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Beagle Ridge Herb Farm - Organic Herb Farm and Education Center. Spend the day in our display gardens, take a class or hike ourwooded nature trails. Herbal soaps, lotions and crafts; garlic and plants in season. Open weekends May - October. (Closed for harvest mid July - mid August, call for specific dates.) and by appointment. Groups welcome. PO Box 419, Wytheville, VA 24382. 276-621-4511.
Big Walker Lookout and the National Scenic Byway - Big Walker Mountain shows off the best of the Appalachian Mountains. The vibrant colors of every season can be viewed in every direction. At an elevation of 3,405 feet, Big Walker Lookout is just minutes from the Interstate 77. All that fresh mountain air will surely give you an appetite, so visit the Mountain Top Deli for a fine selection of sandwiches or have a Tower High Cone of hand-dipped ice cream. Browse the unique gift shop with its wormy chestnut paneling and cathedral ceiling spanned with 200 year old hand-hewn oak timbers. Big Walker Lookout also has a 100 foot observation towner, an old fashioned foot bridge and nearby hiking trails. It is located on the Big Walker Mountain Scenic Byway, one of only three in Virginia and 50 in the United States. The Lookout is accessible from I-77 South at Exit 52 onto US 52 South or I-77 North onto State Route 717. Hours of operation are April - Memorial Day, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Thursday - Sunday; Memorial Day - Labor Day, 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. Tuesday - Sunday; September & October, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Tuesday - Sunday. For more information, call 276-228-4401.
Central Gifts - Located in the heart of Downtown Wytheville, this shop has a wide selection of gifts and collectibles including Dept 56, Dreamscicles, Lefton light houses, Windsor bears, and small dolls. Hours are Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday 9am - 5 pm; Wednesday 9 am - 12 noon; saturday 9 am - 4 pm. 212 West Main Street, I-81/77 Exit 73. Call 276-228-5252. Collector's Lane - Find over 300 dealers within the three miles of Collector's Lane. Four large facilities with a wide variety of antiques, furniture, glassware, collectibles, crafts, quilts, pottery, antique tools & toys, baseball cards, jewelry, books and more! Visit Snoopers Antique & Craft Mall (276-637-6441), Old Fort Antique Mall (276-228-GIFT), Ms. Gerta's Antiques & Crafts (276-223-6801) and Antique Station (276-228-6030) are all accessible from Exits 77 or 80 on I-81/77. Hours are January - March 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.; April - May 10 a.m. - 7 p.m.; June - Labor Day 10 a.m. - 8 p.m.; and Labor Day - December 10 a.m. - 7 p.m. Crockett's Country Store - A wide variety of gifts and collectibles can be found in this two story older home including home decor, reproductions, antiques. Bear collectors will love the "Bear Room." Hours are Tuesday - Staurday 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. 475 East Main STreet, I-81/77 Exit 73. Call 276-228-4400. Draper Valley Golf Club - Factory Merchants Outlet Mall - There's something for everyone with over 35 outlets to choose from. Stores with accessories; men's, women's and children's fashions; home decorating; jewelry/cosmetics; luggage/leather; shoes; kitchen items and specialties. Save 25 - 70% on such famous name brands as Polo/Ralph Lauren, Samsonite, Bugle Boy, L'eggs/Hanes/Bali/Playtex, Reebok, Arrow, London Fog, Black & Decker, Corning/Revere and Hush Puppies to name a few. Located off Interstate 81/77 at Exit 80, turn onto Factory Merchants Drive. Hours are: January & February, Monday - Thursday 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.; Friday & Saturday 10 a.m. - 8 p.m., Sunday noon - 6 p.m.; March - December, Monday - Saturday 9 a.m. - 8 p.m., Sunday noon - 6 p.m. Ample parking. For more information, call 276-637-6214. Galewinds Amusement Park - Galewinds features four Go-Cart Tracks: Nascarts, Slick Track, Road Course and Kiddie Track. An 18 hole mini-golf course and the largest arcade in the area. Visible from the Interstates, it is located at Exit 77 of I-81/77. It's open 7 days a week, Monday - Thursday 11 a.m. - 11 p.m., Friday & Saturday 11 a.m. - midnight and Sunday 1 - 11 p.m. Group rates are available. Call 276-228-3020. New River Trail State Park & the Historic Shot Tower - Virginia's longest linear park, the New River Trail parallels the New River for 39 miles. Contrary to its name, the New River is one of the oldest rivers in the world and one of a few North American rivers that flow north. It was recently given the distinction of being the first American heritage river. Because of the former railroad bed (the park is located where a railroad once existed), the trail provides a relatively level surface easily traversed for hikers, bicyclists and horseback riders. Built in 1807, the Shot Tower (located on the grounds of New River Trail State Park) resembles a fortress in construction. The walls are built of stone which was quarried from a limestone deposit about one mile away. Standing 75 feet tall, the Tower walls are 2 1/2 feet thick. The lower shaft drops 75 feet from the Tower floor to river level. Molten lead was poured through sieves with meshes of varying sizes, according to the kind of shot desired. The lead fell a distance of 150 feet into a large kettle of water and was then sorted for sale. The Tower was opened to the public in 1968 after extensive renovation. In 1981, the Shot tower was designated a National Historic Mechanical Engineering Landmark by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. The Shot Tower is located off of Interstate 77 at Exit 24. Hours for the grounds are 8 a.m. to dusk, April 1 - November 1, with the Tower being open Wednesday - Sunday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., May 1 - November 1. For more information, call 276-699-6778. The Rock House Museum - The Rock House Museum is a National and State Registered Historic Landmark. Construction on the native gray limestone structure began in 1820. In 1823, the site was purchased by Dr. John Haller, a native of York, Pennslyvania. Dr. Haller was Wytheville's first resident physician. The Pennslyvania-style house, with additions made by the Haller descendants at the turn of the century, stands at the corner of Tazewell and Monroe Streets. The huge built-in chimneys at each end provide fireplaces in the four original rooms on two floors. A walnut stairway winds to the third floor attic rooms. During the Civil War in July 1863, the house withstood fire from Federal troops during Toland's Raid. After the battle, the house was used as a hospital. Blood stains can still be seen on the floor of one of the second story bedrooms. Dr. Haller's descendants, the Gibboneys and Campbells, retained possession of the house until 1967 when it was purchased by the Town of Wytheville. It contains many original Haller furnishings as well as family mementos and Wythe County hand-crafted items. Stephen F. Austin Memorial - Located near the Shot Tower, this monument pays homage to famous Wythe County native Stephen F. Austin, the "father of Texas". Austin was born in Austinville while his father Moses Austin had control of the Lead Mines. During the Civil War, the mines were the chief domestic supplier of lead to the Confederacy. Ample parking is available. Take Exit 24 off I-77 , turn west for 5-6 miles on 69. Thomas J. Boyd Museum - Named for Colonel Thomas Jefferson Boyd (1804-1893), known as the father of Wytheville, the Boyd Museum provides an opportunity to learn about the history of the people and places of Wythe County. The museum houses a collection that includes Wytheville's first fire truck, circa 1855. On display is early farming equipment and tools that reflect the working spirit of this thriving community. Go back in time with photographs of early Wythe County schools and churches. See artifacts from Wythe County's oldest (1756) industry, the New Jersey Zinc Company. Military uniforms and other items from the Civil War and both World Wars demonstrate the involvement and patriotism of Wythe County citizens. The museum's exhibit on Wythe County and the Civil War highlights the importance of the County's lead mines to the Confederacy and details the invasion of Wytheville by Federal troops in 1863. Learn about Confederate General J.E.B. Stuart's connections to Wythe County and the prominent roles played by Generals William Terry and James Walker, the last commanders of the famous Stonewall Brigade. Located on the lower level of the Boyd Museum, the Discovery Corner is designed to provide hands-on learning activities for children in Grades K-6. This area utilizes local history combined with participatory learning experiences to teach an academic subject. Children learn science, math, archaeology, mechanics, home economics and agriculture. The Boyd Museum is located adjacent to the Rock House Museum on Tazewell Street in a building that was used as Wytheville's first agricultural classroom and shop in 1926. Special exhibits designed to highlight specific events and people are showcased in the museum's exhibit room. The theme of these special exhibits changes several times during the year. While visiting the museums, be sure to tour the beautiful herb garden located on the Rock House grounds. The garden contains herbs that were used in the nineteenth century for medicinal and household purposes.
Wolf Creek Indian Village & Museum - A palisaded village of wigwams meticulously reconstructed to match the layout of a nearby excavation. The excavated site dates to 1215 A.D. and the activities of the village focus on that era. Visitors will see locally collected artifacts, handmade replicas of tools and containers, brain-tanned hides, various crafts and guides in primitive dress demonstrating day-to-day living skills. Guests may also enjoy the garden, tour the new 4700 square foot museum, participate in primitive technologies such as making cordage, baskets, hide tanning and tool making, walk along the creek, visit the gift shop or picnic under the rhododendron. Wolf Creek Indian Village & Museum is conveniently located off of Interstate 77 at Exit 58 in Bland, Virginia. The facility is open year around from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., 7 days a week. Group tour rates are available by calling 276-688-3438. |