What to See in Staunton, United States: Free Audio Guide

Looking for things to do in Staunton? This Virginia city offers a compact mix of history, museums, theatre, architecture, and distinctive cultural attractions. From the Frontier Culture Museum of Virginia to the recreated Blackfriars Playhouse, Staunton is a rewarding place to explore at a relaxed pace. Neywo also has a free audio guide for Staunton, with six narrated places available in 11 languages.

Staunton is in Virginia, making it a useful stop for travellers exploring the state. Its attractions range from a major open-air museum just outside the city to historic buildings and specialist museums in and around downtown.

What to see in Staunton

Frontier Culture Museum of Virginia

The Frontier Culture Museum of Virginia is the largest open-air museum in the Shenandoah Valley. Its 188-acre site lies just outside Staunton and tells the stories of the people who shaped the region.

Eleven exhibits are connected by nearly two miles of paved walking trails. Eight of the exhibits are working farms, recreating aspects of daily life among communities who came to the Shenandoah Valley from Europe and West Africa, whether by choice or by force, as well as the lives of their descendants who remained and built communities there.

The museum is one of the most substantial places to visit near Staunton for understanding the region’s cultural history. Its outdoor setting and network of trails make it different from a conventional museum visit.

Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library and Museum

The Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library and Museum is dedicated to the life and legacy of the 28th President of the United States. The complex includes several buildings, with the Manse at its centre.

The Manse is the house where Woodrow Wilson was born in 1856. Visiting the birthplace offers a view into the surroundings of his childhood, while the museum examines his life, presidency, and the era in which he led the country.

The site also includes a research library covering about 6,800 square feet, as well as a gift shop. Several other buildings are part of the complex but are not open to the public.

Staunton station

Staunton station is a small transport landmark in the heart of downtown. It is served by Amtrak’s Cardinal line, which runs between New York and Chicago and connects Staunton with two major American cities.

The station has benches and restricted restrooms, but no ticket office. Its modest appearance contrasts with the reach of the rail line it serves, making it an interesting feature of Staunton’s downtown and an important part of the city’s connection to the wider United States.

Camera Heritage Museum

The Camera Heritage Museum explores the development of photographic technology. It is a focused attraction for anyone interested in how cameras and photography have evolved over the years.

Rather than presenting a broad collection of local history, the museum concentrates on the technology behind photography, offering a different kind of cultural stop among Staunton’s historic buildings and performing-arts venues.

American Shakespeare Center and Blackfriars Playhouse

The American Shakespeare Center is a regional theatre company devoted to the plays of William Shakespeare and his contemporaries. Its repertoire also includes works connected with Shakespeare, such as The Lion in Winter by James Goldman and Return to the Forbidden Planet by Bob Carlton.

The company’s main attraction is the Blackfriars Playhouse, the world’s first recreation of the original indoor Blackfriars Theatre in London, which was demolished in 1655. The recreated theatre is designed to bring audiences close to the conditions in which Shakespeare’s plays were originally performed.

The American Shakespeare Center produces eight to nine shows each year, with a repertory company performing at the Blackfriars Playhouse. For visitors deciding what to see in Staunton, this is one of the city’s most distinctive cultural experiences.

Trinity Episcopal Church

Trinity Episcopal Church is a Gothic Revival church and an active Episcopal congregation belonging to the Diocese of Southwestern Virginia. Its pointed arches and historic architectural character make it a prominent part of Staunton’s streetscape.

The church was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1972 in recognition of its historical and architectural significance. Even from the outside, it provides a clear example of the Gothic Revival style in the city.

Explore Staunton with a free audio guide

A Staunton self-guided walking tour with Neywo lets you discover the city without joining a group or following a fixed timetable. There are no tours listed with route lengths or durations for Staunton, but the free audio guide includes six narrated places.

The app tells the story of each place as you reach it, at your own pace, with no group and no schedule. It is a simple way to add context while visiting Staunton’s museums, theatre, station, and historic architecture. You can also continue exploring Virginia with pages about Charlottesville, Richmond, or Virginia Beach.