Your Staunton Alter Ego: Which Version of the City Are You?

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Most guides tell you what to see in a town, but they don’t mention what you’ll become there. Sometimes we visit places looking for versions of ourselves we haven’t quite met yet. We seek opportunities to grow and widen our perspectives, test our grit, or connect with a community’s collective energy. By reflecting different moods, supporting different ambitions, and fulfilling different needs, Staunton is many things to many people, and it isn’t so much what Staunton has to offer, but which self of yours is ready to answer the call.

To help you decide which Staunton alter ego mask to wear, or which part of your true self to let out, we’ve identified six different energies that pulse through our town. Here’s how to embrace Staunton’s different versions.

Romantic

Are you the kind of person who pens passionate love letters, cries at the ends of movies, and likes nothing better than sharing a deep gaze with your soulmate over ice cream? Would you rather skip the tours and stay cuddled up in your luxurious room all weekend? Congratulations! You’re a romantic. When the day slows down, your conversations get deeper, and Staunton can help you speak your love language. 

• Share a romantic weekend for two at the Blackburn Inn. Think cocktails on the patio, an elegant room, massages and skin treatments at the onsite spa.

• Relax together on a Virginia Scenic Railway excursion. Lean back, hold hands, and revel in the views as you roll through some of the Valley’s prettiest scenery.
• Indulge your senses with natural and artisanal candles, soaps, and body products at Essentially Zen.

• If you believe in sharing your feelings through writing, both the words you choose and the materials you craft your word onto make a difference! Words Matter carries books, poetry, and beautiful tools like pens, handmade journals, and handmade papers.

Theatre Kid

Are you the kind of person who is disappointed by front-row tickets because you want to be on the stage yourself? Is attention (of any kind) good attention? Do you love to sing and dance and be at the center of all the drama? Obviously, you’re a theatre kid. Here’s what your ticket to the limelight in Staunton includes.

• A show at the Blackfriars Playhouse: sit on the stage if you can–you’ll be close to the action and maybe even part of it! Theatre kids will also get a kick out of learning what goes on behind the scenes, so schedule a backstage tour.

• We know you’re not shy, so we expect to see you next month at Silver Line Theatre’s Saturday Night Improv show.
• If you’re a theatre kid and a know-it-all, you need to attend pub trivia or sing at an open mic or karaoke night! Find your spotlight on Staunton’s events calendar. Or save the day by solving puzzles as the clock ticks down at Crack the Code Escape Room. 
• We know theatre kids can’t resist costumes, so we suggest you come to town for the Queen City Mischief and Magic festival. The entire downtown turns into a set from a Harry Potter movie and attendees are encouraged to attend in costume as their favorite characters.

Foodie

Are you the kind of person who studies menus as if they’re textbooks, scrutinizing recipes for local sources and asking the chefs opinions about technique and sustainability? Can you identify obscure ingredients by taste and smell alone? Do you like to practice your home cooking as an art form? If so, it doesn’t take all of our senses to deduce that you’re a foodie. Staunton’s big-city depth of dining and wealth of farm-to-table restaurants is going to make your mouth water.

• You’re going to love taking an early morning stroll downtown to Reunion Bakery and discovering the magic they can perform with pastries like pain au chocolat, run and custard-infused canelé and fresh-roasted Broad Porch coffee.
• USA Today just named Accordia Wine Bar one of its top bar destinations in the country for its warm hospitality and ability to expertly pair a great selection of wines with food.
• Lauded by The New York Times, Esquire, the James Beard Foundation and others, Maude and the Bear’s multi-course progressive menus feature “all the region has to offer.”
• Meals and cocktails at Zynodoa are designed around the fine, fresh ingredients supplied by Virginia’s independent farmers and producers, focusing on what is seasonally available in the Shenandoah Valley and Piedmont regions. 

• Shopping for your own recipes at the Staunton Farmers’ Market. You’ll also want to stop at Casa Rosa and Staunton Olive Oil to stock your kitchen and pantry.

History Nerd

Are you the kind of person who would better deal your relatives if you got the chance to spend Thanksgiving with a bunch of people from the past, even if they were ghosts? Do you look behind the art in the gallery to catch a glimpse of the historic brickwork on the wall and wonder how it got there? Do you take tours and correct the guides, just in the interest of getting the facts straight? Sounds like you’re a history nerd!

You won’t have to do much digging to appease your Staunton alter ego:

• Learn about Woodrow Wilson’s life and “consequential and controversial” presidency, at the Woodrow Wilson Birthplace and Presidential Library. Of special interest are the archives, the trench warfare exhibit, and Remember the Ladies: Fashion, Freedom, and the Fabric of a Nation, a temporary exhibit that “explores American history through the clothing women wore and the lives they lived” from 1776 to 2026.

• If you’re in town on a Saturday morning, start the day with a Historic Staunton Foundation walking tour and explore multiple historic districts. Next, learn about the history of photography at the Camera Heritage Museum, which houses over 6,500 historic cameras.
• The Frontier Culture Museum offers a glimpse of how early settlers (who were regular people) lived and worked in the Shenandoah. This family-friendly museum is open air with animals and costumed interpreters. 
• If you enjoy your history with a side of goosebumps, take a Ghosts of Staunton Ghost Tour. Each guided walking tour will share “chilling tales of restless spirits, unexplained activity, and true ghost stories.” 

Outdoorsy

Are you the kind of person who can only truly relax when your quads are burning from an epic bike or climb? Do you feel fancy when you’re sporting new hiking socks or a helmet hairdo? You probably already know that you’re the outdoorsy type. Here’s how rugged, active adventurers can find some serious dirt time in Staunton!

• Nearby Shenandoah National Park boasts 516 miles of hiking paths, including 101 miles of the Appalachian Trail. The park is packed with wildlife, waterfalls, and opportunities to bond with the natural world.
• This area is amazing on a bike, and Bike The Valley has collected an extensive and well documented database of rides of all distances and difficulties for mountain bikers, road bikers, families, and everyone else looking to take on the world one pedal push at a time.

• Staunton is no slouch in the park department. Our city greenspaces have miles of trails, bike paths, sports courts, playgrounds, and all the other ingredients required to get your daily recommended dosage of touching grass.
• Did your equipment wear out before you did? No need to worry. Stop at Wilderness Adventure, Sole Focus Running, and Black Dog Bikes to shop for replacements!
• Check out our Bears, Birds, and Bikes post for more!

Hobbyist

Are you the kind of person who never, ever gets bored? Do you like to learn, and play, and create, and collect, and never stop unless you’re sleeping? Is your basement, and garage, and storage unit, and backpack stuffed with cooking implements, art supplies,tools,books, and collections of all sorts of amazing things? 

You’re not a hoarder, you’re a hobbyist, and here’s how Staunton can feed your curiosity and love of collecting.

• If you love immersing yourself in the fantasy worlds of board games, table-top games, and video games, you can find them at Pufferbellies Toys & Books, the Dragon’s Hoard, and Staunton’s new Art-Cade, which blends games and gems.

• Creators can get crafty or purchase supplies at the Art Hive, play in the mud at the Staunton Clayground, and bring their ideas to life on the high-tech equipment at Staunton Makerspace. If you like to build models, look for your next project on the shelves at Frontline Model Kits & Hobbies, and if you sew or quilt (or want to learn), stop by Loose Thread Studio for fabric, notions, and advice.

• Collectors will find their happy place wandering the aisles of Staunton Antiques Center and Eclectic Retro. The Vinyl Asylum sells all kinds of albums on LP and CD, and Know Knew Books has a huge, well-organized and curated selection of second-hand books.
• If you’re looking to check off items on your hobby bucket list, read our post on taking a Staunton Skillcation.

Ditch the standard sightseeing checklist. Use this personality-based guide to help you discover your Staunton alter ego.