I'm a big fan of small towns, and this little community is buzzing with action for such a secluded…read morearea. There's just about everything you need here in Blackstone... a post office, pharmacy, grocery store, a couple of clothing/department stores not far away, gas stations, several banks, a few restaurants and of the ubiquitous Dollar General! Main Street is lined with old street lamps and many stores and businesses on either side of the few blocks it occupies. You'll find the big Blackstone Antique Mall on the corner! There are some historic landmarks here as well as some beautiful Victorian and Georgian style homes. I love the architectural design of many of the buildings in the area. Nearby is Fort Pickett, a military training facility that also host events in the Officers Club, such as weddings, receptions, business meetings and more. Don't just pass through... stop and take in the sites of this friendly, country, off the beaten path tiny town!

This building is breathtaking, outside as well as inside! While in Richmond, I couldn't miss the…read moreopportunity to visit. The architecture is so ornate and gives you the feeling of stepping back in time. Unfortunately, I didn't see anything on site to learn about the building's history, and you are limited to only the first floor. However, it's worth the visit just to take in the beauty and detail of this space.

Old City Hall in Richmond is a stunning architectural gem. The intricate Gothic design and towering…read morearches are truly breathtaking!

What a beautiful cemetery for are confederate heroes it's the final resting place for Stonewall…read moreJackson and his family other important people are buried there as well

Five stars for a cemetery -- that's a first for me. But it's just because Oak Grove Cemetery is…read morehistoric and contains part (but not all) of General "Stonewall" Jackson. I say part because I was told that the General is buried here for the most part, but some of his parts are missing. I don't know which parts or where they are, but ain't here. This is one of the stops if you take the horse-drawn carriage tour through downtown Lexington. The tour guide will tell you a bit about the cemetery, and you can look around from the carriage. But if you really want to explore, you need to do so by foot on your own. The cemetery is open to all to explore.

Ohhh my freaking gosh y'all! Ok let me start by saying,... we went to the Petersburg national…read morebattlefield (federal) that morning and I wanted to cry because that was supposed to be our big exciting thing to see the Battle of the Crater,..,, well needless to say the park/museum at the federally owned part needed some serious help and funding. But,.... Y'all,..... this privately owned place knocked it out of the park! They did such an amazing job bringing history to life. The staff was freaking amazing,... especially the sweet little old man in the museum about the actual battle (wish I remembered his name). I can not brag on this place enough!!!

William Boisseau a tobacco farmer constructed his plantation home around 1815. Originally a 2 wide…read moreand 1 room this type of home was popular in Dinwiddie County during the late 1700's, early 1800's. Later his son John G. Boisseau expanded the east side of the residence creating a central hall and added Greek Revival details. None of the original furnishing remain today. Confederate Brigadier General Samuel McGowan used the home as a HQ at some point during the Civil War. A downstairs room in the home he used is set as it might have been when he used it. After the war he returned to South Carolina and became a judge. Beautiful Tudor Hall is located in Pamplin Historical Park. Admission is required.

This headquarters is connected to the Petersburg battle, but it's about 10 minutes away from the…read morebattlefield site. It's worth the drive over if you're already visiting the battlefield. It's a small house where you have to ring the doorbell to so the one employee knows to let you in, and then it's a tour on demand as it's not a high traffic site. The tour covers the history of the people who owned the house, the war and making the city a major port for goods, and how it was used by General Grant. There is a great map of the battlefield and some highly realistic and creepy mannequins to better illustrate the site. It's free, no gift shop, but an enthusiastic and informative tour guide. It's also got a nice view of the water.

When you get there, you'll watch a short film and then you can explore the small exhibit inside the…read morehouse. It's definitely worth visiting after you visit the battlefield.

My husband and I (we live in NC) and 2 of our friends (they live in Ohio) toured the house and…read moregardens in September. Shaun Spencer-Hester gave us a wonderful tour! She really brought Anne and Edward Spencer back to life. She was a pleasure to be with and made our tour so enjoyable! I am from Lynchburg, Va. I had heard of Anne Spencer, since I was a child, from my father. What a joy it was to see her home, her garden and purchase her book - Half My Life (great read). Amelia Jane F.

This famous poet's home is a museum now. It is viewed by appointment only, but is worth it. There's…read morealso a garden in the summer. Great for poetry enthusiasts and others who appreciate literature.

Hello everyone, I had an absolutely fantastic, once in a lifetime experience at Patrick Henry's Red…read moreHill. The property is beautiful, relaxing and well-maintained. I highly recommend checking out this place. The admission is very affordable and the experience is worth the cost. I really enjoyed learning about the property from Patrick Henry's descendant. He was very kind and well-informed about the life of Patrick Henry. The first part of the experience includes a short film about Patrick Henry's life and family. Patrick Henry's descendant explained everything about Patrick Henry and was passionate about history. My family and I were very fortunate to have the whole property to ourselves. The property has breathtaking views and is very peaceful. I enjoyed walking the grounds and seeing the different historical buildings. The whole experience was truly memorable and enjoyable. I will definitely visit again when I travel to Virginia from Florida. I went to purchase a book in the gift shop about Patrick Henry and his descendant gave me a free copy. I really appreciated that and enjoy learning more about the founding fathers.

It's off the beaten path but a neat look back to Colonial times. A great patriotic look at one of…read morethe more outspoken voices of the American Revolution. Also has a nice display to honor the slaves and freedmen who made their homes there. It was a nice history lesion and afternoon spent in the beauty of the Virginia countryside

This place is pretty amazing even if you're not a history buff. Kids enjoyed the place. There's…read moreunmark parking available. Picnic tables available for a luncheon. They have a visitor center for all your questions. They offer ghost tours as well! If you're in the area definitely stop by and check it out!

Built in the 1600's. At one time the largest private dwelling in colonial America. One of 3 large…read moreplantations. 17 fireplaces, 33 bedrooms! Burned down in 1916. This house has been through a lot over the past centuries. A nice stop to see an interesting architectural feat. Stop by the visitor's center for admission and information about this mansions previous grandeur and storied history.

The Appomattox Court House NHP is a fraud! Ok here me out. I am somewhat of a history nerd but…read morethink broad strokes not necessarily on a micro level. Anyway, when I arrived, I went into the visitor's center like one always should when visiting a National Park. One of the Park Rangers started telling me about the property. "Currently you are standing in the Appomattox Court House......absolutely nothing happened in here! The surrender was just a football field's length away at the McLean House." What!? Why is it named after the courthouse then? Anyway, all jokes aside the place is great. As stated, the visitor's center is located inside the old courthouse and has the standard gift shop, museum, and movie theatre. Outside there are several buildings that include a bookstore, a Tavern, The Mclean House and several others. The Mclean House was actually torn down at one point and then rebuilt. The house is set up to look like it did then when Lee surrendered to Grant. While the Mclean house is the main attraction to the park, there are plenty of battlefields, markers and hiking trails around to explore. So why only 4 stars, well name it the Mclean House National Historic Park and I will give it another star.

I love this place. It's so peaceful. There is rarely anyone here, so you get to walk the…read morebattlefield in peace in the shady woods and imagine what it was like to have soldiers camped out there, each army so close to each other. Parking is plentiful and easy to access. When you get to the settlement where the houses are, you encounter beautifully preserved homes that are set up as they would have been during the war. Unlike other battlefields that feel oppressive with death, Appomattox feels like hope for me. Maybe it's my imagination -especially because people died here too, but the way the two generals conducted themselves went a long way in restoring peace. It's a beautiful place to spend an afternoon.

We chose to park in the West Trailhead side and walked in from that direction of the tunnel. We…read morestarted out with our flashlights on but wanted to walk the tunnel without the flashlights. The Experience was fantastic. We did turn on our flashlights when we saw people approaching so we would not startle them. It is dark, damp, and cold in the tunnel. You hear the little water falling inside. We had pocket warmers and I think they were needed. We were both happy we had our pocket warmers. The hike to the tunnel has wonderful forest views and an excellently maintained trail. They also have some plaques with historical information on them. We really thought that was a nice additions to our hike. Both sides of the tunnel has picnic tables. The picnic tables are brand new this year. We stopped and had lunch. There are 2 parking areas. East Trailhead Blue Ridge Tunnel and West Trailhead Blue Ridge Tunnel. Both have a porta potty but no running water. So you will want to take some hand sanitizer. Easy hike, 4.6 miles. Out and back. 370ft elevation gain. The best maintained trail I have ever seen. Hiker friendly, kid friendly. Dogs on leash, Forest view, tucked away on the side of a mountain, Historical tunnel view. Some of the trail is paved, then gravel, and then dirt with gravel mix. Make sure you leave no trash behind

We had a group of eight for the hike. We started on the east side. The walk through the tunnel…read morewas great. I was thankful that started on the east side because it was a pretty steep and long climb after the tunnel. It was 4.5 miles total for the walk. To have the steepest part at the middle was perfect rather than having it at the end. Highly recommend. The tunnel is not claustrophobic at all as it is large inside and you can see the end the entire time. It was a perfect fall hike with the leaves changing. We stopped at Blue Mountain Brewery afterward (only 6 minutes away) for lunch.