Best Things to Do in Abingdon, Virginia

I recently attended an early autumn destination wedding in Abingdon, Virginia. Having never been to the city before, I did a bit of internet reconnaissance. The population of Abingdon is just 8500, yet I found a number of interesting things to do. So much so that my husband and me decided to stay for 5 days!

How to Get There

Abingdon is in the southwest corner of Virginia. It’s easy to get to – right off of interstate 81. Its terrain is rolling hills and the beautiful Appalachian Mountains are in view.

Early History

The Cherokee People inhabited the Abingdon area long before the first groups of pioneers arrived. In fact, the primary route early American colonists travelled south to explore opportunities was carved by Native Americans as a hunting and trade path and eventually became Interstate 81.

In the mid 1700s the Royal Government of Virginia gave away tracts of land to encourage western settlement. One of these parcels was known as Wolf Hills. A hot debate is whether or not Wolf Hills got its name when Daniel Boone was attacked by wolves here. The first community built in this area was Black’s Fort which later became Abingdon. For a deep dive into Abingdon’s early history CLICK HERE.

Main Street

Abingdon has a charming historic district. Main Street is home to photogenic churches, the Barter Theater, interesting architecture, restaurants and coffee shops. The crown jewel is The Tavern built in 1779. According to its website, it is the oldest bar in Virginia and the 8th oldest bar in the country. Dining in the outdoor courtyard is a must!

There is a terrific visitor center on Main Street. That’s where I took the photo of the Abingdon Postcard. I stopped in and learned a lot about the area. There’s so much history here – over 100 historical markers are in the county. Yeah, I’m that person, have to read each one I happen past.

The Barter Theater

I grew up in Roanoke, Virginia and heard about the Barter Theater in some social studies or history class. Seeing it in person really brought its story to life. Its first chapter was as a church constructed in 1829. During the Great Depression the building was opened as a theater where people could trade goods for admission to the shows. Over the years and still today aspiring actors hone their craft here. Many have later become wildly famous and are immortalized in old photographs at the Martha Washington Inn and Spa.

The Martha Washington Inn and Spa

We stayed at the Martha. The Inn is located right on Main Street. The center building is a mansion built by General Francis Preston in 1832 for his family of 9 children. I loved the library room adjoining the lobby that contains many interesting antiques. The residence later became Martha Washington College and was later reimagined as a historic hotel and spa.

We were given a complementary glass of port wine when we checked in. Our room was well appointed, but the AC wasn’t working. Management was responsive and relocated us to another room. Electrical, plumbing, and HVAC issues come along with many historic inns because they are well, old. The Inn has a full service spa and we indulged in a first rate couples massage. There is also a very good restaurant, Sisters American Grill. I loved the ecclectic mix of coffee mugs at the complementary breakfast. My favorite thing about the hotel was the mini golf course!

Sinking Spring Church and Cemetery

Another interesting thing I did in Abingdon was walk through the Sinking Spring Cemetery. It’s located on the edge of town. I picked up a self guided tour brochure at the Visitor’s Center. It was beautiful and peaceful with many old, old headstones. The Sinking Spring Church was founded in 1773 and met in a log cabin. The cemetery was established on 11 acres that same year. Located across Russell Road is an African American Cemetery where enslaved townspeople were buried. Abingdon now owns both and welcomes visitors. The current Sinking Spring Church is located on Main Street. It has a stained-glass window that looks like Dickensville when lit up at night.

Other Restaurants

We found good times and good food at a couple other restaurants. We arrived into town late on Thursday and honestly, it was pretty sleepy. One of the few places still open was Bonefire Smokehouse and we met several friends there and shared some good appetizers. On Friday we biked the Virginia Creeper Trail in the morning and grabbed a nice dinner at 128 Pecan when we returned. Saturday was the evening wedding at Chip Ridge. We got a late start to the day after the Spa and surprisingly the town was pretty much done serving lunch when we headed out at 2:00 pm. Luckily I had packed some snacks. Our crew wanted to watch football on Sunday and just like Yelp said, J.J.s Sports Bar was fantastic!

The Virginia Creeper Trail

The wedding we attended was for a college friend’s daughter. It was fantastic to reconnect with this group of friends. We decided it would be fun to bike the Virginia Creeper Trail together while there. The VCT starts in Abingdon and ends 34 up-hill miles later at White Top in the Mt. Rogers National Recreation Area.

Six of us did half of the trail (17 miles) from White Top to Damascus. We rented bikes at the Virginia Creeper Trail Bike Shop and were taken in one of their shuttles to White Top. Because of the elevation chagne, most people do the trail in reverse. It’s an easy descent from White Top to Damascus. We coasted down for about 3 hours. The bike shuttle company picked us up in Damascus and got us back to Abingdon. It was a bucket-list worthy thing to do!

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