Things To Do in Staunton

Downtown Staunton is a treasure trove of Victorian architecture, from stately residences to the commercial buildings downtown and in the adjacent Wharf District (actually along the railroad, not a river). Pick up a walking-tour brochure from the visitor center, and set out on your own. The brochure describes five tours, but be sure to take the "Beverly" and "Wharf" tours, which cover all of historic downtown.

Guided Tours

Free 2-hour guided tours of downtown depart from in front of the Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library at His Birthplace at 10am on Saturday from May through October.

Local native Marney Gibbs of Staunton Guided Tours (tel. 540/885-2430; www.stauntonguidedtours.com) will provide narration as you ride the trolley around town followed by a 10-block walking tour of downtown. She charges $15 for adults, $7 for children 7 to 13. Reservations are required.

Whether you do it yourself or take the guided tour, be prepared to work up a sweat: Staunton is built on the side of a steep hill, a la San Francisco.

Beverley Street between Lewis and Market streets -- downtown Staunton's main drag -- is a fine place to browse a number of art galleries and antiques stores. I'm always left astounded by the vast collection of old stuff crammed into Worthington Hardware Co., 26 W. Beverley St. (tel. 540/885-0891), which once was a hardware store. The Wharf District, along Middlebrook Avenue and Byers Street, has more antiques shops.

Fans of the singing Statler Brothers, who grew up here, can buy their albums and souvenirs at their Statler Brothers Gift Shop, 1409 N. August St. (tel. 540/885-7297; www.statlerbrothers.com).

The town of Waynesboro, 15 miles east of Staunton on I-64, is home to the Artisans Center of Virginia, 801 W. Broad St. (U.S. 340; tel. 877/508-6069 or 540/946-3294; www.artisanscenterofvirginia.org), which represents more than 200 skilled artisans from throughout Virginia, each chosen by a jury. You can both browse and buy their work in the center's gallery. Also in Waynesboro is the P. Buckley Moss Museum, 150 P. Buckley Moss Dr. (tel. 800/343-8643 or 540/949-6473; www.pbuckleymoss.com), which displays her endearing paintings, many inspired by the valley's Amish and Mennonite communities. She has been a full- or part-time resident of Waynesboro since 1964.

Staunton's showpiece is the Blackfriars Playhouse, where you can see performances of Shakespeare's plays as well as concerts. For art-house movie fans, the restored Visulite Cinemas, 12 N. Augusta St. (tel. 540/885-9958; www.visulitecinemas.com), showcases offbeat films such as Michael Moore's Capitalism: A Love Affair, which the mall cinemas won't touch in these Republican-leaning parts. The Visulite dates from 1937.

The pubs in and around Staunton Station, the old railway depot on Millwood Avenue, as well as the Pompeii Lounge on East Beverly Street, have live bands playing on weekend nights. The city has a summertime program of free outdoor concerts in Gypsy Hill Park and the Wharf District. Check with the visitor center for a schedule.