Day One: Arrive at the Roanoke Valley Visitor Information Center and receive a personal welcome and sightseeing tour led by a local step-on guide. Your first stop will be the Roanoke Star and Overlook where you’ll see the Valley’s famed neon star and take in a stunning view of the region. Next is shopping and browsing at the Historic Farmers’ Market where there are lots of unique shops, galleries and restaurants. A tour of the #1 Fire Station follows. The station was built in 1907 and is modeled after Independence Hall in Philadelphia. Then tour the Virginia Museum of Transportation which houses nearly 60 pieces of rolling stock including the Class J-611 and 1218 steam engines. Top off your first day with dinner and a private tour of the O. Winston Link Museum or a live evening performance.

Day Two: A short 40-minute ride takes you to the National D-Day Memorial, a moving tribute to allied forces who landed in France in 1944. Then enjoy a relaxing cruise aboard the Virginia Dare on scenic Smith Mountain Lake. Then learn about the life of the famous African-American educator at the Booker T. Washington Monument.



Day Three: Relax and enjoy the scenery on the beautiful Blue Ridge Parkway and enjoy stops at Mabry Mill, one of the most photographed places on the Parkway followed by lunch and wine tasting at Chateau Morrisette Winery.

Student Adventure Tour (2 days/1 night)

Day One: Arrive in time for lunch in downtown Roanoke. Afterward walk to the nearby Science Museum of Western Virginia for a hands-on tour and planetarium show. Include the new Taubman Museum of Art for a tour of the galleries and Art Venture, a creative, interactive art center for students. Next visit the nationally accredited Mill Mountain Zoo exhibiting more than 50 species of animals. Choose from a variety of educational programs. Check-in at your hotel and dress comfortably to watch a Salem Red Sox Baseball game from box seats while eating game day hot dogs. Overnight in the Valley.



Day Two: Choose from a visit to Booker T. Washington National Monument to see plantation life and learn about the well-known black educator, the National D-Day Memorial or Thomas Jefferson’s Poplar Forest.

African-American Heritage Tour (2 days/1 night)

Day One: Begin your tour at the Visitor Center for a welcome and restroom break. Your first stop will be the Virginia Museum of Transportation where your group will learn about the role that African-Americans played with the growth of the railroad. Grab a box lunch at the Roanoker Restaurant on your way to tour the Booker T. Washington National Monument for a glimpse of the birthplace of the well-known black educator. Finish the day with a dinner cruise aboard the Virginia Dare on scenic Smith Mountain Lake. Afterward, check into your Roanoke Valley lodging establishment.

Day Two: Start your day with a step-on guided tour of the Valley and end up with a special tour of The Harrison Museum of African American Culture and a stop at the new Martin Luther King Jr. Statue dedicated in 2008. Finally, enjoy lunch downtown in the Historic Farmers’ Market area.

Roanoke Valley Day Trip

Arrive mid-morning at the Visitor Center for a welcome and restroom break. Walk to the Historic Farmers’ Market and tour the area for an overview and history of the Roanoke Valley given by a local step-on guide. Take a brief walk to Fire Station No. 1, built in 1907 and inspired by Independence Hall. Then take a short drive to historic St. Andrew’s Catholic Church, an eye-catching cathedral built at the beginning of the 20th century. Your group will enjoy free time shopping downtown before your final stop at the Roanoke Star, located at the top of Mill Mountain. The Star offers the best view of the Shenandoah Valley and is the perfect spot for that final group photo.