Roanoke, VA

January 9, 2007 7:07 AM

I'll be in Roanoke, VA, this weekend. Any must sees?

My wife, 11-year-old daughter, and I will be there visiting family, but we'll have a good bit of free time. We'll be staying at the Hotel Roanoke Saturday night, and will be sure to hit the Roanoke Weiner Stand. I grew up visiting Roanoke, but haven't spent much time there as an adult. We're from DC, so we're definitely museum snobs, but I remember the transportation museum as being pretty cool. Worth a visit? Anything else to do/see?

posted by MrMoonPie to travel & transportation (8 comments total)

From Martinsville, so I know the whole "let's visit Roanoke!" thing.

Transportation museum was/is very cool. And then there's Center in the Square, with the planetarium and Mill Mountain Theatre and some other museums/learning places. (I dunno, though—11 might be too old for the hands-on science museum there.)

If your kid is artsy and not bored easily, there are cool bookshops, arts and crafts stores, and restaurants within walking distance (I believe—it's been five years since I've been to Roanoke).
posted by infinitewindow at 7:44 AM on January 9, 2007

The world's largest illuminated man-made standing star.
posted by forallmankind at 7:50 AM on January 9, 2007

My in-laws live in Vinton, which is right next to Roanoke. Whenever my husband and I go visit them, we always go to Grandin Avenue in Southwest Roanoke, which has some neat stuff in a nicely walkable area. (Yeah, we go see the star too.)

Bits of the Blue Ridge Parkway are also easily accessible if you like driving, although it's not so picturesque this time of year.
posted by timetoevolve at 8:13 AM on January 9, 2007

I went to college in Roanoke and I think about everything to do there has already been enumerated. I definitely second the Star and the Grandin.

Mill Mountain Coffee downtown is a very nice café. And I always loved Macado's sandwiches (they have a few locations around town, I think). The Jackie Gleason is my favorite.

I do recall the thrift and antique shopping in Roanoke to be very good if anyone in your family is interested in that. Also, there's a laser tag place somewhere in town and a wildlife rehabilitation center that would probably give you a tour if you called (I used to volunteer there).

Honestly, my favorite thing to do in Roanoke was to drive by downtown on the freeway and look at all the giant metal and neon signs over downtown like the coffee pot pouring into the cup.
posted by Jess the Mess at 9:35 AM on January 9, 2007

I know there's supposed to be a really cool old movie theatre there. I'm guessing it's the Grandin.
posted by hellbient at 9:50 AM on January 9, 2007

Virginia’s Explore Park

Mill Mountain Zoo
(Siberian tigers!)

Dixie Caverns

If the weather's nice and you're so inclined, hike up to Dragon's Tooth in the Jefferson National Forest. (4.6 mi r/t, 1,250 ft climb)

On Friday night, stop by the Floyd Country Store in nearby Floyd for the Flatfoot Jamboree.
posted by gottabefunky at 10:03 AM on January 9, 2007

If you're able to do a little driving, to the Buena Vista area, I really love the two big peaks that you can climb, off the Blue Ridge Parkway. One is called Sharp Top Peak, the other is Flat Top Peak (or is it Bald Top? It's been several years since I was there).

And some of the views from the Blue Ridge Parkway, which winds up through some very high peaks, are breathtakingly beautiful, even without getting out of your car.
posted by jayder at 3:31 PM on January 9, 2007

Roanoke native here. :) I second the Transportation Museum and the Science Museum. Ruby the Siberian Tiger, the main attraction of the Mill Mountain Zoo, died recently but the zoo is nice if small. If you are into photography or like pictures of trains, I recommend the O. Winston Link Museum.
posted by sosaidh at 4:12 PM on January 9, 2007