Discover Danville: River, History, and Hotels

Danville offers several ways to plan your trip: the Dan River, with the Riverwalk Trail and Riverfront Park; the Downtown Danville Historic District; and cultural and recreational offerings. These places differ significantly: a riverside trail, a historic district, a named cultural venue, and individual activities give you several starting points to choose from.

River and activities

The Danville Riverwalk Trail runs along the Dan River. Riverfront Park is also on the Dan River and provides direct access to the Riverwalk Trail. The distinction is useful for planning: the trail describes a route along the river, while the park is a specific place with access to that route. If the river is important to your travel plans, you can distinguish between the trail and the park as points of reference.

Several events are held every year on and along the Riverwalk Trail. So, in addition to the trail itself, an event date may also be a deciding factor in your travel plans. If you want to visit Danville for a specific event, factor the event dates into your plans. This lets you consider a general visit to the river or a stay centered on a set date as different focuses.

Anglers Park offers a different riverside activity: you can fish in the Dan River there. Unlike the Riverwalk Trail, which runs along the river, this spot focuses on a specific activity. Depending on your interests, you can include the Dan River in your travel plans through either the trail or fishing.

City history and architecture

The Downtown Danville Historic District has been Danville’s commercial and administrative center from the 1790s to the present day. This means you can explore the city’s history not only through individual sightseeing stops but also through the continuing function of an entire district. This focus differs from a single recreational offering: the emphasis is on both the long time span and the district’s ongoing role.

The streetscapes of the Downtown Danville Historic District display a wide range of architectural styles. The district therefore cannot be reduced to a single architectural idiom. If you are interested in architecture, this stylistic variety offers a distinct focus for your stay: rather than looking at just one building, you can consider the different styles throughout the streetscape as a theme.

Culture and other interests

The Danville Museum of Fine Arts and History is located at 975 Main Street in the Old West End Historic District in Danville, Virginia. The exact address and named district give you a specific point of reference if you include the museum in your travel plans. This offers a different way to orient yourself than the river: the focus here is a specific cultural venue with an exact address.

You can also take a self-guided or guided tour of the Sutherlin Mansion. The two tour formats give you a specific choice for this part of your itinerary. If you are considering a visit to the mansion, you can first decide whether you would prefer a self-guided or guided tour.

At the Danville Science Center, visitors can discover the principles of motion and energy. This adds another area of interest, distinct from the historic sites and architecture. When planning your trip, you can choose based on the topic that interests you most: architecture in the Historic District, a tour of the Sutherlin Mansion, or the principles of motion and energy at the Science Center.

Discover more destinations: Harrisonburg, Lexington, Waynesboro, Martinsville, Hampton

For the main travel overview: Virginia.