Fall and winter are the perfect seasons for making family memories. Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's celebrations are filled with family and fun. Many families enjoy taking road trips when the kids are out of school for the holidays. With a full week off for Thanksgiving this year in Lynchburg City Schools, it's a great time to make some memories on the road.
From snow day fun and weekend getaways to fall and winter break trips, building in a little family time helps create warm bonds. You'll find lots of family fun in the Lynchburg Macaroni Kid Snow Day Fun Guide on our website.
Check out the Lynchburg Macaroni Kid Winter Family Fun Bucket List for family fun around town. Here are some of our favorite day trips, weekend trips, and vacation week getaway sites to enjoy in the winter.
Close to Home Day Trips
Check each website for operating hours, special events, and other information.
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.
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. Visit one museum or purchase Center Passes to enjoy the entire Center in the Square experience. Check the website for ticket pricing and hours.
Virginia Museum of Transportation is located at 303 Norfolk Avenue in downtown Roanoke. 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.
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.
Hit the slopes at Liberty Mountain Snowflex Centre where you'll find winter fun all year long!
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.
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.
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, brings 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.
Greensboro Science Center is located at 4301 Lawndale Drive in Greensboro, NC. You can enjoy an outdoor zoo, aquarium, and lots of interactive exhibits all in one place at Greensboro Science Center. There's also a fun old school carousel to ride, shows in the OmniSphere Theater and Adventure Theater, and more. There's also FLYWAY zipline and SKYWILD ropes and adventure course, both for ages 8 and older participants in good health, and both require additional fees. Greensboro Science Center is open year-round from 9 AM - 5 PM daily and closed on major holidays.
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. 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.
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.
Wintergreen Resort is located on Route 664 in Wintergreen, about an hour from Lynchburg. There's something fun for the family every season, including: winter and summer tubing, indoor and outdoor games, indoor and outdoor swimming, skiing and snowboarding, lessons, and Ridgely's Fun Park for the littles.
Virginia Museum of Natural History is located at 21 Starling Avenue in Martinsville. 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. Kids under age 3 are admitted free.
Danville Science Center is located at 677 Craghead Street in Danville. Check out a show in the Digital Dome Theater while you're there. There are lots of great exhibits where you'll learn about science biology, gravity, friction, force, light and magnetism and a special hands-on learning area for ages 3-7. Kids under 3 years are admitted free.
Virginia State Parks are among some of the best in the nation. The 43 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. Here's 10 Reasons to Enjoy a Virginia State Park Staycation
Weekend or Vacation Week Trips
Plan ahead for your child's winter or spring break at one of these family fun destinations!
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, but each Smithsonian museum offers a unique way to learn something new. 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.
Pack up the kids and head to Winterplace Ski Resort, located just off I-77, Exit 28 between Beckley and Bluefield, WV, for a winter family fun weekend.
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.
Enjoy a weekend of winter family fun at Wintergreen Resort!
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.
Head to Gatlinburg, TN and enjoy the Great Smoky Mountains! There are plenty of outdoor adventures for all ages, including the longest pedestrian Skybridge in North America. Fishing, hiking, biking, and ziplining are a few of the activities waiting for you. In addition, shopping in downtown Gatlinburg is a great experience with lots of unique stores and restaurants.
Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida is the ultimate vacation for some families. Walt Disney World celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2021. Ride your favorite rides, take a stroll down Main Street to the beauty of Cinderella's Castle, and enjoy the shows. 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, and the Jungle Cruise. Is it any wonder that Disney World is among America's favorite vacation destinations? In addition to the Magic Kingdom, there are many other Disney properties, including EPCOT, Disney's Hollywood Studios, and Disney's Animal Kingdom Theme Park.
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Stay up to date with all of the family-friendly activities and events in the Lynchburg area this winter with the Lynchburg Macaroni Kid event calendar. Like us on Facebook for plan ahead event information, happenings around town and more. Let Lynchburg Macaroni Kid help you Find Your Family Fun® all through the winter!
