Take a turn off the Blue Ridge Parkway at mile marker 63.7 and wind your way through the beautiful scenery along route 501. In just 30 minutes you’ll arrive in the urban center of Lynchburg, Virginia, where we’ve made it easy for you to get the kids out of the car and moving.
Morning
Kids and parents will reconnect while exploring Amazement Square. This hands-on museum offers four floors of hands-on, interactive exhibits designed to make learning fun. And the kids can traverse the museum using the Amazement Tower, an indoor play structure connecting all four floors through an endless maze of slides, ladders, tunnels and a zipline! If you still have energy to burn after a morning at the National Medal winning museum, head over to Jump, an indoor trampoline park where the whole family can bounce through a series of connected trampolines and land in a pit filled with foam blocks.
Lunch
Grab an eclectically named and stacked high sandwich from Macado’s, then satisfy your sweet tooth with one of their desserts like a Madison Mud Pie or the Elvis with a Twist!
Afternoon
After lunch, test your problem-solving skills at One Way Out escape room. Work as a team to escape the “locked” room in less than 60 minutes, just like the video games.
Evening
Rent a bike from Bikes Unlimited, or enjoy a walk along the accessible, paved trails of Percival’s Island Natural Area. Take in the flora and fauna of the park setting, dip your toes in the James River and make sure to snap a family photo in front of Lynchburg’s unique LOVEwork sign near the trail entrance. The sculpture features shoe prints, bicycle wheels, canoe paddles, and skateboard wheels – all representative of activities that visitors frequently enjoy on the Blackwater Creek and RiverWalk trails winding through Riverfront Park and historic Downtown Lynchburg.
Dinner
Depot Grille is a fun, railroad-themed family restaurant located on the riverfront in Downtown. Its unique location offers a different restaurant experience for all ages as the antique bar and ‘box car’ kitchen set the stage for great food ranging from Bison Burger to Fresh Salmon, Baby Back Ribs and many other interesting food items. They also proudly offer micro brews and Virginia wines.
Other Stops of Interest
CityArts Mosaic Mural: Located on Jefferson Street across from Amazement Square, a 4,800 square foot tile mural chronicles the history of Lynchburg’s riverfront from before the European contact period to a view of Lynchburg in the future. Started in 2012, the mural is part of Amazement Square’s CityArts Mentoring Program and took 7 years to complete.
Lynchburg Community Market: The third oldest continuously running farmers market in the country, you can shop for fresh fruits and vegetable and handmade works of art, or grab some lunch at one of the restaurant vendors. Farmers come year-round on Wednesdays and Saturdays offering locally produced fruit, vegetables, cheese, meat, baked goods and other specialty items.
Scene 3 Boardshop: An independent skateboard and bicycle shop located in historic Downtown Lynchburg, you’ll find all kinds of interesting gifts made with used skateboards or take home a new one for yourself or a loved one.
MayLynn’s Creamery Downtown: Located on historic Jefferson Street, stop in for a scoop, cone, bowl, smoothie, shake or rolled ice cream, all with a plethora of topping choices.