Being a large, metropolitan hub nestled in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains chain, you can be sure to find plenty of things to do in Roanoke that make it the perfect weekend trip from Raleigh.
Roanoke in Virginia is less than a 3-hour drive from Raleigh. We’ve said it many times that we love living in Raleigh because it’s central location makes it a perfect base for exploring, and one of the places we love exploring is Roanoke because there’s so many things to do there!
Roanoke and Virginia’s Blue Ridge allows you to get back in touch with nature, but also gives you access to metro delights – like local shopping, sipping on craft beers, and gorging on seasonal foods.
Things to Do in Roanoke
Without further ado, here are some ideas for what to do in Roanoke, whether you’re visiting for a week or weekend, there’s something everyone can enjoy on this list.
You can also discover these attractions in our interactive map! You can download this map by clicking the star icon in the top bar.
1. Find the LoveWorks Signs
Virginia is for lovers and a fun way that Virginia tourism showcases that passion throughout the state is with LOVEworks signs that spell out L-O-V-E and showcases the vibe of its location.
When you visit Virginia, you can find these signs at over 200 destinations throughout the state with several in Virginia’s Blue Ridge region.
It’s a fun family activity to find them throughout the region and have your family photo. We’ll share a cool few signs we found throughout the content below. Share your ones with us when you visit.
2. Hike to The Roanoke Star and Mill Mountain Park
No trip to Roanoke is complete without visiting its star attraction – the Roanoke Star on the top of Mill Mountain (also known as the Mill Mountain Star) and the Hollywood sign of the East.
The 88.5 ft tall Roanoke Star was constructed in 1949 as a holiday decoration and has now become the progressive symbol of the town giving it the nickname of Star City, and it’s one of the most popular things to do in Roanoke VA!
Enjoy the fantastic views of downtown in the Roanoke Valley and surrounding mountains while you are up here, especially the Fall colors. It’s the perfect scene that welcomes you to Roanoke!
The Mill Mountain Park has ample opportunity for outdoor adventures including are several hiking and mountain biking trails. The Mill Mountain Zoo, Wildflower Garden and Discovery Center is up here too.
Sunset is a pretty time to visit and we were told sunrise is equally as beautiful.
Make sure you look out for it illuminated at night – this sparkling star is your Roanoke beacon of light.
3. Appreciate the Fall Foliage on the Blue Ridge Parkway
Winding through 469 miles of mountainous beauty from North Carolina to Virginia, the Blue Ridge Parkway is known as “America’s Favorite Drive” and one of the most scenic drives in America.
We spent the day enjoying the many vistas and Blue Ridge Parkway fall colors from Milepost 120 at Mill Mountain to Milepost 86 at the Peaks of Otter.
The Parkway is only a 10-minute drive from Downtown Roanoke and there are plenty of stops for hikers along the Blue Ridge Parkway (both short and long) and scenic overlooks to pull over for photographs!
As we were short on time and hiking fitness, we caught the shuttle up to the top of Sharp Top Mountain for extraordinary 360-degree views of the Peaks of Otter area, The Piedmont to the East, and the Shenandoah Valley with the Allegheny Valley Mountains to the west.
We then hiked back down and realized we could have easily managed the hike up. Next visit!
The nearby Abbott Lake is a beautiful spot for lunch at the Peaks of Otter Lodge and a short 0.9-mile flat walk around the lake. The colors here were spectacular.
We loved driving the Blue Ridge Parkway Virginia section so much we’re planning to go back again in the spring.
Tip: McAfee Knob is a bucket list item for many hikers and is one of the most photographed places on the Appalachian Trail.
4. Go Wine Tasting & Apple Picking at the Peaks of Otter Winery
A short detour on the Blue Ridge Parkway drive, takes you to Peaks of Otter Winery & Orchards where you can do some wine tasting.
I’ve never seen such eclectic flavors of wine before from pumpkin to raspberry, pineapple and coconut (colada) and chocolate cherry bomb.
For the non-drivers, you can purchase a flight of 8 wines, which gives you 8 samples.
For the holiday season, be sure to include the Pumpkin Pie (Thanksgiving) and Cranberry (Christmas) to your sample tray.
I am sure your guests will love a glass of each during your celebration feast and will love the stories of your Virginia’s Blue Ridge vacation you pair with it.
And the kids don’t have to miss out either. Grab a bag and head into the orchard for some apple picking. That’s your Thanksgiving apple pie dessert sorted out!
They are open daily from noon until 5.00pm.
READ MORE: See some of the breweries we visit in our Guide to the Blue Ridge Parkway, VA post.
5. Bike/Walk the Roanoke Valley Greenways + Roanoke River
The Roanoke Valley Greenways winds for over 30-miles through the various communities of this region of the Blue Ridge in Virginia.
You can bike, walk, or run the pathways to connect to interesting parts of the region, downtown districts, and the Roanoke River.
This is another of the popular things to do in Roanoke and it’s a great way to relax, get around, and enjoy the beautiful Fall foliage, especially along the river banks.
6. ZipLine through the Fall Foliage
Ready for a different perspective of the Fall Foliage?
Why not view it from inside its golden canopy as you climb, crawl, and fly between the treetops at TreeTop Quest in Explore Park.
Just off the Blue Ridge Parkway at Milepost 115, Explore Park features hundreds of acres of rolling hills, pristine woodlands, hiking trails, river frontage, and an aerial adventure course where you can go flying through the trees.
We’ve been doing zipline and obstacle courses as a family since Kalyra was four, and this zipline course in Virginia’s Blue Ridge was one of the best we have done. There are four courses of various levels with an age limit of seven.
Our favorites were Course 2A with their interesting obstacles like giant punching bags and crawling through cycles of various heights and swinging crooked ladders, and course 3 which was mostly ziplines between the trees with the odd Tarzan swing thrown in.
This is one of the fun things to do in Roanoke and a memory your kids will cherish on your Virginia vacation. The Fall colors made it even more special.
7. Be Amazed at Roanoke Pinball Museum
If you’re looking for things to do with kids in Roanoke, and a fun break from the outdoor recreation, there are plenty of museums in Roanoke and indoor attractions to keep your family entertained for hours.
You can simply head to Center in the Square, a 7-story center filled with arts and culture attractions, featuring various museums, a theater and a rooftop garden.
One of our favorite attractions in the center is Roanoke Pinball Museum.
We have a unique family hobby – vintage record collecting! In keeping with this new found connection over the beloved old, we were delighted to take our girls to the Roanoke Pinball Museum and show them how we entertained ourselves long before the internet.
I never realized these was so many different types of pinball machines!
From the 1932 styles to the slightly more modern Munster’s machine which had a baby pinball inside the bigger one to play, you could get lost in here playing over 65 machines for hours.
Great news – the girls loved it and Savannah has added pinball machine to her design for our future house.
8. Get Your Gamer Mode on at Roanoke STARCADE
But wait, the fun doesn’t stop there in the Center in the Square.
Down the corridor is Roanoke STARCADE where you’ll find some of your old favorite arcade games like car racing, Pac-man, and our family favorite, basketball hoop shooting competitions!
Also, in the Center in the Square you’ll find the Kids Square Children’s Museum, The Harrison Museum of African American Culture, and The Science Museum of Western Virginia.
9. Admire Modern Art at Taubman Museum of Art
Keeping in line with an affordable and cultured Metro-Mountain getaway, be sure to visit the Taubman Museum of Art in Downtown Roanoke.
It features 10 galleries showcasing art from around the world as well as American and regional art in its permanent collection.
Art Venture is an interactive exploratory space for youth with hands on art activities. Admission is FREE!
10. Hit the Shopping Streets in Roanoke
Roanoke is a great destination for shopping and is home to many boutique stores, a farmers market, and antique shops filled with local wares and exciting gift opportunities.
The Historic Roanoke City Market is a popular place for visitors and locals. It has been selling farm-fresh produce downtown since 1882, and is open seven days a week, from 8.00m – 5.00pm.
As well as this, be sure to check out some of our favorite stores in Virginia’s Blue Ridge region that we loved…
Chocolatepaper, Roanoke
How can you walk past a store called Chocolatepaper and not go in?
You’ll find plenty of holiday gift ideas in this unique store in the historic Downtown Farmer’s Market in Roanoke.
They have a vast selection of the finest chocolates, creative greeting cards, beautiful gift wrap, fun and contemporary gifts, and Roanoke goodies!
Grandin Village
Historic Grandin Village is a walkable, eclectic, and family-friendly urban area filled with independently owned restaurants and unique stores (including Black Dog Salvage).
I loved New to Me, a consignment store that had a large collection of quality art, furniture, clothing, and collectible antiques.
Boot lovers will enjoy the diverse collection in here. I was incredibly happy with my white winter boots I picked up for only $24.
If you’re looking for an affordable breakfast or lunch while in this area, head to Scratch Biscuit, a local’s favorite for homemade southern biscuits filled with innovative flavors.
Black Dog Salvage
For those who love DIY reality shows, you probably already know Black Dog Salvage, regularly seen on the popular Salvage Dawgs.
After seeing the eclectic mix of antiques, commercial salvage, reclaimed works, and unique home décor items in a 40,000 square-foot warehouse I was inspired to see what this show is all about.
Don’t miss the LOVEworks sign out the back of the building towards the river and beside the stage. It was our favorite one in Roanoke. We loved the greenery backdrop.
Charlotte’s Web Antique Mall, Salem
Salem is just a 20-minute drive from Roanoke and has a growing reputation as an antique mecca.
Inside Charlotte’s Web Antique Mall are independent booths filled with collectables, vintage jewelry, clothing, books and furniture.
If you love vintage record collecting, this is a place to visit. Sadly, I was dragged out of there before I could, but not before I found Princes’ Purple Rain for only $12 and the Carpenters for $6 (a childhood favorite of mine.)
Old’s Cool Antique Store, Rocky Mount
OK, record collectors, this was my favorite find in Virginia’s Blue Ridge. Old’s Cool Antique Store in Rocky Mount has the most fun collection of vintage toys and “Old School” collectables.
Most importantly, it had the best collection of records I’ve seen at incredible prices. I walked out with 15 albums including Dylan’s Greatest Hits, three of my favorite Doors albums, Bruce Springsteen, Bon Jovi, and Midnight Oil all for just $75. I didn’t even get to browse half of their collection.
This will be a regular stop whenever we visit Virginia’s Blue Ridge.
11. Enjoy Farm to Table Dining at Local Roots, Grandin Village
One of the things we loved about our trip to Roanoke was the endless options to enjoy farm to table dining and healthy eating.
Since we have several food allergies and fussy eaters in our family, finding places to eat that has TOP QUALITY food and produce is essential to us.
If good food is essential to you too, then be sure to visit Local Roots in Grandin Village.
Local Roots epitomizes that and is driven by the philosophy of providing Sustainable, Organic, Local, Ethical dining experiences.
Their homemade pimento cheese paired with apple slices and green tomatoes was just delicious. As was Craig’s spicy rabbit stew and my NC Trout. Kalyra’s Brasstown Beef short ribs was equally delicious.
The ambiance was warm and friendly and the service impeccable.
12. Check Out Christmas Holiday Experiences in Virginia’s Blue Ridge
On our visit to Roanoke was in the Fall and they were preparing for the upcoming Winter Holiday events. Here are a few of the special events to soak up some festive spirit…
Illuminights at Explore Park
Illuminights at Explore Park is an unmissable sight for anyone visiting Roanoke in the winter months. It features a large lighted display in the forest, where a half-mile of wooded path is illuminated in over 650,000 lights, dazzling features, and memorable moments.
While you’re here, shop for artisan crafts, roast marshmallows around the campfire, and enjoy additional family activities on select nights. Santa may even stop in for a visit.
This Christmas holiday experience in Roanoke is open from November 1st 2024 until January 3rd 2025, every night except Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, and Christmas
Fashions for Evergreen at the Historic Hotel Roanoke
Fashions for Evergreens is an annual event that takes place in downtown Roanoke in the holiday season, where the highlight of the event is the unique tree competition, featuring more than 34 professionally designed trees.
You can take a self-guided tour throughout the historic and elegant Hotel Roanoke where you can vote for your favorites with as little as a penny.
- Dates: Thanksgiving Day to New Year’s Day
- Cost: Free and Open to the Public
Bank of Fincastle Tinsel Trail, Fincastle
The popular Tinsel Trail is another way to see beautifully decorated Christmas trees decorated by community businesses and organizations.
Opening night usually offers small group tours of the Botetourt County Historical Museum followed by homemade mulled cider, hot chocolate, and appetizers.
All these memories to make in the beautiful setting of historic Fincastle. This event is free and open to the public.
Dates for 2024 are yet to be announced, but you can check here for more details.
13. Follow Fall Quirkiness on the Scarecrow Trail, Rocky Mount
On your way in or out of Roanoke County from Raleigh, stop in at the town of Rocky Mount, Virginia to see the Scarecrow Trail.
Up and down Franklin St and Main St you’ll find a variety of scarecrows dressed and tied to the street posts.
Each scarecrow reflects the business it stands in front of like the Money Scarecrow outside the bank, the librarian outside the library and the very cool Quarantine Hair Tragic Scarecrow outside the hair salon. It’s a little quirky Fall fun and one of the cool things to do near Roanoke.
While here, you’ll also find a cool LOVEworks sign out the front of where the Farmer’s Market is.
Doubly worth stopping in this town if you love vintage shopping and record collecting and music.
It has quite the small-town music vibe with the Harvester Performance Center that has over 180 annual concerts each year.
Rocky Mount is the gateway to the Crooked Road, Virginia’s Heritage Music trail connecting visitors with southwestern Virginia’s incredibly rich musical history (333 miles from Rocky Mount to Breaks Interstate Park).
14. Take the Kids to Splash Valley Water Park
If you’re visiting during the summer months, you’ll notice it can get hot in Roanoke, so why not take the kids to a water park to cool off in?
The Splash Valley water park has two 34-foot high water slides, a current river (not a lazy river, more fast paced than that!), an outdoor pool, and a children’s sprayground.
It’s only open from Memorial Day to Labor Day.
15. Visit Virginia Museum of Transportation
For railway enthusiasts, don’s miss The Virginia Museum of Transport in downtown Roanoke, which has a large collection of steam, diesel and electric trains.
It has interactive exhibits and interesting railway memorabilia to explore, and you can even get up close to the trains in the outdoor rail yard.
As well as trains, it also has a collection of vintage cars from the 1930s, including a historic fire truck!
Where to Stay in Roanoke: SpringHill Suites, Roanoke
We loved the modern comfort and location of the SpringHill Suites by Marriott located just minutes from Downtown Roanoke.
It was the perfect location for all the places we visited and is near popular places like Black Dog Salvage, Star Hill Brewery, and the Greenway Trail. In fact, you could walk along the Greenway Trail from there to Wasena Park and Black Dog Salvage from the hotel.
The hotel has a free daily breakfast and a casual lobby bar for evening cocktails. There is also a complimentary shuttle to popular destinations including the airport.
The suite rooms are spacious and comfortable, especially for families. We love the extra living area where our girls could watch TV.
For other places to stay in Roanoke, you can use the map below to find and book your hotel or vacation rental.
Save with the VBR Savings Pass
Did you know you can save on tons of attractions, museums, restaurants and shops when exploring Roanoke and beyond? The VBR Savings Pass is FREE to obtain, and sends you discounts for various places straight to your phone.
We found Virginia’s Blue Ridge an affordable destination to begin with, but with the VBR Savings Pass, it becomes even cheaper.
Some deals include Buy 1 Get 1 Free on appetizers at Awful Arthur’s Seafood Company, 15% of at Amrhein’s Wine Cellars, and a free souvenir from Beliveau Farm Winery when you book a tour.
It’s effortless to use from your phone, and you can also find passes for several other locations around the USA. It’s a fantastic initiative and since it costs nothing to join, we can’t let you go without sharing this money-saving tip!
Final Thoughts
So there you have it, those are some exciting things to do in Roanoke and as you can see, there’s a lot of diversity on this list!
Whether you’re looking for scenic drives, outdoor adventures, relaxing experiences, or fascinating museums, there’s something for everyone on this list.
We hope this post helped you plan your trip to visit Roanoke and Virginia’s Blue Ridge. Let us know if you have any questions, or favorite attractions, in the comments below!
Pin Below To Save To Pinterest
