Planning a Trip

Visitor Information -- The Staunton Visitors Center, 35 S. New St. (at Johnson St.), Staunton, VA 24401 (tel. 540/332-3971; www.visitstaunton.com), provides information, free maps, and walking-tour brochures to the historic district. It's open from April through October daily 9am to 6:30pm, November through March daily 9:30am to 5:30pm.

You can also get general information from the Staunton/Augusta County Travel Information Center (tel. 800/332-5219 or 540/332-3972) at the Frontier Culture Museum, on U.S. 250 west of Exit 222 off I-81. It is open daily from 9am to 5pm except New Year's Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.

Getting There -- Staunton is at the junctions of I-64 and I-81 and U.S. 11 and U.S. 250. Shenandoah Valley Regional Airport (SHD; tel. 540/234-8304; www.flyshd.com) is off I-81 between Harrisonburg and Staunton, but the nearest major airports are at Roanoke and Richmond. Amtrak trains serve Staunton's station at 1 Middlebrook Ave. (tel. 800/872-7245; www.amtrak.com).

Getting Around -- The free Downtown Staunton Trolley runs around town approximately every 30 minutes. The Green Line covers downtown and nearby areas, while the Silver Line goes farther afield. The Red Line runs around downtown on Friday and Saturday evenings. Their hours change seasonally, so pick up a schedule at the Staunton Visitors Center, the trolley's first stop at 15 and 45 minutes after the hour. There's no narration, but riding the Green Line will give you a 30-minute overview of the town.