Dream Now, Travel Later: Your Guide to Planning the Perfect Vacation

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Do you always have big (but vague) plans for spending the upcoming year’s vacation days? Does it always seem like things just come up, or you’re too tired, and – somehow – you end up not taking many of those vacation days at all? You’re not alone. Americans leave hundreds of millions of paid vacation days unused each year. However, research shows you’re much, much more likely to use (and enjoy) your vacation days if you make a plan ahead of time. How about planning a trip to the Queen City? We have itineraries for day trips, long weekends with the kids, solo trips, and more. Here’s what you’ll find in Staunton.

Hit the trails

You can spend an entire vacation hiking in the mountains, taking scenic drives along country roads, or tackling rugged singletrack on your bike. 

• Stretching along the ridge of the Blue Ridge, Shenandoah National Park’s miles of hiking trails lead to some phenomenal views. George Washington and Jefferson National Forest is a vast tract of natural land, threaded with trails and recreational areas. 
• Staunton’s city parks have a wealth of outdoor adventure without a drive. Spend a few hours exploring the trails at Montgomery Hall Park and Betsy Bell Wilderness Area or play some tennis or golf at Gypsy Hill Park. The park system also offers pickleball, disc golf, a dog park, playgrounds, seasonal swimming pools, and much more! Gear up for adventure at shops like Black Dog Bikes, Sole Focus Running, and Wilderness Adventure.

Dine in style

Don’t plan to skip any meals while you’re here. Staunton is a town of restaurants, many of which emphasize the region’s bounty by specializing in farm-to-table fare. 

• Wake up for your day in Staunton with a fresh cup of joe at Crucible Coffee Roasters.  Reunion Espresso & Bakery, Cranberries Grocery, and The By&By offer fresh-roasted coffee, French pastries, and more.

• Try chef-made delights at BLU Point Seafood and Maude and the Bear. Taste global fare at Chicano Boy Taco, Helios Mediterranean, or Taste of India. Charlotte’s Kitchenette has home-cooked foods to go, and Remedy Burger creates the smash burgers of your dreams. Byers Street Bistro and The Depot Grille specialize in American-style comfort food.

• Lean into Staunton’s strong sense of community when you shop the Staunton Farmers’ Market (April – October) for fresh foods and local products. Each weekend (April through October), several blocks of Beverley Street close to traffic, turning into an al fresco dining room for Shop and Dine Out Downtown. 
• Staunton is centrally located along the Shenandoah Beerwerks Trail, which showcases delicious craft beer, tasty food, locations with beautiful views, and lots of live music and fun entertainment.

• If you prefer wine, sip local and global wines by the glass or bottle at Accordia Natural Wine Bar & Bistro, Yelping Dog Wine, and The Green Room. Local vineyards Ramulose Ridge Vineyards, and Ox-Eye Vineyards have downtown tasting rooms.

• Cider fans should sample a flight at Ciders from Mars. Check the schedule: Ciders from Mars regularly hosts live music, trivia nights, art markets, and more.

Have Fun, family-style

There’s lots to do in Staunton if you’re traveling with the gang.

• Staunton’s wealth of locally-owned businesses means there’s something here for everyone. Pufferbellies Toys & Books will delight your inner child, no matter how old you are. You can find fun stuff from decades past at the Tubular Toy Box, and Frontline Model Kits & Hobbies has the largest selection of buildables in the Valley. 

• Does your family like puzzles? Crack the Code Escape Room has several different themed rooms to help your family work their brains together.
• Even screen-addicted folk will be wowed with a live glass blowing demonstration at Sunspots Studios! Watch artists create art with glowing furnaces, molten glass, and the power of their breath.
• And in the summer months, baseball fans can cheer for the Staunton Braves, a team that represents our town in the Valley League.
• People rush to Staunton for festivals like Happy Birthday America, which includes a parade, a free concert, and a spectacular fireworks presentation. September marks the annual Queen City Mischief & Magic Festival, a popular home-grown event for fans of the Harry Potter book and movie series. Staunton welcomes winter with an annual Staunton Christmas Parade.

Check out the art scene

Staunton’s stages and galleries showcase a lot of great art.

• Make sure to catch a world-class Shakespeare or modern production at the Blackfriars Playhouse. Upcoming shows include King Lear, The Comedy of Errors, and Little Women. Go behind the scenes and learn production and theatrical secrets on a backstage tour of this faithful recreation of Shakespeare’s indoor theater. 

• Staunton Augusta Art Center celebrates visual arts with the annual Art on the Town in May, and Art in the Park in September. In addition to these festivals, visit the center’s gallery and the CoArt Gallery to view and purchase local and regional art. Staunton also has a growing outdoor public art scene, with a number of murals and art installations you can find in the most unexpected places.

• Each June, the Red Wing Roots Festival celebrates roots music with a family-friendly weekend featuring more than 50 artists at Natural Chimneys Park. You won’t believe your ears when you hear the talented performers of the Heifetz International Music Festival mid-June through early August. Following, the Staunton Music Festival brings world-class musicians to Staunton to perform selections from 600 years of classical music.

• If you visit in the summer, the Gypsy Hill Park bandstand fills the evenings with live music all week long. Choose from marching band favorites, gospel, bluegrass, and jazz. 

Learn some history

Staunton is one of the oldest and best-preserved towns in the area. Make time to catch up on the past!

• Many years before Woodrow Wilson lived in the White House, he boasted a Staunton address. Learn about Wilson’s life and times and gain a larger perspective on how it was to live during the late 19th and early 20th centuries at The Woodrow Wilson Birthplace and Presidential Library. 

• The Frontier Culture Museum also provides a window into the past by illustrating the lives of early Shenandoah Valley inhabitants from the 1600s through the mid-1800s. Costumed interpreters answer questions and demonstrate daily activities. 

• Visitors will love exploring the walkable and architecturally stunning downtown, made up of many buildings dating from the Victorian Era. Visitors can take guided or self-guided walking tours of six distinct historical neighborhoods to learn about the city’s long history and its notable architecture. Staunton Guided Tours provides personal hour-long car tours.

• Fans of the paranormal will learn lots on year-round educational and entertaining tours provided by Ghosts of Staunton Tours.
• Railroad buffs can enjoy a scenic tour and delicious meal on excursions with Virginia Scenic Railway. 

Make yourself the priority in 2025. Plan your upcoming Staunton getaway today!