There are so many fun things to do near Madison, Virginia; you may be surprised. When I recently stayed for a month, I was shocked at how places and activities on my ever-growing list of things to do kept expanding. It was astonishing since I’d never heard of the place before renting a little cottage there. But it ended up being an idyllic location in the Shenandoah Valley within just two hours of many premiere Virginia locations and attractions. Plus, there are several wineries, breweries, a ton of incredible history, and beautiful scenery.
That the land is beautiful goes without saying when Presidents Thomas Jefferson, James Monroe, James Madison and Herbert Hoover all had homes in the area. It’s a place that holds its history dearly and still commemorates Hoover’s 1929 visit to the area yearly.
Downtown Madison is a short stretch of historic architecture from of 18th and 19th centuries, and many are now museums. Going past the extensive vineyards and driving down Main Street is like traveling back in time, but with enough modern amenities that anyone can enjoy the experience.
Here are a few fun things to do near Madison, Virginia or within a few hours’ drive.
1 Hike in Shenandoah National Park
The Shenandoah National Park runs through Madison, Virginia, and you can access it at a few different locations. The park extends along the Blue Ridge Mountains with Skyline Drive, a 100-mile scenic road going through the center of the 80,000-acre park. The park also includes a section of the Appalachian Trail among its forested features, wetlands, waterfalls and rocky peaks like the famed Old Rag mountain. The park’s elevation is 550 feet at its lowest to over 4,049 feet at its highest and contains over 500 miles of trails, many bird species, deer, squirrels and black bears. But the park’s history, the people who used to live there, and the 100 cemeteries they left behind may be its most unique feature.
2 Experience Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello
Thomas Jefferson’s Virginia home is among the most visited in the United States. As the author of the Declaration of Independence, he is one of the most revered writers in the country, if not the world. Much of his work and history has been preserved in his Monticello home, which is open for tours. Located in Charlottesville, Virginia, Monticello is worth visiting if you are interested in American history, colonial culture, or architecture. The house is up a long, winding green path with a majestic view for miles that just might make it worth the trip.
Fun Fact: The house is an icon of American architecture and the only private home featured on the U.S. currency. It’s on the back of the nickel.
3 Visit Poplar Forest
You may be familiar with Monticello, but Thomas Jefferson’s retreat home, Popular Forest, is less known. This is the place, two hours south of Madison, Virginia, in Bedford Country, where Jefferson went when he wanted privacy from the many visitors at home. Architecture experts say it’s his crowning achievement.
Visitors can take a guided or self-guided app-based tour through the house and grounds, where they’ll see the main level of the house, the wing of offices, historical exhibits, the ornamental gardens and the enslaved dwellings. The outbuildings include displays about the archaeology, restoration and history of Poplar Forest. There’s a prominent feature on Jefferson’s enslaved community, especially the Hemmings family.
4 Go Spelunking in the Luray Caverns
Luray Caverns in Virginia is the third most-visited cave system in the United States, and it’s the only one with a stalagmite pipe organ – named the world’s biggest underground instrument by Guinness World Records. The Luray Caverns are a United States National Landmark in the Shenandoah Valley, just west of the Blue Ridge Mountains, less than two hours from Madison, Virginia. No matter which direction you drive from, you’ll travel through wide-open swaths of land, rolling hills and tiny historic towns.
General Admission includes access not just to Luray Caverns but other attached attractions, including a Shenandoah Heritage Village, Toy Town Junction, and the Car & Carriage Caravan Museum. There’s also a hedge maze, rope gym, golf course and other attractions to occupy families for hours, if not days.
5 See James Monroe’s Highland
The area certainly has its share of famous homes of former presidents. You’ll find James Monroe’s Highland just a few miles from Monticello. The fifth U.S. president built the original farmhouse in 1823 but continued to add to his “castle cabin” for the next 20 years. You’ll find a surprisingly humble abode and the smallest presidential home in the area. What it has, however, that none of the others do is a view of Monticello in the distance.
6 Tour George Washington’s Mount Vernon
Each year one million people tour George Washington’s Mount Vernon home, making it a top United States attraction. It’s just a lovely two-hour drive away from Madison, Virginia. As the beloved home of America’s first President and an American landmark, it is worth visiting. More than that, it’s a historically essential preservation of colonial America life. Not only is the original home preserved, but so are the grounds and the artifacts of the plantation community. It is also the site of Washington’s grave.
7 Visit James Madison’s Montpelier
You can’t go to Madison, Virginia, without stopping by the home of its namesake. The town was named for the Madison family, who you know though James Madison, America’s fourth president. His home, Montpelier, at 2,600+ acres, is enormous by today’s standards. It’s a great place to go hiking too. Eight miles of trails in James Madison’s Landmark Forest surround the property, while signage gives historical information about the land. Montpelier is worth visiting if you’re interested in American history or enjoy wooded hiking trails.
8 Stroll through Arlington National Cemetery
There are 600+ acres in Arlington National Cemetery in Washington, D.C. where seeing so many uniform graves is stunning. Additionally, there are at least 35 other monuments and memorials in Arlington National Cemetery. They stand for past wars, combat groups and divisions, space shuttles like Challenger, specific demographics of people such as the Spanish-American War Nurses, battles, people and more. Here you will find the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and see the changing of the guard and visit President John F. Kennedy’s grave with its eternal flame, among other things.
They offer motorized tours, and the large visitor center has a wealth of information about the land and the people buried there.
9 Go to Washington, D.C., to see Monuments and Museums
The United States capital is just two hours from Madison, Virginia and has so many things to see and do you’ll want to make it an overnight trip. The city has hundreds of monuments, memorials, statues, and historic sites. Deciding which ones to see can be mind-boggling, but only a few are required viewing, depending on your interests.
Deciding which monuments and memorials in Washington D.C. to see may be easier than determining whether you’ll see them at night or the day because the monuments have a different look depending on the sun or moon above.
There are also 70+ museums in the city! These take significantly more time to visit than a monument, so you’ll want to choose wisely. The Smithsonian museums are world-class, and I suggest starting there. Not only is what’s inside the museum spectacular, but the architectural features on the exteriors make them all at least worth a drive by.
10 Visit the Historic Triangle: Jamestown, Yorktown and Williamsburg
About two hours east of Madison, Virginia, you’ll find the historic triangle of three towns. Each is worth the trip.
Historic Jamestown is where the Powhatan Indians lived for centuries before the English arrived in 1607 and established the first British colony. It’s the actual archeological site of the original city. Here, you’ll find predominantly outdoor exhibits and spaces. You’ll be able to see archeologists working to uncover the old town and many recreated displays. The archeology takes you through the history of the Virginia colony through 1699.
Yorktown, Virginia, is famous as the site of the last major battle of the Revolutionary War. It’s where Cornwallis’ British Army surrendered, and George Washington won the American Revolution. There you’ll see the battlements, surrender field, the ramparts where the boy waved the white flag, and the Moore house where they agreed to the conditions of freedom. The area has so much history of the battles conducted by George Washington, Marquise de Lafayette, Alexander Hamilton, and others.
Colonial Williamsburg is famous as being the first capital of the Virginia Colony in 1699 and was home to many notable people in early American history. In Williamsburg, most businesses and houses are original, restored or recreated to look still as the town would have looked hundreds of years ago. As Virginia’s capital until 1780, it was the center of education and culture. All the famous people of the day, such as George Washington, Patrick Henry, James Madison, George Wythe, Peyton Randolph, and others, have walked its streets.
11 Wineries and Breweries
The region around Madison, Virginia, is known for wineries and a few great breweries. You can spend days visiting each of them, doubling as an excellent road trip among spectacular scenery. Much of the wine country can is along the Monticello Wine Trail, inspired by Thomas Jefferson’s vision for the region. Here are just a few worth visiting.
- Early Mountain Vineyards, 6109 Wolftown Hood Road, was right down the street from me. It has a great outdoor space with spectacular views of the Blue Ridge Mountains, especially at sunset.
- Fieldstone Trails, 2585 S F T Valley Rd, is a winery that offers horseback rides.
- Bald Top Brewing, 1830 Thrift Road, is a historic farm brewery that uses hops and plants grown on its own farm.
- Blue Quartz Winery & Shotwell Run Brewing Company, 2585 S F T Valley Road, overlooks the famed Old Rag Mountain.
- DuCard Vineyards, 40 Gibson Hollow Ln, has seven acres of French and Virginia grapes.
If you like hiking, wine and breweries, history, architecture, and the great outdoors, Madison, Virginia, is worth visiting.
Read more stories about Virginia here.
