Virginia Tourism Corporation

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FAQs

Where is Virginia and how do I get there?

Virginia is located on the USA’s mid-Atlantic coast, just across the Potomac River from Washington D.C., spreading south and west of the nation’s capital. You can catch the Amtrak from NYC or fly into Washington Dulles International Airport, located in Chantilly, Virginia. If you are arriving in Virginia from another U.S. destination, choose from one of 9 commercial airports conveniently located across the state. Major highways and some of the USA’s oldest and most scenic byways make a fly-drive holiday to Virginia convenient and enjoyable.

What’s the weather like in Virginia?

Virginia’s weather has been described as a “Goldilocks Climate” – not too hot and not too cold. While the weather is mild, Virginia still enjoys four distinct seasons which make it ideal for outdoor recreation all year round.

Virginia has five distinct climate regions: the Tidewater, Piedmont, Northern Virginia, Western Mountain and Southwestern Mountain. The different regions welcome Virginia visitors to a wide range of outdoor activities, such as snow-skiing in the mountains and playing golf in the valley both in the same day! Golfing, hiking, bicycling and camping are year-around activities in Virginia, and the coastal regions provide plenty of opportunity for year-around water sports. Snow can be enjoyed from December to March with light snow falling along the coast and heavy snow common in the mountainous regions.

What are Virginia's most well-known attractions?

Virginia is famous for its fabulous beaches, great seafood, the beautiful Shenandoah National Park and the Blue Ridge Parkway, among many other destinations and attractions.

When is the best time to visit Virginia?

Virginia’s weather has been described as a “Goldilocks Climate” – not too hot; not too cold – and is officially considered a humid, subtropical region due to winter frost. During the summer, it can get a bit “sticky” due to the abundant water along the East Coast with the Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic Ocean as well as the Potomac, Rappahannock, York, and James rivers and their tributaries. But the air is cooler with less humidity in the mountains, on the average of 10 degrees cooler all four seasons.

What if I’m an outdoor enthusiast?

Outdoor and adventure enthusiasts will love exploring Virginia’s great outdoors. Virginia’s temperate climate makes a full range of recreational activities possible year-round, including cyclingcamping, boatinghorseback ridingfishing and golfing.

Hikers will enjoy Virginia’s 875 kilometres of the Appalachian Trail, a green footpath stretching from Maine to Georgia. Virginia is also one of the few states that offers significant ocean and mountains in such close proximity, to enjoy within a few hours’ drive making the state of Virginia an outdoor lover’s playground.

What if I’m a music lover?

Home to Bristol, known as the “Birthplace of Country Music”, there is no doubt Virginia has lots to offer music lovers. Virginia’s music scene boasts a variety of different genres such as bluegrass, country, gospel, R&B, rock ‘n’ roll, jazz, folk, and more. Diverse music venues ranging from historic concert halls to small intimate settings, provide music lovers across the state with hundreds of performances a year by world-famous musicians. While you can’t enjoy live music in Virginia right now you can still catch a live music gig digitally in Virginia. Check out where to catch live music in Virginia here.

What sort of food & drink can I taste in Virginia?

Across Virginia, you’ll find inspired culinary delights featuring Virginia’s heirloom grains and vegetables, heritage meats, savoury cheeses and, of course, our signature Virginia oysters. Virginia chefs continue to innovate by marrying Virginia flavour with international flare, from a Pakistani-Appalachian fusion food truck to a Vietnamese restaurant named America’s Best Beer Bar. Virginia chefs have also made their mark on the national stage, as James Beard-nominated restaurants and bakeries can be found from coast to cliff. From award-winning fine dining to down-home Southern cooking at family-run restaurants, there’s something for every type of foodie.

Virginia food also pairs perfectly with their craft beverages, so take your pick from their 250+ breweries and cideries, 300+ wineries and more than 40 distilleries and elevate your dining experience to the next level.

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What's New

January 2023
  • A new museum opens in Wytheville, Virginia
    January 1 The Willowbrook Homestead Museum in Wytheville will open in 2023 as a full living history museum. Featuring cabins, a smoke house, cook house, barns and a blacksmith shop all originally built in the 18th century.
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February 2023
  • Skip Barber Racing School relocates its headquarters
    February 1 Skip Barber Racing School, the world's largest automotive education and entertainment company offering driving and racing schools at the finest tracks in America, will relocate its headquarters from Connecticut to Virginia, and has established a new performance driving school at the VIRginia International Raceway (VIR) with available racing programs beginning February 2023.
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June 2023
  • The Darden Business School in Albemarle County will open the Forum Hotel, managed by Kimpton Hotels, in April 2023.
    The Darden Business School in Albemarle County will open the Forum Hotel, managed by Kimpton Hotels, in April 2023. The new hotel will feature 199 hotel rooms and suites, more than 19,000 square feet of meeting space, including a 6,500-square-foot ballroom, a pub, sports bar and coffee shop as well as five acres of natural green space featuring an arboretum and botanical gardens that will connect the Darden Grounds, UVA School of Law Grounds, and the Rivanna Trail.
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  • Arriving in winter 2023, Hotel AKA Alexandria
    Arriving in winter 2023, Hotel AKA Alexandria brings a dramatic new addition to Old Town Alexandria and will be just 20 minutes from Washington, D.C. and steps from the city’s flourishing boutique scene and thriving waterfront. Custom-designed by visionary architect Piero Lissoni, the new, sophisticated accommodations offer a long-term stay option with premium amenities such as a Technogym fitness center and more.
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  • The new Fire Station No. 1 Boutique Hotel in downtown Roanoke
    The new Fire Station No. 1 Boutique Hotel in downtown Roanoke, opening February 2023, is a 7-room hotel housed in a 20th century fire station and furnished by TXTUR, a locally-based furniture manufacturer specializing in sustainability and direct to consumer retail. Their flagship retail showroom will be located on the main floor of the hotel. Stock, a Nordic-inspired restaurant and bar located in the Fire Station Hotel will also open in February.
  • The Inn at Foster Falls inside New River Trail State Park will open in 2023
    The Inn at Foster Falls inside New River Trail State Park will open in 2023 offering 10 luxurious guest rooms as well as meeting space. Wrap around porches enable uninterrupted views of the New River and state park below.
  • Albemarle County will welcome two new wineries in 2023
    Albemarle County will welcome two new wineries in 2023, Southwest Mountains Vineyards and Paradise Springs Winery. This will be Paradise Springs’ third location and its second location in Virginia. This will push the number of wineries in the Charlottesville area to nearly 45.
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  • Northern Virginia will welcome the opening of LEGO Discovery Center
    In mid-summer 2023, Springfield Town Center in Northern Virginia will welcome the opening of LEGO Discovery Center, a 32,000 square foot indoor LEGO attraction that features millions of LEGO bricks and multiple attractions. Billed as the ultimate indoor LEGO playground, this will be the very first location in Virginia.
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  • National Botanic Garden, a new 250-acre garden in Chantilly set to open in 2023
    The National Botanic Garden is a new 250-acre garden in Chantilly set to open in 2023. The landscaped grounds merge horticulture, architecture, topography and art and include the largest bamboo gardens in the US as well as the East Coast’s largest water-borne Xeric gardens – also known as water-wise gardens.
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  • Busch Gardens Williamsburg will debut DarKoaster in 2023
    usch Gardens Williamsburg will debut DarKoaster in 2023. Billed as North America’s First All-Indoor Straddle Coaster, riders will travel on snowmobiles across 2,454 feet of track and race through total darkness while changing course to avoid the elements. As the weather strikes, riders encounter four accelerating launches on this family-friendly dark ride experience.
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  • Water Country USA will debut Riptide Race in Summer 2023
    Water Country USA will debut Riptide Race in Summer 2023. Virginia’s First Dueling Pipeline, this adrenaline-pumping water slide pits teams against each other as riders take their mark atop a 54-foot tower before racing through 520 feet of slide, with low walls to keep an eye on the competition.
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  • The Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Bristol,
    The Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Bristol, which opened their temporary casino during Summer 2022, recently broke ground for their new permanent property in Bristol with plans for a Summer 2024 grand opening. Visitors will experience the legendary vibe of the Hard Rock brand, including gaming, entertainment, and great food.
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August 2023
  • NEW craft beverage trail in Virginia – Fermentation trail
    Featuring six breweries, cideries, and wineries in Louisa County, this trail sets itself apart with its emphasis on the agricultural aspects of the spirits industry—each destination is a working farm growing its own beverage ingredients. They have a shared focus on recognizing the history and geography of the area. Each has a commitment to implement sustainable practices that preserve the land for generations to come.
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  • Luxury and Amtrak itineraries available!
    Virginia is for Lovers have developed some train itineraries for ‘car-less’ travel through Virginia, plus a luxury itinerary to further enlighten them on what our region and Virginia have to offer the international traveller.
  • Lego Discovery Centre
    Springfield Town Centre has recently welcomed the opening of a 32,000 square foot indoor LEGO attraction. Featuring millions of LEGO’s bricks and incredible attractions in twelve different themed zones, it will be a kid must-see, as the ultimate LEGO playground is the very first in Virginia.
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  • The Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Bristal
    Enjoy the classic vibe of the Hard Rock brand with endless opportunities for gaming, entertaining and food at Virginias first ever casino. Prioritising amplified service, this is an incredible location providing all the entertainment needs of Virginia and far beyond, with style and comfort in the one setting.
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September 2023
  • Sep 2023
    Sweet Run State Park is Virginia’s newest state park, an 844-acre greenspace nestled between the Blue Ridge and Short Hill mountains in far western Loudoun County. The park features 17 kms of hiking trails, 14 kms of equestrian trails, two streams, dense forest and a rugged stretch of the world-famous Appalachian Trail. There is also a picnic pavilion, a “nature play area” for children and a fishing pond stocked with sunfish and largemouth bass.
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May 2024
  • Alexandria is now officially home to one of the best beers in the world.
    Port City Brewing Company’s Optimal Wit was awarded a gold medal Wednesday in the Belgian-Style Witbier category at the 2024 World Beer Cup, which bills itself as the most prestigious beer competition in the world. The World Beer Cup awards ceremony was held in Las Vegas, and it honoured the best beers in 110 categories. Organisers said that throughout 14 sessions spanning seven days, a panel of 280 judges from 37 countries evaluated more than 9,000 entries. Optimal Wit competed against 88 other entries in the Belgian-Style Witbier category and came out victorious. Virginia also walked away with several other noteworthy accolades with three gold, five silver and three bronze winners for other beer products.
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  • Virginia Green Travel Alliance names Old Bust Head 'Green Brewery of the Year.'
    Old Bust Head Brewing Company, an independent, solar-powered microbrewery in Vint Hill, has been awarded the 2024 "Green Brewery of the Year" and a “People’s Choice Award” by the Virginia Green Travel Alliance in recognition of the microbrewery’s ongoing environmental stewardship and sustainability practices. The award was presented at the 11th Annual Virginia Green Travel Conference at Pocahontas State Park in Chesterfield County on April 17, where a reception and celebration was co-hosted by Virginia Tourism Corporation’s Rita McClenny and Jack Berry of Richmond Region Tourism. The Virginia Green Travel Alliance's 2024 Virginia Green Travel Star & Leader Awards, honour Virginia's most environmentally conscious tourism operators and partners, lauding their exceptional commitments to sustainability and their contributions to promoting green tourism in the state.
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June 2024
  • The Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Bristol adds accommodation
    The Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Bristol will feature a 300-room hotel, five restaurants, four bars and lounges, new entertainment options, wedding and convention facilities, top-notch retailers, and an indoor and outdoor concert venue that will further solidify Bristol as the true “Birthplace of Country Music.” The casino will feature 1,500 slots, 55 tables, and a sportsbook.
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  • Virginia Living Museums’ Wild Care Centre
    After recently breaking ground on a $4.3 million expansion to its 23-acre campus, the Virginia Living Museum is constructing a 460 square metres Wild Care Centre along the museum’s outdoor boardwalk trail. The Care Centre will create a literal window into the world of veterinary and preventative animal care, nutrition, and the connection between humans and the environment. Expected opening Summer 2024.
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  • The Adventure Park's New Nautilus Observation Tower
    The Nautilus Observation Tower is a new addition in Virginia Beach, VA. Scheduled to open this fall (2024), it’s part of the Adventure Park at Virginia Aquarium, which combines visits to the aquarium with aerial ropes courses and zip-lines. It has a lot of up in the air action with 258 treetop platforms, 17 aerial trails and 33 ziplines. However, the new Nautilus Tower is different and is the first of its kind in the United States. It is 25m in diameter and 15 stories tall and sits on 38-wooded acres on the water’s edge. As you walk up its corkscrew shape you get 360-degree views the entire ascent or you can also go up directly via central staircases. But the big surprise is on the way down—you can retrace your steps, choose whichever option you ignored on the way up, or you can jump into the nation’s longest stainless-steel slide and let gravity take you down as you spiral through the centre of the tower. The Nautilus will also have a Canopy Walk system of aerial bridge trails connected to it, 12m off the forest floor.
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September 2024
  • The Newest Attraction!
    Glass Hollow, projected to open in Nelson County in September 2024, will be a unique destination where visitors can watch the magic of glass blowing, and peruse a gallery featuring celebrated local and national artists along the 151 Wine Trail. The venue is located on a beautiful 8-acre property with mountain and river views.
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