
A decade ago, downtown Lynchburg was on the ropes. Empty storefronts lined the historic streets, and its 19th-century infrastructure had started to crumble. But after millions in investment, the city has a new vibe and swagger. Retail stores fill former warehouses, a restored grand hotel welcomes guests, and a network of riverside trails draws hikers, bikers, and picnickers. Here’s how to enjoy a weekend in central Virginia’s surprising comeback city.
FRIDAY

Courtesy the Virginian Hotel
CHECK-IN ➞ When it first opened in 1913, the Virginian Hotel immediately became the center of city life, hosting society weddings and business travelers in its Beaux Arts splendor. But after decades, its luster began to fade. In 1972, the building became the first dormitory for what is now Liberty University, and later served as low-income housing. A little over a century after its grand debut the Virginian is once again the most exciting hotel in town. After a $30 million renovation, the high-rise re-opened in 2018 as part of Hilton’s upscale Curio Collection, wowing visitors with sleek, modern rooms along with original marble, plaster, and ironwork.
EVENING ➞ Drink in a Lynchburg view from Skyline, the hotel’s rooftop bar, with firepits, cocktails, and dozens of whiskies on offer. Look out over the city, which is built over seven hills—just like Rome, residents say.

Photo by Lauren Paige
Next, head to the Water Dog, a casual seafood bar on the James River, with raw Chesapeake oysters sourced just a few hundred miles downstream. Enjoy them with a Foglight Baltic Porter from local Three Roads Brewery, or one of the other 35 beers on tap. For dinner try a crab quesadilla or Caesar salad topped with fried oysters.
SATURDAY
MORNING âžž: Start your day at Batter Bar, a sister-run spot specializing in Japanese-style crepes, which are served thin and crispy, rolled into a cone and artfully stuffed. Try the Avocado BLT or Hazelberry, made with Nutella, strawberries, and whipped cream. The eatery started as a popular food truck before opening its brick and mortar spot near the Community Market.
Then follow the way of Thomas Jefferson to Poplar Forest. The third president used the jewel-like home as an escape from the responsibilities of Monticello, his mansion 90 miles away in Charlottesville. The nation’s first octagonal building has been partially restored, preserving this testament to Jefferson’s architectural genius and honoring the craftsmanship of the enslaved workers who built it.
Head back toward downtown to the home and garden of Anne Spencer, an internationally acclaimed Harlem Renaissance poet who lived in Lynchburg. Spencer’s garden inspired much of her poetry, and the house, now a museum, served as her salon, hosting notables such as Paul Robeson, W.E.B. Du Bois, and Martin Luther King Jr. A block away, swing by the Pierce Street tennis courts, where a local physician ran a summer camp to teach the sport to Black students. His successes include Althea Gibson and Arthur Ashe, the first African Americans to win Wimbledon.
AFTERNOON âžž For lunch, try the Farm Basket, an upscale gift shop and cafe where Lynchburg brides have registered for decades and locals have long loved its chunky chicken salad; turkey, brie, and fig jam sandwich; and buttery-rich seven-layer caramel cake.
Now it’s time to explore downtown. Enchanted Antiques specializes in 18th- and 19th-century English, Continental, and American decor and furniture, with prices ranging from $40 to $8,500. So if you’ve been looking for a William and Mary-style seaweed-patterned console from the 1740s, this is the spot. For a shopping experience that feels like a treasure hunt, head around the corner to Estates & Consignments, a former tobacco warehouse filled with everything from vinyl LPs to antique bed frames.
Nearby, Rhodora Specialty offers shelves of sweet and sarcastic greeting cards, along with gifts and housewares. Next door, the owner also runs Live Trendy or Die, a boutique for stylish women of all ages. Or stop by Church Street Bridal, which collects samples and overstock dresses from around the country and sells them at deep discounts to benefit the local YWCA. You’ll find gowns and designer frocks for formals, galas, and proms starting at around $70.

Courtesy City of Lynchburg Office of Economic Development & Tourism
Stop by the free and engaging Lynchburg Museum, which introduces visitors to a city that started as a ferry crossing in 1757 and became a booming 19th-century tobacco port. Exhibits honor city notables like Charles Browne Fleet, inventor of ChapStick; televangelist Jerry Falwell Sr.; and NASA astronaut Leland Melvin.
Then wander Memorial Walk, honoring veterans such as Desmond Thomas Doss, a conscientious objector to the Second World War who refused to carry a gun yet was awarded the Medal of Honor. The Seventh-day Adventist served as a medic and saved at least 75 lives during the Battle of Okinawa, a feat immortalized in the Oscar-winning movie Hacksaw Ridge.

Courtesy City of Lynchburg Office of Economic Development & Tourism
If you’re traveling with young ones, work in a stop at Amazement Square, an interactive four-story children’s museum with a glass-walled paint room, rooftop observation deck, and tunnels and ladders connecting each floor.
EVENING âžž Toast the day with a flight of Virginia wine at Reserve Winery & Lounge, a cozy tasting room featuring bottles from local vintners. The Reserve Petit Verdot is a full-bodied, jammy revelation.
For dinner, hotfoot it over to Shoemakers American Grille, which gets its name from its location in a former shoe factory. Try the silky she-crab soup and the pork chop with bourbon sorghum and pickled Virginia peaches. If it’s a pretty evening, stroll back to your hotel along the Bluffwalk, a half-mile hillside path of trails, staircases, and overlooks offering river views.
For a sweet end to the night, stop at the Texas Inn. The 89-year-old diner serves customers from a former gas station. Take a seat at the counter and absorb the retro vibe over a Cherry Coke float or a slice of pie (sweet potato or coconut meringue are both winners).
SUNDAY

Courtesy City of Lynchburg Office of Economic Development & Tourism
MORNING ➞ Market at Main makes a fun stop for brunch. You’ll be tempted by the pancake flight, featuring a corncake along with sweet potato and buttermilk flapjacks. Or opt for the eggs Chesapeake, a crab cake Benedict. Either meal goes great with a hibiscus mimosa.
On the way out of town, take a scenic drive through Old City Cemetery, not just a burial ground but also a 27-acre history park with several small museums and thousands of tombstones, dating back to the early 1800s. Take a gravestone rubbing or enjoy its gardens with more than 100 species of trees and 450 types of antique and heirloom roses.
Move Your Body
Frostfire Sauna and Cold Plunge is a shock to the system in the best way, taking you from a sweaty 170 degrees to a 42-degree dip in a chilled tub. The owner, a physical therapist, also leads stretch classes.
Miles of easy paths lead visitors along the James River and its tributaries. Locals love the paved Blackwater Creek Trail & Bikeway. Or walk across a converted railroad bridge to Percival’s Island, a 49-acre sanctuary in the middle of the river.
For an unexpected thrill, hit the slopes at Liberty University. Year-round, the Liberty Mountain Snowflex Centre offers a chance to ski, snowboard, and sled down a mountain on a slick plastic surface. Non-skiers and the risk-averse can try two tube runs offering maximum thrills, no skills required.
This article appears in the Spring 2025 issue of Southbound.
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