We love living in Charlottesville, VA and raising our kids here! There are so many things to do. And while Charlottesville is small enough to feel comfortable and easy to navigate, it is large enough to have plenty of opportunities.
To help other families get the most out of this historic, vibrant town, home to a renowned university and nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains, we created this list of 101 things to do in Charlottesville.
Nearly all of these are personally attested to (meaning: we’ve done it).
Feel free to save this list or, if it’s more fun for your family, download the free printable version.
Note that while we are pretty active in the community on a regular basis, things do change! It is best to research anything before you go to ensure hours and availability.
Without further chatter, here it is:
101 Things To Do in Charlottesville, VA
Get Outdoors
- Hike the Blue Ridge Tunnel
- Bike a Rail to Trail (Blue Ridge Trail near Piney River is the closest, but we’ve also enjoyed Chessie, James River, and High Bridge)
- Hike in the Shenandoah National Park (read about all of our favorite family hikes in the Charlottesville area here)
- Hike up Humpback Rock
- Paddle on the Reservoir (read more about paddling in the Charlottesville area here)
- Bike the Triangle Trails
- Walk the Monticello Trails
- Swim in Blue Hole
- Tube the Rivanna River
- Walk the greenway at Riverview Park
- Play pickleball at Darden Towe
- Get in the river at Darden Towe
- Snow tubing at Wintergreen
- Play golf
- Play disc golf at Walnut Creek
- Watch the sunset from McIntire Park
- Walk the Rivanna Trail
- Beach it at Chris Greene Lake or Walnut Creek
- Bike O’Hill
- Learn to row (read about my experience with this here)
- Visit Ragged Mountain Reservoir & trails
- See Yoder’s Petting Zoo
- Go fishing (note that Virginia has licensing rules)
- Pick flowers at Chiles Peach Farm
Games & Sports
- Watch the fall Foxfield horse races (spring is for the students!)
- Climb at Rocky Top
- Play board games at End Games
- Play pinball at Decades Arcade
- Watch basketball at John Paul Jones Arena (stroll the Hall of Fame)
- Watch any college sporting event (including rugby)
- Watch polo at King Family Vineyards
- Head to the McIntire skate park
- Practice yoga
- Ski Massanutten Resort
- Play board games and bocce (and eat Belgian fries) at Kardinal Hall
- Watch a Tom Sox baseball game
- Try roller skating at the Carver Recreation Center
History
- Visit the Rotunda
- See Edgar Allan Poe’s room
- Tour Monticello (try wreath making during the holidays)
- Visit Highland House (go during the Albemarle County Fair)
- Enjoy a holiday event at UVA (lighting of the Lawn or trick or treating)
- Visit the Lewis & Clark Exploratory Center (note that the Center has been undergoing some renovations and programming changes, so be sure to research before you go)
- Tour Montpelier
- Take a guided tour of UVA
- Visit the Memorial to Enslaved Laborers
- See the Barboursville ruins (and, of course, have some wine while so close to the winery)
- Visit the Albemarle County Historical Museum (or take one of their guided historic tours)
Eat
- Bodo’s bagels
- Picnic on the Lawn of UVA
- Pick anything at Carter Mountain (stay for the apple cider donuts and sunset views)
- Pick strawberries at Critzer Farm
- Visit a winery (see our favorite local wineries in this post here)
- Visit a brewery
- Visit a cidery
- Visit a distillery
- Eat fried chicken at Michie Tavern
- Enjoy a local coffee shop
- Visit the Farmers Market on a Saturday morning
- Get sandwiches from Bellair Market
- Sip tea at Twisted Branch Tea Bazaar
- Get ice cream sundaes from Chaps
- Purchase truffles at Gearharts Chocolates
- Eat a fancy meal: consider Alley Light, TEN, Tavola
- Get pastries from Marie Bette
- Eat a bowl from Roots
- Eat a Gusburger from The Spot
- Take friends & family to the Dairy Market
- Get Crozet pizza takeout for your movie night
- Get smashburgers at Riverside Lunch
Music & Arts
- Listen to live music at Ting Pavilion
- Dance at underground parties at The Common House
- Visit the Fralin Art Museum
- Visit the Kluge Art Museum
- Take a class at McGuffey Art Center
- Listen to live jazz at Millers
- See a show at The Paramount Theater
- Do an art project at The Art Bar
- Try glass art at Glass Palette
- See a show at The Jefferson Theater (The Legwarmers)
- Enjoy Fridays After Five
- Head to IX art park: write on the chalkboard
- Go Through the Looking Glass
- Visit UVA Library: Alderman and the “Harry Potter” Room (note that Alderman is currently under renovations)
- Catch Tuesday night bluegrass at the Whiskey Jar
- Listen to UVA a capella (while there are quite a few, one of them appeared in Pitch Perfect!)
Shop
- Vintage shopping at Circa
- Get lost at Daedalus Books
- Head to Grelen Market
- Stock up on UVA gear at Mincer’s
- Window shop on the Downtown Mall
Special Events
- A night at McCormick Observatory (note that tickets are required in advance and go months in advance)
- The lighting of the Christmas Tree on the Downtown Mall
- Holiday lights at Boar’s Head Inn
- 4th of July at Monticello
- Virginia Film Festival
- Corn Maze at Liberty Mills
- Hear a lecture or guest speaker at UVA
- Go up in a hot air balloon (read my article on this here)
- Enjoy the Tom Tom Festival
- Spoil yourself at the Wintergreen Spa
Did I miss your favorite thing to do in Charlottesville? Drop it below in the comments.
And have a happy family trip in the area, friends!
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