Looking for weird things to do in Virginia? We’ve been collecting roadside oddities, oversized objects, offbeat attractions, and stops that make you wonder who approved the budget and whether they deserve a raise.
Fun Facts About Virginia
Naval Station Norfolk is the largest naval base in the world — because apparently Virginia doesn’t do small fleet energy.
Mountain Dew was originally formulated in Southwest Virginia, and the first peanuts grown in the U.S. were cultivated here too.
It’s technically a misdemeanor to swear over the phone in Virginia… which honestly feels personally targeted.
Virginia has produced more U.S. presidents than any other state — eight, if anyone’s counting.
Virginia brings colonial history, mountain detours, giant roadside oddities, foam monuments, edible ham, creative reuse shops, and at least one gorilla named Hugh Mongous. Some of these we’ve explored ourselves, others are still sitting on the list. When we’ve been somewhere, the link takes you to our own photos and details. Otherwise, it points to an official site when we can find one.
Unique Attractions & Weird Things to Do in Virginia
Weird Roadside & Oddities
Afton
Crozet Railroad Tunnel, officially The Blue Ridge Tunnel – A historic railroad tunnel turned trail, because apparently walking through a mountain is just something Virginia lets you do.
Bealeton
World’s Largest Rollerskate – A giant skate at 12099 Marsh Rd., because normal-sized roller rink decor clearly wasn’t enough.
Cana
Confederate Battle Pigs – Pig sculptures at Mountain Gals, 13142 Fancy Gap Hwy. This one has been sitting on the list long enough that, yes, we need to see exactly what is happening here.
Centreville
Foamhenge – A full-scale Stonehenge replica made entirely of foam. History, but make it lightweight.
Natural Bridge
Dinosaur Kingdom II – A deeply ridiculous roadside attraction where dinosaurs and Civil War chaos collide. Exactly the kind of nonsense that earns a spot on the list.
Roanoke
World’s Largest Freestanding Illuminated Man-Made Star – The Mill Mountain Star, also called the Roanoke Star, lighting up the skyline.
Shenandoah Caverns
Giant Cootie – A giant version of the classic bug game piece, because roadside attractions do not need to explain themselves.
Mini Statue of Liberty – A smaller Lady Liberty tucked into Shenandoah Caverns territory, which feels very on-brand for this list.
Smithfield
World’s Oldest Edible Ham – A century-old ham on display at the Isle of Wight County Museum, 103 Main St. “Edible” is doing a lot of work here.
Staunton
LOVE Sign – One of Virginia’s many LOVEworks signs, located at 1026 Cedar Green Road.
Virginia Beach
World’s Largest Gorilla – Hugh Mongous at Ocean Breeze Waterpark. His name is Hugh Mongous. That is not a typo. That is the whole point.
Winchester
World’s Largest Apple – A giant apple at Kimberly’s Gift Shop, 13 N. Braddock St.
Creative Reuse / Thrift / Maker Spaces
Alexandria
UpCycle Creative Reuse Center – A creative reuse shop for secondhand art supplies, craft materials, and the kind of “we might need this someday” treasure that gets dangerous fast.
Richmond
SCRAP Creative Reuse – A creative reuse center filled with reclaimed materials, craft supplies, and future project chaos waiting to happen.
Parks, Trails & Waterfalls
Meadows of Dan
Lovers Leap – A scenic overlook that made the list, so clearly we need to investigate.
Natural Bridge
Natural Bridge State Park – Home of the 215-foot tall Natural Bridge, one of Virginia’s big natural showoffs.
Food, TV Stops & Local Legends
Coming soon!
Plan Your Virginia Road Trip
We’re always adding new weird things to do in Virginia to this list, so check back for our latest skoolie travel and roadside discoveries.
Where to next? Explore more regional weird in our Southeast roadside attractions guide, check out our complete roadside attractions by state guide, get our best tips for traveling with pets, or head back to the Right at the Light homepage.
Interactive Map: Weird Roadside Stops We’re Tracking
This map includes weird roadside attractions, skoolie-verified stops, and places still on our running road trip list across the country.