Sadly the visitors center, and thus the tour to the base of the giant radio telescope was closed at…read morethe time of my visit. But I did the tour 2 years ago and highly recommend it. Be sure to take a disposable style camera with you, as normal cameras and cell phones are not allowed at the base of the telescope. You can take all the photos you want from a distance though. And for the Fallout 76 fans, this is a special treat of a real life visit.

This is a must do stop if you're within even a partial day's drive of Green Bank. But don't expect…read moreto do a Yelp checkin here, since there's no cell service within many miles of the "quiet zone". Green Bank Observatory, as it's now known since it's no longer part of the National Radio Observatory network, is home to the Robert C Byrd Green Bank Telescope (GBT) - the worlds largest completely steerable radio telescope, as well as as many other functional and decommissioned radio telescopes. Tickets are cheap - a few dollar per person over 10 years old. The tour to the GBT lasts less than an hour and is very impressive. There are no up close photo opportunities unless you have a film or disposable camera. An observation deck does give an opportunity for photos of the GBT in the distance. The hands on portion of the indoor exploration area offers a lot of educational fun and packs a lot of information into a small area. The food at the little cafe is delicious, so be sure to stay after the tour for a sandwich or salad. Overall, this place is an amazing hidden gem that's a must see!

Greenbank. The main reason we can't get cell phone service at the cabin or anywhere in the area…read morethanks to the NROA dead zone. It's important research, Sagittarius A* the massive black hole at the center of our galaxy that holds everything in place was discovered here. Personally I like the conspiracy theory that the big dish is used to communicate with aliens downloading decades old messages and replying with the same time frame. I mean, have you ever seen how small the power is used by the Voyager probes to communicate with NASA? Alien signals are going to be way smaller. If you didn't know you can walk past the gate arm and walk back to the big dish. Do not walk past the chain link fence unless you want to be greeted by a team of armed commandos who will roll up on you with a diesel powered UTV. There is an amazing science center with tons of interactive exhibits inside and it's free. They also have a wired internet connection for your phone. Seriously. You plug in this ethernet adapter to your lightning or USB-C port and magically your phone works again...you can even make a call! I have heard you can jump on newly permitted wifi down at the elementary school as well. Surprisingly they have two J1772 electric vehicle chargers at the building across from the visitors center. You need to by an EV charging pass for $3 at the gift shop. It's good for the entire day so if you drive down to Cass or up to Durbin and want to stop and charge again you are welcome to. We did the bus tour which was $10 per person. They take all of your electronics...phones, watches, AirPods..anything that generates a signal. This is because the bus takes you to all of the telescopes. You can't even use your digital camera there...only film. So I have no close up photos of the radio dishes, just from far away at the observation deck which is great for a family pic. If you walk past the gate they ask you to leave all electronics in your car. Science is happening people and it is important! You don't want us to miss the last text from Alf or ET do you??? There is also a food court but the food is just okay. I'd recommend the new Rustic Roots Bar and Grill in Durbin a few miles away...it was fantastic.

They have a great free interactive museum that really explains what goes on here. You can pay $10…read morefor the bus tour which we would've liked to have done but are only offered certain times and we would've had to wait. Very informative!

I love the intimacy of this venue. There is not a bad seat in the house. I love the standing…read moregeneral admission option as well. The old architectural details of the building are BEAUTIFUL! There are plenty of parking options nearby. Just wish there were more bathroom options for a concert venue.

Love this venue! We came to Charlottesville to see Pigeons Playing Ping Pong. The general admission…read morearea is sloped so you get a great view even if you were in the back. There are three levels - the second level has seats and still a great view. The beer lines were busy but quick and there were plenty of cocktail, beer, cider options available. Coat check is available for only $2. The staff were all friendly - we were even given free tickets to the show the night before to see Blackberry Smoke by just simply passing by on our walk to dinner. The venue is located right in the center of the downtown mall so there are plenty of places to grab a drink or food before/after a show. It's only an hour from Richmond so worth the drive!

One of the best kept secrets of Charlottesville! All concerts are free They have a summer concert…read moreseries as well as seasonal concerts throughout the year. Perfect for the whole family!!!! ‍‍‍

From the owner: The 80 member Charlottesville Municipal Band, founded in 1922, is a volunteer organization that…read moreperforms 10 - 12 full band concerts and 30 - 40 ensemble concerts for FREE - reaching over 15,000 people in Charlottesville and the surrounding area each year. We are the 'Soundtrack of Our Community' for the past 95 years! Members come from all walks of life and a variety of backgrounds and donate more than 14,000 volunteer hours in rehearsal and performance annually. Our repertoire includes marches, traditional, patriotic, classical, popular, Broadway and jazz selections. We also own and operate the Municipal Arts Center a rehearsal / performance space. Our crowdfunding project can be found on YouCaring .

We were in town, staying at the Omni Homestead resort. I wanted to experience something different…read moreother than what was available at the resort. So, I researched other venues and stumbled upon this place. What I found was amazing. We experienced a string quartet performance in a re-designed barn with amazing acoustics. The executive director was also very helpful, informative and welcoming. Since the venue itself was extremely intimate, I highly recommend this venue to anyone who wants to be up and close to talented musicians. Amazing experience!

We have been continually charmed by Garth Newell Music Center for over 15 years now! Much of the…read morebest entertainment we have ever attended has been here! The caliber is high and there is a delightful variety to enjoy! The food is superb and the folks that attend are delightful! We are so fortunate to have discovered this gem! Don't miss an opportunity of a lifetime! Come and come again. You will find a treasure you will want to share. See you there! Susan and Linwood Orenduff, Richmond, VA.