Discover Isle Of Wight County

Isle Of Wight County offers different ways to experience history and landscape: interactive museum exhibits, historic buildings, and forts sit alongside an ecological preserve and opportunities to access waterways. The experiences also vary in format, from a museum tour to a self-guided driving tour through the county. When planning your hotel stay, you may want to consider whether cultural history, nature, or activities on the water will be your focus.

Museum, Architecture, and Local History

The Isle of Wight County Museum features interactive exhibits on a wide range of topics. These include a grocery store from around the turn of the century. Other displays cover colonial history, the Smithfield ham industry, the Blackwater River, the Civil War, and the Cold War. The topics span everyday life and the regional economy as well as historical conflicts.

A tour of about one mile starts at the museum. If you plan to take it, check its current availability in advance. The tour is a separate option alongside the exhibits; when planning, keep its approximate length and starting point at the museum in mind.

The Smithfield Historic District is a colonial port town community on the Pagan River. It includes about fifty buildings of outstanding architectural interest. The area's economic history is also evident here: Smithfield ham has been produced commercially in the district for more than two centuries. St. Luke’s Church is an official historic shrine of the Episcopal Diocese of Southern Virginia—another aspect of the district's history.

Boykin’s Tavern offers a close look at historic architecture: its original core was built around 1780 as a home for Francis Boykin. Exceptionally fine 18th-century paneling survives in two rooms. Together, the building's history and interior offer different perspectives on the property, without describing the same period or purpose.

Forts and Historic Routes

Fort Huger is located on Hardy’s Bluff above the James River. Its notable remains include well-preserved earthworks and the remains of a hot shot furnace. Fort Huger opened to the public as a historic site in 2008. Check current visiting conditions before your arrival.

Fort Boykin is an 18-acre park. Visitors can enter the fort and take a self-guided tour of its history. The park also offers access to a beach. Since visitor rules can change, it is recommended that you check current conditions before your visit; this also applies to beach access.

A self-guided driving tour through Isle Of Wight County focuses on people and events of the American Revolution. It has a different emphasis from the museum exhibits: rather than presenting topics in an interactive format, the tour focuses on Revolutionary history as it travels through the county.

Parks, Habitats, and Waterways

The Blackwater Ecological Preserve covers more than 300 acres in Isle Of Wight County. The site includes some of the rarest habitat types in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Its significance lies in the distinctive habitats found there—a different focus from the region's historic buildings and exhibits.

Windsor Castle Park covers 208 acres and includes a manor house dating to around 1725, as well as eleven outbuildings. In addition, a kayak and canoe launch in the park provides access to Cypress Creek and the Pagan River. The park thus offers historic buildings and access to waterways as different points of interest for your trip.

For planning your day, it helps to distinguish between the different formats: the museum offers interactive exhibits; the forts combine history with surviving structural remains; and the driving tour focuses on people and events of the American Revolution. The landscape and waterways, in turn, offer different themes. If you're looking for hotels for your stay, this range of interests can help you decide what kind of trip you want. If you plan to paddle, check launch and rental rules in advance, as they may change.

Discover More Destinations

Discover more destinations: Smithfield, Bedford County, Clarke County, Campbell, Giles County, Botetourt, Caroline County, Floyd County.

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