah Valley favorite and the Barren Ridge Vineyards is the place to relax and joy the fruit of our labor amid mountain views. Plan your stay at one of the area’s comfortable and affordable hotels or try a local bed & breakfast, The Buckhorn Inn, which was built circa 1811 as Buckhorn Tavern. Buckhorn Tavern was renowned for music, dances, whisky and “high class gambling.” Now, The Buckhorn Inn is known for country and seafood buffet, comfortable lodging, and catering banquets, all in a historic country setting.
In downtown Waynesboro, you’ll also find the best work of Virginia’s finest artisans, from quilts to furniture, lamps to baskets. Stop at Willow Oak Plaza with 25 stores, you are sure to find everything you need. Anchoring the downtown entertainment scene is the Wayne Theatre/Ross Performing Arts Center.
