Roanoke

Visit Virginia’s Blue Ridge / Roanoke, VA

An Aha! moment in Roanoke

Blue Ridge Parkway; Appalachian Trail

Regional gateway

learning

Roanoke’s star began as a Christmas decoration in 1949. The 469-mile Blue Ridge Parkway offers another scale of exploration, following the Blue Ridge Mountains as a National Park Service route.

Discovery Waypoints

• Blue Ridge Parkway / Park / Protected Landscape — A 469-mile scenic roadway along the Blue Ridge Mountains.
• Roanoke Star / Landmark / Architecture — An 88.5-foot star atop Mill Mountain.
• Virginia Museum of Transportation / Museum / Learning — A museum with a collection of locomotives.
• Mill Mountain Zoo / Museum / Learning
• Appalachian Trail / Scenic Route / District
• Taubman Museum of Art / Museum / Learning
• McAfee Knob / Local Attraction

Local Knowledge

• Blue Ridge Parkway / Park / Protected Landscape — The Parkway is operated by the National Park Service and is a unit of the National Park System.
• Roanoke Star / Landmark / Architecture — The star was originally constructed in 1949 as a Christmas decoration.
• Virginia Museum of Transportation / Museum / Learning — The museum is part of the region’s railroad heritage.
• Explore Park / Park / Protected Landscape — The park provides river access for tubing and paddling.

From Blue Ridge Parkway to Roanoke Star and Virginia Museum of Transportation, every stop can become an Aha! Discovery Point—helping visitors explore more deeply while connecting them to the businesses and stories that make Roanoke distinctive.

Additional local facts are awaiting source verification. Place listings do not imply Aha! partnerships or installed Discovery Points.

Hero photograph: Beth Fitzpatrick / Pexels.

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