Charlottesville: History, Experiences and Trails

Charlottesville can be explored according to different visitor interests: the Downtown Mall combines historic significance with shopping, dining and entertainment; there are also events, a children’s museum and paved trails. If you’re looking for a hotel for your stay, these specific highlights can help you plan your city visits in advance. The key is whether you’d prefer to focus on a historic urban area, a program of events, a family attraction or time on paved trails.

Downtown Mall: History and City Life

The Downtown Mall is a notable destination listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Its brick-paved pedestrian mall is also a place to shop, eat and enjoy entertainment. This brings together two aspects of a visit: the Mall’s historic significance and the opportunity to use the pedestrian area for everyday city activities. You can therefore focus on whichever aspect you prefer without having to plan culture and city life as separate activities.

A free trolley service connects the Downtown Mall with the University of Virginia. If both destinations are part of your plans, this connection is a useful point of reference. Check the trolley service schedule before your trip so you can plan your visit around the scheduled times.

Events and Family Attractions

IX Art Park hosts events, festivals and workshops throughout the year. If you’d like to include a specific event in your travel plans, check its date in advance; events taking place year-round are no substitute for checking the individual dates.

The Virginia Discovery Museum is a nonprofit children’s museum for families with children ranging from infants to eight-year-olds. Its 6,000-square-foot exhibition space offers hands-on educational activities, opportunities to explore and imaginative play. The age range and types of activities give families specific criteria for deciding whether the museum suits their planned visit. Planning considerations here differ from those for IX Art Park: the specified age group and exhibits are the main considerations at the museum, while an event in the program may determine when to visit IX Art Park.

The two cultural attractions also offer different starting points for planning your trip: the Downtown Mall is a historically listed destination with activities in a pedestrian area; at IX Art Park, you can plan your visit around a specific event format. This makes it easier to weigh whether an urban area with a range of visitor activities or a date on the annual program better matches your interests.

Comparing Paved Trails

Charlottesville has almost six miles of paved trails. Schenk’s Greenway is a paved trail suitable for walking, cycling and strollers. The city-managed Rivanna River Trail is also paved and accessible to people with disabilities. Both trails therefore have a paved surface; other points of reference include the uses specified for Schenk’s Greenway, as well as the city management and accessibility of the Rivanna River Trail. Depending on which of these features matter to you, you can compare the two options based on their specific characteristics.

There are various ways to plan your stay: a historic pedestrian area with shopping, dining and entertainment; events with specific dates; a children’s museum for a specified age group; and outdoor options with described trail features.

Discover more destinations: North Garden, Crozet.

Return to the regional travel overview: Albemarle.