Mount Vernon, Richmond

One of Virginia's most popular tourist attractions and the highlight of any historical Virginia tour, Mount Vernon is the colonial estate of George Washington. The plantation has been restored to look just as it did during Washington's era. Consisting of 500 acres situated on the Potomac River, the gardens, mansion, and other buildings are open to the public, and costumed employees demonstrate life in the 18th century. In 2007, Mount Vernon was given permission to reopen Washington's distillery, which now produces its own whiskey, available only at the Mount Vernon Gift Shop. The estate offers tours of the mansion and grounds, sightseeing cruises on the Potomac River, and special tours showing scenes from the movie National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets.

Opening Times:
Open daily April to August 8am-5pm; March, September and October 9am-5pm; November to February 9am-4pm.

Admission:
General admission $15 adults, $7 children 6-17. Other concessions available. Distillery $4 adults, $2 children 6-17. Special tours charge separate fees.

Monticello, Richmond

Monticello was the estate of Thomas Jefferson, third president of the United States and author of the Declaration of Independence. The distinctive neoclassical building of the main house was designed by Jefferson himself, and he continued to improve and add to it until his death in 1826. Jefferson's time at Monticello is surrounded by controversy regarding his treatment of his slaves, and particular relationship with one named Sally Hemings. The house, outbuildings and gardens are all open to the public, and tours are offered year-round.

Opening Times:
Hours vary according to season, generally 9am-6pm. Tours run throughout the day.

Admission:
Adults: $22 ($17 November to February), Children: $8

Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond

Richmond boasts an exceptional Fine Arts Museum, which presents a panorama of world art from ancient to modern, including the largest public Fabergé imperial Easter egg collection outside of Russia, consisting of roughly 150 jewel-encrusted creations made for Tsars Alexander III and Nicholas II. The Museum also boasts a collection of English silver, one of the world's leading collections of the art of India, Nepal and Tibet, and six Gobelin Don Quixote tapestries.

Opening Times:
Saturday to Wednesday 10am-5pm, Thursday and Friday 10am-9pm.

Admission:
Free, but admission fees are charged for temporary exhibitions

Richmond National Battlefield Park, Richmond

Between 1861 and 1865, Union armies repeatedly set out to capture Richmond, strategic capital of the Confederacy, and end the Civil War. Three of those campaigns came within a few miles of the city. The park commemorates 11 different sites associated with those campaigns, including the battlefields at Gaines' Mill, Malvern Hill, and Cold Harbor. Established in 1936, the park protects 763 acres of historic ground. There is a visitor centre in the Tredegar Irons Works on Richmond Riverfront Canal Walk at the corner of Tredegar and 5th Streets. Here, visitors can watch a film depicting the battles around the city and get information about self-guided tours of the battlefields.

Opening Times:
Battlefields are open from sunrise to sunset. Visitor centre open 9am to 5pm. Closed Thanksgiving, 25 December, and 1 January.

Admission:
Free

Nauticus, Norfolk

Nauticus is a valuable attraction for both educational and entertainment purposes. This maritime-themed science centre and museum now stands where Norfolk's banana pieronce was and features exhibits, interactive theatres and touch tanks, as well as a weather station. It is also home to the USS Wisconsin, an additional interest for mariners and vacationers alike.

Opening Times:
Tuesday to Saturday 10am-5pm, Sunday 12pm-5pm.

Admission:
$11.95 (adults) and $9.50 (children)

Museum and White House of the Confederacy, Richmond

Civil War buffs flock to the Museum of the Confederacy, which houses the most comprehensive collection of Confederate artefacts, personal memorabilia and art to be found anywhere in the United States. The exhibits include 550 battle flags, 215 uniforms, including those of well-known officers, and 1,000 military buttons. Art works on display include E.B.D. Julio's heroic painting, 'The Last Meeting of Lee and Jackson'. Beside the museum is the White House of the Confederacy, the 1818 mansion in which Confederate President Jefferson Davis and his family lived during the Civil War. It is still furnished with original items. Visitors have to join a tour to see the White House. These depart regularly throughout the day.

Opening Times:
Monday to Saturday 10am to 5pm; Sunday 12pm to 5pm.

Admission:
Museum: $9 (adults), $5 (children 7-18); White House: $9 (adults), $5 (children). Combo ticket: $12 (adults), $7 (children). Other concessions available

Capitol Square, Richmond

Richmond's Capitol Square is a glorious oasis of old trees and green lawns in the heart of the downtown area, perched on a hilltop. The magnificent centrepiece is the neo-classical State Capitol building, designed by Thomas Jefferson, which has been in continuous use since 1788. In the Capitol's Rotunda stands Virginia's most treasured artwork, the life-sized statue of George Washington sculpted by Jean Antoine Houdon, for whom Washington posed. Another highlight of the square is the Governor's Mansion, home of Virginia governors since 1813. The mansion, which has been restored but boasts its original woodwork, plaster cornices and ornamental ceilings, is open for tours on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays (first floor only). Another historic building in the square is the old Bell Tower, dating from 1824, which houses a visitor centre providing tourist information about Virginia.

Opening Times:
Open daily. Guided tours are Monday to Saturday 9am to 4pm, Sunday 1pm to 4pm.

Admission:
State Capitol tours are free.

Lexington, Shenandoah Valley

The sedate town of Lexington, 138 miles (222km) west of Richmond in the Shenandoah Valley, boasts one of the most picturesque downtown areas in America, its fine old buildings having been preserved and restored so it appears that the clock stopped here in the 1800s. Tourists visit the town simply for its ambience, and perhaps to pay tribute to Civil War General Robert E Lee, who after the war served as president of the Washington and Lee University here and was eventually buried in Lexington along with his famous horse, Traveller. Apart from the University, which has one of the oldest and most attractive campuses in the country, Lexington is also home to the Virginia Military Institute, one of whose graduates was General George C. Marshall, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize. The Institute has a museum dedicated to his memory.

Shenandoah National Park, Shenandoah Valley

Following the Blue Ridge Mountains for 100 miles (161km) through west Virginia, the Shenandoah National Park is a wilderness area where deer and black bears roam among about 100 species of trees on the forested slopes. Hiking trails snake through the area from the azalea-trimmed Skyline Drive, the 105-mile (169km) long road that runs through the park from the Piedmont Plateau, providing wonderful vistas of the Shenandoah Valley from its overlooks. Services and visitor centres are available on the drive, but are closed during winter. Wildflower weekend is celebrated in May, and ranger-led tours and programs are offered between April and October.

Getting There:
No public transport operates within the park

Opening Times:
Open 24-hours daily; some sections of the Skyline drive are closed between dusk and early morning during the hunting season, or during bad weather. Visitor facilties operate from March to late November.

Admission:
Individuals: $8 (March to November); $5 (December to February). Vehicles: $15 (March to November); $10 (December to February). Tickets are valid for 7 days.

Virginia Science Museum, Richmond

The hands-on Virginia Science Museum allows visitors to touch, feel, observe and explore the impact of science on their lives, covering everything from astronomy to computers, and crystals to flight engineering. The museum is housed in a soaring historic building, the former Broad Street Station designed in 1919 by John Russell Pope. The fascinating and fun museum is complemented by a 275-seat Ethyl Universe Planetarium and Space Theatre that screens Omnimax films as well as providing multimedia planetarium shows.

Opening Times:
Tuesday to Saturday, 9:30am to 5pm; Sunday, 11:30am to 5pm

Admission:
Exhibits $11 (adult), $10 (child); IMAX $9; both $16 (adult) and $15 (child)

St John's Episcopal Church, Richmond

St John's Church has stood on Richmond Hill above the James River since 1741, and is known for having been the venue for the second Virginia Convention in 1775, attended by George Washington and other historic personalities. The church is also where legendary Pocahontas was baptised and married to John Rolfe. The wooden building still boasts its original pulpit and some exquisite stained-glass windows. Between May and September living history performances are given every Sunday recreating the historic Second Virginia Convention. Informative tours explore the historic significance of the church building and grounds.

Opening Times:
Guided tours Monday to Saturday 10am to 4pm (3:30pm in winter); Sunday 1pm to 4:30pm (3:30pm in winter). Sunday services at 8:30am and 11am

Admission:
Tours: $7 (adults), $5 (children 7-18), Other concessions available.

The Chrysler Museum of Art, Norfolk

Originally founded in 1933, the Chrysler Museum of Art is located on the waters of The Hague, in the Ghent district of Norfolk, and is home to the art collection of Walter P. Chrysler, Jr. Over time it has increased its collection significantly and is one of Norfolk's most esteemed attractions. The museum is family-friendly, and kids will love the Daniel Rozin interactive installation.

Opening Times:
Wednesday to Saturday, 10am to 5pm. Sunday 1pm to 5pm.

Admission:
Free. There are entry fees for certain special exhibitions.

Colonial Historic Triangle, Virginia Coast

The three east-Virginian towns of Williamsburg, Jamestown and Yorktown make up a unique historical attraction where the clock has been turned back 200 years or more. The first British settlers in the 'New World' founded Jamestown in 1607. In nearby Yorktown in 1781 Americans won their independence during the last major battle of the Revolution. Visitors can now see what life was like in the fledgling Virginia during the colonial period by visiting Williamsburg, where a British flag still flies over the Capitol building and women are still wearing long dresses and ruffled caps, with men in powdered wigs populating the taverns. It all adds up to the greatest historic theme show ever, but it makes Williamsburg into more than just a recreation of an 18th-century town. Chat to the locals and you feel you are actually back in those days, as blacksmiths puff their bellows at the forge and clip-clopping horses pull carriages along the cobblestone streets. The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation looks after 88 original buildings in the town, while 300 others have been reconstructed, including two taverns, a parish church, the courthouse and capitol building.

Admission:
Each attraction charges its own fees. Combo tickets for Williamsburg, Jamestown and Yorktown are $78.25 adults, $32.75 children and is valid for seven days.