Staunton

Located in The Shenandoah Valley, Staunton is a major town along I-81 and it features many historical treasures. Keeping with the tradition that most of our Presidents hail from Virginia, Staunton (pronounced “Stan-ton”) is the birthplace of our 28th President, Woodrow Wilson. Wilson was born here in 1856, but later moved to Georiga. However, Wilson felt a strong bond to Virginia and returned many times (including his honeymoon!) to this beautiful state. His presidential limousine (a 1919 Pierce Arrow for all the car fanatics) is on display in Staunton, in a glass-fronted garage which is situated in front of the local museum dedicated to Wilson’s life and accomplishments. During the day you can get up close to this antique car – but at night, the glass garage is illuminated. The museum and birthplace of Woodrow Wilson is located on Coalter Street, right in the heart of historic old town Staunton.

Yet there is much more to this town than just being the birthplace of a national leader; Staunton is the home of Shenandoah Shakespeare, as presented by the world renown Blackfriars Playhouse, located on Market Street. It is hard to believe but deep in the heart of Shenandoah Valley, there is an Elizabethan Theatre with a highly talented troupe dedicated to performing Shakespearean plays. The theatre itself is a replica of Shakespeare’s indoor Blackfriars playhouse, so if you see a performance (we highly recommend it!), you will be experiencing the play much in the same way people originally absorbed Shakespearean masterpieces. The stage is on the ground floor, and the audience surrounds it on three sides, on three different levels. The original Blackfriars Playhouse was the first indoor theatre in the English-speaking world, and guided tours led by the actors are available everyday; these tours shed a whole new light on the theatre in Staunton and in England. The plays are exceptional, and the Blackfriars Playhouse also hosts other plays and musical performances.

Staunton is no stranger to the arts - This surprising amount of high culture found in this town injects a vibrant, dynamic attitude evident throughout the town limits. There is a burgeoning art scene, and the Wharf District is a new area of Staunton that is a shopping and dining complex. The Mary Baldwin College is near the historic and recently renovated section of Staunton, and this lends the university-cool atmosphere found around most colleges. The Wharf District, and an area called Gypsy Hill Park, offer free summertime music concerts. Also featured at these concerts is none other than the Stonewall Brigade Band, which is America’s oldest publicly supported band in the nation. The Frontier Culture Museum, on the southern edge of Staunton, combines both entertainment and education. This museum has successfully recreated life on the farmsteads of the early European settlers in the region. The museum has several authentic buildings, shipped piece by piece from Europe, and one surviving original from the Shenandoah Valley. Not only are these old buildings just downright fascinating to admire, but the Museum truly brings to life the hardships these early settlers had to endure on a daily basis. Staunton was a major stop for frontiersmen and women moving west, and since that time, Staunton has always retained its regional center charm. The Northern Irish, Scottish, English, and German settlers all toiled on this soil, and their legacy remains through the architecture and culture still found in Staunton to this day.

While Staunton is a good town to stop in for a day, it should be duly noted that Staunton is basically situated on the top of very steep hills, a la San Francisco. Wear proper, comfortable shoes for this portion of your journey. There is a Downtown Staunton Trolley, and this loop takes about 25 minutes or so to complete, but it is a great way of getting around the downtown region.

On our homepage, please explore our “Places to Stay”, “Things to Do”, and “Places to Eat” options to further plan your excursion to Staunton. This small town in the heart of the Shenandoah Valley will definitely surprise you!





Virginia Tourists Guide - Staunton, Virginia