Patriotism runs deep in the Shenandoah Valley.
Fourth of July celebrations may be found from the VMI Parade Grounds in Lexington, to “Rockin Independence Eve” in Winchester, to a full weekend of activities at Natural Bridge and other locations to name just a few.
Yet the Independence Day festivities that celebrate our nation’s founding are only a small part of the Valley’s landmarks in American history.
Tour Civil War battlefields where you can almost hear the sabers being drawn. Drive the Wilderness Road to historic sites that preserve the wondrous landscape that lured early settlers.
Visit a presidential library and museum in Staunton. Explore numerous small and large museums devoted to frontier life, military action, historice mansions and more.
And of course, many trails in Shenandoah National Park still lead to fading evidence of the old mountain residents. Relic cabins, stone walls, isolated chimneys, fence lines and other sites stand as silent monuments to a mountain culture whose descendants still live and work in the Shenandoah Valley.
To help you plan an itinerary for a historical tour of the Valley, click here.