Let Your Senses Run Wild In Staunton

---

Many of us rely on sight when we experience the world, but if you slow down and pay attention, Staunton offers many chances to enjoy the community with your other senses, too. Whether you’re sipping coffee in cozy cafes, marveling at historic buildings, or immersing yourself in theatrical magic, Staunton promises an unforgettable sensory journey. Make plans to visit Staunton, where every sight, sound, taste, touch, and scent will delight your senses.

Taste 

• Staunton has many wonderful places to eat and drink, but you’ll really enjoy the food and wine pairings that you’ll get when you visit Accordia. 
• Sip some of Yelping Dog’s wine al fresco during Shop and Dine Out in Downtown and Beyond. This wine bar has local and regional offerings as well as a wide selection from around the world.

• Redbeard Brewing and Ciders from Mars are right across the street from each other. Why not try a flight each of craft beer and cider made from local apples?
• If you can’t decide what type of dessert makes your toes curl the most, you’ll just have to try them all!
  • Giancarlo: pastries with a European flair
  • Wright’s Dairy Rite: soft serve
  • Whipp’d Cakery: cupcakes, cookies, and mini cheesecakes
  • The Split Banana: gelato

Touch

• Feeling tense? Book a spa day at one of Staunton’s luxurious day spas. The Spa at the Blackburn is “dedicated to tranquility.” Enjoy a deep massage followed by a restorative cabernet facial.
• Staying overnight? You won’t ever want to leave town after you sink into the crisp and inviting sheets on your bed at Hotel 24 South.

• You know you’re going to enjoy eating your produce from the Staunton Farmers’ Market, but you’ll find that exploring the market and letting your fingers guide you to your next meal is a thrill in and of itself.

• Staunton’s Earth Day celebration will take over the Gypsy Hill Park bandstand. Look for fun, family activities, presentations, and information about how you can help preserve the environment.
• The Brenda L. Papke Memorial Sensory Garden at the Staunton Library will stimulate all your senses. You’ll discover textured surfaces, a tinkling fountain, and fragrant plants like lavender and rosemary.

Smell

• Treat yourself or a special someone to a bouquet (or bouquet subscription)of fresh, local flowers from Harmony Harvest Farm, Quince & Burdock, Brown Dog Blooms.

• You’ll want to spend all day exploring Essentially Zen’s garden of artisan candles, soaps, and body products! Try scents like white tea ginger or cotton blossom.

• We dare you to wander down Beverley Street and not get hungry from the range of delicious food smells! Fortunately, we have a wide range of restaurants to choose from. Why not stop in at newly opened Queen City Bistro or Latin Soul to see what’s on the menu? Or follow your nose to fresh seafood at BLU Point or gourmet pizza at Shenandoah Pizza.

• Staunton’s bakeries smell (and taste) amazing. Magdalena Bake will spoil you with cookies, scones, turnovers, and custom cakes. Reunion’s coffee and buttery French pastries will call you back again and again.

• Make sure you’re hungry when you visit the Visulite for the next blockbuster. You won’t want to resist a buttery bottomless popcorn and a glass of wine or beer to wash it down.
• Wake up and smell the fresh coffee roasting at Crucible Coffee Roasters. Grab your favorite coffee drink to go or chat with friends on the patio overlooking Lewis Creek.

Hear 

• You won’t forget that Staunton’s a train town when you hear the distant train whistle that past residents used to tell time. Head down to the historic station to see the view of the city from the Sears Hill Bridge. You’ll also want to book an excursion with Virginia Scenic Railway. 

• Listen carefully at the top of the hour: you can hear the Clocktower bell ringing as it has since 1890.
• Staunton is a town of live music, especially in the warmer months. Look for buskers entertaining diners downtown, to live music at restaurants and watering holes, music at the Gypsy Hill Bandstand, the Staunton Music Festival, Heifetz concerts, and more.

• It’s springtime and the ducks in Gypsy Hill Park are active and hungry! Grab a sack of duck food and they’ll quack and swim to you as fast as their webbed feet can paddle.

See

• Stroll through the charming downtown, where red brick sidewalks lead you past quaint shops and restaurants. The stunning architecture dates back to the 1800s, and offers lively examples of a number of Victorian styles. Grab a self-guided walking tour map from the Downtown Visitor Center and start exploring.

• Step into the galleries at the Smith Center or the CoArt Gallery to see curated selections of local and regional art. 
• Staunton’s urban art scene is growing, and murals and sculpture can be found all over town! Check out our newest mural at 213 N. Lewis Street, home of Pizza Luca, a new brick-oven pizza restaurant opening in May. 
• See the wildflowers, waterfalls, and views of Shenandoah National Park in all its springtime glory. Next week is National Park Week, and SNP is waiving entrance fees on April 20th!

• You don’t have to travel all the way to SNP to enjoy the great outdoors. Staunton boasts a number of vibrant green spaces, including peaceful Montgomery Hall Park, bike and golf-friendly Gypsy Hill Park, and lesser-known gems like Betsy Bell and Woodrow Parks.
• Be entertained as history comes to life at the Blackfriars Playhouse, the world’s only reproduction of the original Shakespearean theater. 
• See beautifully decorated and landscaped homes designed by Samuel Collins on April 20th as Staunton opens for Historic Garden Week 2024.

So, pack your bags, open your senses wide, and let Staunton weave its magic. Relax, let time slow down, and enjoy all Staunton’s varied sensory delights.