This is a turnoff from the Blue Ridge Parkway. I was impressed that the commitment was made to the…read moremusic of the mountains. There are daily small-scale performances in an open section of the visitor center, which I stopped to listen to for a bit. An outdoor amphitheater offers larger scale performance opportunities, which I wish I'd found the occasion to come down for. Additionally, there are a couple of miles of trails on the site which run through bucolic hilly territory and offer a variety of sights and sounds. There is no charge to visit the site, and an abundance of reasons to be driving on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Note that the musical performances are seasonal.

This was a great place to stop while I rode through the Blue Ridge Parkway on my motorcycle. I…read moreneeded to take a break, and as somebody who likes to play the guitar (calling myself a musician might be a bit of a stretch) I couldn't pass this one by. They have a wonderful little museum on the history and development of Appalachian music and instruments. Some of it is interactive as well. I was there on a Saturday and they had local musicians playing some of the old Appalachian music outside in a little covered area, sponsored by the BLM I am assuming. In a smaller building they have a whole section pertaining to the old moonshiners of the region, explaining their craft and their inevitable run-ins with the revenuers. I didn't make too many stops along the way but I am very glad this was one of them as it was totally worth it!

This museum is right across the street from the Andy Griffith Museum and they offer a deal on…read moretickets if you buy for both places. It also includes the Earle theater. I've never heard of Chang and Eng before so it was interesting learning their history. Definitely worth checking it out!

Directly across the street from the Andy Griffith Museum and next to the Blackmon Amphitheater, the…read moreChang and Eng Bunker Museum tells the story of the men for whom the term "Siamese Twins" originated. Mount Airy was the home of their plantation where they retired and down the street from their final resting place. The museum features a chronological display of their lives from young boys in Siam (now Thailand) to family patriarchs in Mount Airy. The museum is full of artifacts, personal writings, and academic studies of the twins. It replaces a much smaller exhibit that was open for years across the street. [Review 1578 of 2024 - 3662 in North Carolina - 22601 overall]

Very nice museum. With a very good price. $4.00 per adult…read more Loved the classic cars and the Betty Boot collection. They also have tables for sitting and the owner said eventually they will open back up the icecream shop. It didn't do well with Covid. The owner was very nice and answered any questions we might have had about the cars. Definitely worth paying a visit for the adults and families of all ages.

I love this car museum. Maybe more like an old garage or a warehouse than a modern museum with…read morehighly polished displays. But Old Cranks has lots of character and well worth the admission fee ($4 per person) and the time to walk about. They have all kinds of cars, mostly American ones. The periods covered range from the early 1900s through the 1970s. Some really nice classic cars like a Stingray, a little red Corvette (now thinking of the Prince song), a WW2 era Willys GP (Jeep), a Stanley Steamer, and an electric car from a century ago. Nice! Most of the care on display have informative placards that tell about the car, including its price back then. Lest we dream about how cheap the cars were, the placards tell what was the average income for people in that time, what various household goods cost. An automotive history reality check :-) The museum places period props by the cars to give a feel of the times. Elsewhere in the museum, they have other old items on display. Also some of displays have a nice quirky sense of humour.

Wow! JUST WOW! Our first show here and we will be back for sure. Wow! Family fun is always a win…read moreand we LOVED the 80s nation show so so much!!! The food trucks were yummy and the staff were all SO NICE! WOW! Way to go Surry Arts Council!

Alleghany Historical Museum is located in downtown Sparta, NC. The museum does not have its own…read moreparking lot, so street parking is your option. I wasn't too confident in my parallel parking abilities, so I parked in the bank lot instead. I wasn't towed, but I'm not sure if it is allowed when the bank is closed. Admission is free, but there is a donation box by the door. The docent working was the sweetest and, after hearing how my GPS routed me there, made sure I'd get back an easier way and also provided step-by-step directions to my lunch spot. She was spot on with the handwritten directions, and I had a much nicer drive back to Boone. I will not forget her kindness. The museum was like stepping back in time. There were Native American artifacts, military relics, farm tools, everyday items, and photos. The museum's focus seemed to be on showing how everyday people lived and about the people, places, and events that make Alleghany County special. I felt like I was seeing hidden treasures as I read about their stories and saw how they lived. A sewing and textile display beautifully honors the local home life of mountain women, featuring vintage spinning wheels, delicate lace, and antique sewing machines used to clothe early settlement families. There is even a quilt of the Blue Ridge Parkway. Another display pays tribute to the military and is moving, featuring local uniforms, gear, and letters from Alleghany County citizens who served from the Civil War through World War II and Vietnam. An antique iron-clad stove showed what a rugged 19th-century mountain kitchen looked like before the High Country had electricity. Another highlight was the Alleghany Star Printing Press--the actual vintage printing press used to print the weekly Alleghany Star newspaper back in 1896. The museum also didn't shy away from the better-known people in town, like Del Reeves, in the mountain music section. Reeves was a country music icon and a native of Sparta. He is a Grand Ole Opry Grand Star and is most known for the 1965 hit song "Girl on the Billboard." I liked that the history of the Blue Ridge Parkway was another focus. Robert L. Doughton, an Alleghany County native, is widely considered the "Father of the Blue Ridge Parkway," and he fought for federal funding to build it. This museum perfectly captures the heart and history of the High Country. Do not pass through Sparta without stopping in!"

Always a pleasant experience. I like it that you can get a child's box with popcorn, drink and…read morem&m's. People are always friendly. Only drawback is no recliner foot rest.

The theater has been remodeled. It has nice leather chairs with aisles on each side. It is a small…read morecinema with three theaters. I have found that they get most popular movies fairly quickly. You do have to reserve your seating when you purchase your tickets. They had the new Star Wars and Jumanji with a week or so after it's release. We opted to see 'Spies in Disguise' there. The prices are very reasonable. The restrooms are on the small side but so is the cinema. We had two adult tickets,2 medium drinks with 1 medium popcorn for @22. We come here every time we are visiting in town. I'm so glad to see the improvements on this facility. The customer service is good. Great value and a good family cinema experience. We always enjoy coming here.

Good service, yummy snacks, good AC, and they actually darken the theater during the movie unlike…read moremany other theatres any more. 10/10 recommend. Out only issue this time was almost all of the drinks were running clear and they always get the off brand ranch seasoning and it's yucky

Typical movie theater that shows recent movies…read more Pros: -convenient location -reasonable prices -long lines move quickly -clean -delicious, salty popcorn (I like how it is not overly buttery) -comfortable seats that rock -large theaters -good sound and picture quakity Cons: -cold, be sure to dress comfortably and warm -on the left pop machine the lever that looks as if it would be water is actually pop. If you want water use the drink machine on the right -seats do not recline -unsure if this has anything to do with the theater, but they seemed to show more commercials before the trailers than other theaters causing the movie to be started later

Our group of three had an excellent time on the Elkin Vine Line. Our driver was Jeff and he…read morecouldn't have been better. So helpful and professional. The greeting staff at the station were also wonderful. The wine tour itself was good (we chose the Green line). The best wineries in our opinion were Raffaldini and Piccione. The wines and setting were far superior to the others we visited. We will most definitely return for another wine tour!

I had an absolutely terrible experience with Vine Line today. Earlier in the week I had signed up…read morefor the final spot in one of their tours today as I made plans to spend a long weekend of wineries, waterfall hikes and breweries. And the wine hop bus tour was a major component of what I wanted/planned to do this weekend. In claiming the final spot on this particular tour I thought I would be joining other singles, perhaps, and some couples for a day of wine tasting and winery touring. But no. This was a a group of 8 30-something women out on a girls day out for a birthday celebration. Vine Line knew that when they allowed me - a single man (while social and gregarious I am in my early 60s) - to book the reservation and board the bus. In spite of this incongruity everything seemed fine until we got to the first winery when one of the women "without wanting to be rude" very rudely said they did not want me at the winery - a concept I understood because it seemed odd to me as well. She then told me I wasn't even welcome on their bus - a service I had paid Vine Line for, and not them - and that she had called Vine Line about this. A few minutes later I got a call from Vine Line confirming this. What was supposed to be a gorgeous fun day winery hopping turned into something awkward, uncomfortable, and embarrassing for me - and unnecessarily so given that Vine Line owners - either Shannon or Dennis - could have (should have) interceded so that I did not end up totally out on of place what effectively was a private tour. I don't blame the ladies - except for the tone/words of one of them. This was all on Vine Line. Vine Line's first solution was to offer a private driver to take me to the different wineries. No go - signed up to go to the wineries with other people and not to be privately chauffeured by someone I didn't know. I had to ask for a refund before I was offered one - that should have been the first thing they did. This would be a one-star event. But the owner did take ownership of the situation and apologized for it (although the further he went into his explanation the less logical sense it made but I decided not to challenge it - it was a negative enough day as it was) . Over two hours later they made a mitigating offer of two gift certificates for future use. Because the owner took ownership of this mess and apologized, and because of the mitigating offer my one star is now two stars. When I once again have someone in my life with whom I travel I will go out and give them another chance - this is something that really should have been a lot of fun.