Summer is a time for making family memories and it's just around the corner. Check out the Lynchburg Macaroni Kid A to Z Summer Fun Guide and our 25 Free and Cheap Ways to Enjoy Summer for family fun in the Lynchburg area. Here are some of our favorite summertime day trips, weekend trips, and vacation week getaway sites.
Close to Home Day Trips
Mill Mountain Zoo is located in Downtown Roanoke, atop Mill Mountain. Open daily from 10-5, Mill Mountain Zoo can be accessed from I-81/581, downtown Roanoke and the Blue Ridge Parkway. Some of the animals you'll see at Mill Mountain are: the Red Wolf, Eurasian Lynx, Red Panda, Snow Leopard, other mammals and a variety of reptiles and birds. Kids ages 2 and under are free. While you're on Mill Mountain, check out the Mill Mountain Star. You've seen it from a distance, but it looks much bigger close-up.
Virginia Safari Park is located in Natural Bridge and is Virginia's only drive-thru safari adventure. Summer hours are from 9 AM to 6:30 PM daily; however, the gates close at 5 PM. Your admission fees include both the safari drive-thru adventure and and the Safari Village walk-thru adventure. The kids will have a blast seeing the animals close-up. You can even feed the animals through the car windows.
Learn about our country's history at Appomattox Court House National Historical Park in Appomattox or the National D-Day Memorial in Bedford. If you want to stay closer to home, take a walking or driving tour of historic sites in Lynchburg.
Pack a picnic lunch and enjoy a day trip to the Peaks of Otter near Bedford. Take a stroll around the lake on the Lake Trail. For more family outdoor fun, check out our Hiking Off the Blue Ridge Parkway article.
Drive to Crabtree Falls in Nelson County and hike up to the waterfalls. A short hike from the parking area brings you to the first viewing area. Allow a couple of hours or more if you plan to hike the entire 2.5-mile loop.
If you kids like hiking in the woods, head to the Appalachian Trail for an exciting family adventure. Hiking a short section of the 2,190 mile AT will bring you face-to-face with nature. The AT stretches from Springer Mountain in Georgia to Mount Katahdin in Maine. With nearly one-quarter of the AT's miles located in Virginia, there are many AT access points within an hour's drive. Some of our favorite spots to jump on the AT are: James River Foot Bridge off Route 501 near Big Island, Tye River parking lot on Route 56 in Montebello, Thunder Ridge Overlook off the Blue Ridge Parkway, and multiple parking areas on the Blue Ridge Parkway and Skyline Drive.
Center in the Square, located at One Market Square SE in downtown Roanoke, houses four museums and a theatre within a single building. The museums include: Roanoke Pinball Museum, Harrison Museum of African American Culture, History Museum of Western Virginia/O Winston Link Museum, Kids Square, and the Science Museum of Western Virginia with butterfly garden. Most of the museums are closed on Mondays and open 10-5 Tuesday through Saturday, except Roanoke Pinball Museum which opens at 11. Some museums also offer Sunday hours. Visit one museum or purchase Center Passes to enjoy the entire Center in the Square experience. Check the website for ticket pricing.
Virginia Museum of Transportation is closed on major holidays; open 10-5 Monday through Saturday and 1-5 on Sundays. The museum's collection includes 2,500 transportation items, including the largest collection of diesel locomotives in the South. Children ages 2 and under are admitted free. In addition to a number of rail transportation exhibits, kids of all ages will also enjoy road transportation exhibits, air and space exhibits, a maritime gallery, transportation-themed playground and much more.
Visit Natural Bridge State Park, located about an hour from Lynchburg at 6477 South Lee Highway in Natural Bridge. The 215-foot tall Natural Bridge was once owned by Thomas Jefferson and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. There are six miles of hiking trails in the park, including the accessible Cedar Creek Trail that leads from the bridge to the Monacan Indian Village and Lace Falls with its 30-foot cascade.
If your family enjoys biking on the Blackwater Creek Bikeway, you'll really love High Bridge Trail State Park. The former rail bed is 31 miles long and is wide, level and mostly flat -- perfect for kids of all ages. Kids will love the High Bridge, which is more than 2,400 feet long and 125 feet above the Appomattox River. It's the longest recreational bridge in Virginia and is among the longest in the United States. High Bridge, a Virginia Historic Landmark, is on the National Register of Historic Places. Check the Virginia State Parks website link above for parking information.
Splash Valley Water Park, located at 7415 Wood Haven Road in Roanoke, offers family water park fun with a lazy river for floating, two 34-foot high slides, a kids' climbing water playground, spraypad area and a traditional pool. Splash Valley is open weekends beginning on Memorial Day weekend and daily from mid-June through mid-August. Check the website for updated information, including entry fees, daily hours, and weekly specials.
Enjoy a family bike ride day at one of these 10 Lynchburg VA Area Places to Ride Bikes. Whether you stay in town or visit a nearby bike trail, you'll all have fun while staying active.
The Frontier Culture Museum, located in Staunton, is open daily from 9-5 with "living history" interpreters to bring history to life for your family. Exhibits include: a 1600s English Farm, 1700s German Farm, 1700s Irish Forge, 1700s Irish Farm, 1700s West African Farm, 1700s Ganatastwi (Native American exhibit), 1740s American Farm, 1820s American Farm, 1850s American Farm and Early American Schoolhouse. Kids under 6 years are free and school-age kids receive discounted admission. Kids and adults can learn a lot about the history of thousands of people who migrated to Colonial America at the Frontier Culture Museum.
Virginia Discovery Museum is located at 524 East Main Street on the Downtown Mall in Charlottesville. Kids must be accompanied by an adult and little ones under 1 year old are free. The museum is open from 9:30-5 Monday through Saturday. Exhibits include: Gravity Wall, Automoblox and Train Table in the Discovery Garage; a 1700s house and stable in the Virginia Heritage Area; Open Studio for creating artistic masterpieces; a kid-friendly Post Office, Discovery Station Firehouse, UVA Children's Hospital and Panera Bread where your little one can have fun trying out a career and lots more.
Maymont Park is located at 1700 Hampton Street in Richmond. The 100-acre Victorian estate of Maymont was gifted to the city of Richmond by James and Sallie Dooley to be preserved for new generations. The grounds, gardens, children's farm and wildlife exhibits are open daily from 10-7 from April to September. Maymont Mansion, Carriage Collection, Nature and Visitor Center and snack and souvenir shops, is closed on Mondays. Admission to Maymont Park is free; however, donations are suggested and appreciated. Pack a lunch to enjoy on the grounds, stroll through the gardens and enjoy a day of family fun.
Belle Isle is a treasure among Richmond parks. Located in the middle of the James River near the Canal Walk in Downtown Richmond, Belle Isle is reached by pedestrian footbridges crossing the river from Tredegar Street and near 22nd Street. There's a walking path that circles the island. In the summer, many people enjoy sunbathing on the large flat rocks surrounding the island or wading in the James; however, the water is rough and children should be supervised at all times. There are also wooded trails, a mountain biking skills course, historical sites, accessible fishing at the quarry pond, and a granite rock climbing wall.
Virginia Museum of Natural History is located at 21 Starling Avenue in Martinsville. Open Monday through Saturday from 9-5, exhibits include: Exploring Virginia, with artifacts and specimens donated by several individuals and organizations; Hall of Ancient Life, featuring dinosaurs and other ancient specimens; Ice Age, with full-sized casts of a saber-tooth cat, muskox and giant beavers; Uncovering Virginia, featuring hands-on recreations of six Virginia research sites complete with scientific tools to use for interpreting the evidence found; How Nature Works, an interactive exhibit featuring plants, animals and rocks; as well as exhibits on biodiversity, fossils, Virginia's watersheds, animal skeletons, three cultures of Native Americans, and the Discovery Reef play area.
Danville Science Center, located at 677 Craghead Street, is open Tuesday through Saturday from 9:30-5 and Sundays from 11:30-5. Digital Dome Theater showtimes are 10, 11, 1, 2 and 3 Tuesday through Friday; 11, 1, 2, and 3 on Saturdays; and 1, 2 and 3 p.m. on Sundays. Exhibits include: Science on a Sphere, with computers and projectors displaying animated data; Fundamentals of Science, where you'll learn about biology, gravity, friction, force, light and magnetism; the Estelle H. Womack Natural History Collection; and a special hands-on learning area for ages 3-7. Kids under 3 years are admitted free.
Head to Williamsburg and enjoy a day of family fun at Busch Gardens or Water Country USA. Enjoy rides and shows at Busch Gardens, hit the water at Water Country USA, or do both and enjoy summertime fun.
Kings Dominion is located in Doswell, about 30 minutes north of Richmond. The park opens at 10:30 AM daily. Closing hours vary throughout the season, so check the calendar before you leave home. Enjoy the thrills of roller coasters, including Twisted Timbers, new in 2018. Planet Snoopy offers lots of rides for the little ones, family-friendly entertainment, and you can visit with Snoopy and the Peanuts gang. Soak City Water Park, located inside Kings Dominion, opens for the season in late May. Enjoy wave pools, waterslides, a lazy river, and a fun splash pad for the kids.
Virginia State Parks are among some of the best in the nation. The 37 parks offer outdoor fun at family-friendly prices. From the Eastern Shore to the mountains of Southwest Virginia, there's a park that's just right for your family's adventures.
Weekend or Vacation Week Trips
Take a trip to Washington, DC and visit the monuments, museums and memorials. With lots of memorials and museums from which to choose, there's something that will please everyone in the family. When kids see these famous memorials for the first time, the looks on their faces are priceless. The Lincoln Memorial is a favorite of many children. The words of the Gettysburg Address and other famous speeches are engraved on the inner walls of the memorial. Everyone in the family will want to pose in front of the statue of President Lincoln. Favorite kids' museums include the Natural History Museum and the Air and Space Museum. The newest Smithsonian museum is the National Museum of African American History and Culture, which opened in September 2016. The Metro is the best way to get around in Washington DC. Your kids will quickly learn to follow the stops using metro guide maps.
Gather the family and head to Historic Jamestown. Although it's only a few hours from Lynchburg, you'll feel you've stepped back in time when you arrive. Explore the history of the Jamestown Settlement and learn about early America with your family. There are lots of hands-on learning activities for kids. Jamestown was founded in 1607. Your kids will love boarding replicas of the three ships that sailed from England to Virginia. You can also explore in the life-size recreations of the colonists' fort and a Powhatan village. Historic Virginia comes to live at Jamestown.
Explore Colonial Williamsburg, the world's largest living history museum with your family. Enjoy hands-on activities, guided tours of historic buildings, carriage rides, guided or self-guided tours, special events, and more. As you walk through the history of Virginia, your kids will learn a lot about the past.
Head to Virginia Beach, Myrtle Beach, or the Outer Banks for a beach getaway week or long weekend. The sun, the waves, the memories! Take a morning walk on the beach gathering seashells. Watch the sunrise each morning. Bring bikes and go exploring. Be sure to pick up souvenirs for your landlocked friends.
Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida is the ultimate vacation for some families. From Big Thunder Mountain Railroad to Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin, from a stroll down Main Street to the beauty of Cinderella's Castle, you'll enjoy the shows and the rides. You'll feel like a little kid yourself as you enjoy the perfect world that is Disney. Enjoy favorite classics like Dumbo the Flying Elephant, It's a Small World, the Mad Tea Party and Space Mountain. And of course, no trip to Disney is complete without enjoying the Main Street Electric Light Parade. Is it any wonder that Disney World is among America's favorite vacation destinations?
Stay up to date with all of the family-friendly activities and events in the Lynchburg area this summer with the Lynchburg Macaroni Kid event calendar. Like us on Facebook for plan ahead event information, happenings around town and more. Find Your Family Fun® this summer with Lynchburg Macaroni Kid.
