SENIORS ENJOY HISTORIC VIRGINIA



Filed under : Family Travel, United States

Seniors Drop By Staunton

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Staunton (pronounced STANN’-tun) is what I call a “nice town” with a population of around 24,000 and loaded with amenities that senior visitors of all ages enjoy all year long. Staunton, “The Queen City of the Shenandoah Valley,” was named as one of the “Best Small Towns in America,” so I knew when I selected this town for a travel blog, I could not go awry.

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There are 12 colleges within 50 miles of Staunton. Perhaps best known for being the birthplace of Woodrow Wilson, the 28th U.S. president, Staunton is also the home of Mary Baldwin College, historically a women’s college.

The city is also home to Stuart Hall, a private co-ed preparatory school, as well as the Virginia School for the Deaf and Blind.

The Arts and Culture are alive in Staunton with a rich history that goes back to its days as a nineteenth-century rail junction and a center for travelers to stop over and enjoy opera, vaudeville, and rollicking nightlife.

Seniors Visit The “Red Brick District”

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That tradition lives on today in Staunton’s arts and culture district, called the “Red Brick District.” Its lively historic downtown makes it a great place for seniors to visit for a weekend getaway.  Check out the history and notable people on this link. I don’t think that I have seen such long list in a long time.

Downtown Staunton is an award winning Virginia Main Street community that boasts over 270 businesses including 30 restaurants and eateries, 80 specialty retail stores, antiques, service businesses and salons, all cloistered in a historically preserved community that features Victorian architecture. Back in 2002 Staunton was the Great American Main Street Award Winner.

 

Staunton is home to the American Shakespeare Center, a theatrical company centered at the Blackfriars Playhouse, a replica of Shakespeare’s Blackfriars Theatre. The 300-seat Blackfriars Playhouse is the world’s only re-creation of Shakespeare’s original indoor theatre.

 Seniors Find Musicians And Historic Districts

In 2012, it also became the home of the Heifetz International Music Institute, named for renowned violinist Daniel Heifetz, a summer music school and festival dedicated to the artistic growth and career development of some of the world’s most talented and promising classical musicians.

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Senior visitors enjoy The Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library, as well as the Museum of American Frontier Culture, which provides insight into life in early America. Staunton is home to nearly 200 buildings designed by architect Thomas Jasper Collins (1844–1925) and boasts six separate historic districts.

Founded in 1747, Staunton experienced unprecedented prosperity and growth from 1870-1910, when many of city’s commercial buildings where built. During the 1950-60s the buildings along the railroad tracks fell into serious decline.

Preservation-minded citizens partnered with the National Trust to study the Wharf District in 1979. The result was a plan of action that funded a streetscape project and revitalized the commercial district. Seniors, your stop will be well worth the time. -jeb

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