Openings, events and other information on these pages may be canceled or postponed to a later date. Please check with the individual location or business for more details.
Central and Southern Virginia
- Nelson County recently launched its Dark Skies of Nelson campaign with further expansion of the program in 2023. To encourage residents and visitors to tap into their inner astronomer and admire the breathtaking views of these stargazing destinations, hospitality businesses have created packages and events that celebrate our Dark Skies.
- Richmond’s brand-new entertainment and food venue, The Park RVA, features a number of activities including indoor mini golf, duckpin bowling, and karaoke.
- The Henrico Sports and Events Center will open in fall 2023 with 12 basketball courts or 24 volleyball courts and an arena with stadium seating. The 185,000-square-foot facility is projected to help position Henrico County as a leader in sports tourism by bringing big-ticket weekend events and visitors to the region.
- Taylor family Home, Bloomsbury in Orange County was recently bequeathed to the James Madison Museum of Orange County Heritage and opened for tours by appointment in September 2022 with plans to expand their hours of operation in the coming months. President Zachary Taylor’s father built the house in 1722.
Northern Virginia
- The Crystal City Water Park in Arlington will reopen in 2023 with an entirely new presence, complete with new restaurant kiosks and seating areas, a full-service restaurant, new water features — including a “water wall” with a bar perched on top — and a stage. The new kiosks will highlight local, minority- and women-owned businesses, local favorites and renowned names. In addition to decorative water features, the revamped park will also feature public art installations and a building with public restrooms and bike facilities near the entrance to the Mt. Vernon Trail.
- The National Botanic Garden is a new 250-acre garden in Chantilly set to open in 2023. The landscaped grounds merge horticulture, architecture, topography and art and include the largest bamboo gardens in the US as well as the East Coast’s largest water-borne Xeric gardens – also known as water-wise gardens.
- In mid-summer 2023, Springfield Town Center in Northern Virginia will welcome the opening of LEGO Discovery Center, a 32,000 square foot indoor LEGO attraction that features millions of LEGO bricks and multiple attractions. Billed as the ultimate indoor LEGO playground, this will be the very first location in Virginia.
- Black Heritage Museum of Arlington held its grand opening in its home along Columbia Pike in September 2022. The Black Heritage Museum of Arlington celebrates the African American Journey to Freedom, providing a focal point exhibit on Arlington’s Freedman’s Village and contributions made by its residents and their descendants to local and national history.
- In Herndon, the new Hashtag Gaming Arena is the perfect destination for those gamers in your life. Billed as the largest board game and collectibles retailer in the Mid-Atlantic, this first-of-its-kind facility hosts events for tabletop games, eSports, game education programming, and a host of retail experiences.
- George Mason’s Gunston Hall is restoring its magnificent river-side garden, which will enhance the authenticity of the historic property, reveal much about the Founding Father himself, and provide an educational setting as distinctive as Mason’s original garden design for the signature landscape feature of his home – the Home of American Rights. The restoration is the culmination of more than four decades of archaeological research.
Coastal Virginia – Chesapeake Bay, Hampton Roads, Eastern Shore
- The Rivers Casino in Portsmouth will open January 15, 2023. The 400,000 square foot casino features seven restaurants, a 4-Star Hotel, a 3,000-seat event venue, movie theater, and much more.
- Oyster Seed Holdings, one of the largest oyster seed producers on the East Coast, will be offering new hatchery tours and tastings to the general public in 2023. Guests will get a behind the scenes look at what it takes to put oyster seed in the hands of farmers. Admission also grants access to their exclusive pop-up oyster bar including beer, and wine for sale.
- Norfolk Botanical Gardens have started construction of the Garden of Tomorrow. Slated to be finished in 2023, the Garden of Tomorrow focuses on sustainability and improving the gardens green impact. With a new parking garden, entry pavilion and conservatory, the garden is sure to be an attraction not to miss.
- Sun Outdoors Chincoteague Bay is Chincoteague Island’s newest waterfront RV Resort & Campground. Visitors can enjoy scenic family picnics, community campfires, and stroll a half-mile of shoreline with a private fishing pier and boardwalk. Maui Jack’s Waterpark will reopen Memorial Day weekend 2023. in the waterpark will include areas like the Splash Zone and Lazy River and the high-speed Banzai Racers slide.
- DarKoaster in 2023. Billed as North America’s First All-Indoor Straddle Coaster, riders will travel on snowmobiles across 2,454 feet of track and race through total darkness while changing course to avoid the elements. As the weather strikes, riders encounter four accelerating launches on this family-friendly dark ride experience.
- Riptide Race in Summer 2023. Virginia’s First Dueling Pipeline, this adrenaline-pumping water slide pits teams against each other as riders take their mark atop a 54-foot tower before racing through 520 feet of slide, with low walls to keep an eye on the competition.
- The Yard District in a nod to Newport News Shipyard, is quickly evolving into a scenic and vibrant hot spot. A restaurant row has popped up along 23rd Street, where Ironclad Distillery and Coastal Fermentory have already established roots. During this revitalization effort, plans are also being made for a coffee and wine bar, retail shops, and a large full-service restaurant in 2023.
Shenandoah Valley and Virginia Mountains
- The Virginia Scenic Railway debuted to the public in Fall 2022. Travelers can sit back and enjoy the modernized ambiance of a 1940s passenger car through some of Virginia’s prettiest scenery, including the Shenandoah Valley and the Blue Ridge Mountains. Due to the immediate popularity during its inaugural season, visitors can expect expanded service and more passenger cars for the 2023 season.
- The Omni Homestead Resort’s iconic Warm Springs Pools, an integral part of Bath County and Virginia history, reopened in December 2022 following a 14-month, $4 million rehabilitation. Fed by four natural warm springs, rich in mineral content, the 19th century bathhouses have been sought by travelers for centuries. The stone basin of the Gentlemen’s Bathhouse was constructed in 1761, making it the oldest spa structure in the country.
- Harrisonburg has launched the Harrisonburg/Rockingham County Trail Guide. This is the first ever trail guide for the area. It includes 15 popular trails selected for their unique characteristics such as scenic overlooks and waterfalls. The guide includes trails for hikers, trail runners, mountain biking and gravel cyclists.
- Waynesboro’s Sunset Park is scheduled to be completed in 2023 – it will be the city’s seventh park and it will be home to 4.5 miles of hiking and mountain biking trails. Construction will begin in the Loth Springs Natural Area in one corner of Constitution Park, which will improve the South River Greenway user experience, restore natural wildlife habitats, and reduce pollution from stormwater runoff.
- McAfee Knob new shuttle service to trailhead launched in September 2022 and will restart during the spring season beginning in March 2023 and run through the fall before pausing during the winter season. This is a much-needed service that is finally being provided in response to the full trailhead parking lot that so many people experience. Tickets can be purchased online.
- Hidden in Plain Site Roanoke is set to be unveiled early spring 2023, the City of Roanoke is unveiling an interactive, 5-stop VR walking tour that tells the story of urban renewal in Roanoke.
Southwest Virginia – Blue Ridge Highlands, Heart of Appalachia
- The newly opened Damascus Trail Center is a regional hub for outdoor recreation uniting visitors and volunteers with a wide range of natural resources in the region. The Trail Center is ideally positioned to greet visitors of three of the area’s most renowned National Trails: the Appalachian National Scenic Trail (AT), the Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail, and the Virginia Creeper National Recreation Trail.
- Smyth County’s Hungry Mother Festival, the longest-running festival held in a Virginia State Park, is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2023. The Hungry Mother Festival is dedicated to the promotion of art, theater, and music and includes juried arts and crafts, live music, and favorite festival foods. It runs from July 21-23, 2023.
- The Christiansburg Huckleberry Park plans to open early 2023. The park will feature several unique amenities such as a splash pad, a universal playground, an obstacle course, a fitness course, multiple dog parks, as well as volleyball and pickle ball courts and an amphitheater. This will be the only facility like it in the state.
- The Millwald Theatre opened in late 2022 and debuts its first full season in 2023. The newly restored theatre is located in the heart of Downtown Wytheville and was originally built in 1928. The theatre will host live musical performances, movies, comedians, concerts, workshops, and free community events.
