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Farmville, Virginia: Where Fun and Farming Collide – The Best Things to Do and Places to Visit!

The Moton Museum is the reason Farmville matters at all beyond the county. A student strike began inside that building back in 1951. It became part of the case that ended segregation in the schools of this country. Everything else here is a pleasant Virginia town with a very large furniture store. Go there first and let the rest of the day follow from it.

Are you looking for a fun and exciting trip to Farmville, Virginia? Look no further! This charming town is full of outdoor adventures, historical sites, arts and culture, food and drink, shopping experiences, family-friendly activities, and accommodations that will make your stay unforgettable.

If you spend your time outdoors, Farmville is set up for it. With the rivers, the streams and two of the better bass lakes in Virginia, Briery Creek Lake and Sandy River Reservoir, the fishing here is the real thing. You can also take the High Bridge Trail State Park, which runs hiking, biking and horseback riding along the old railroad grade, with the Appomattox River underneath you at the bridge.

If you read history, Farmville has more of it than most towns this size. Visit the Robert Russa Moton Museum, which holds the story of the Civil Rights Movement in Virginia, or the Longwood Center for Visual Arts for the contemporary and modern work. You can also walk the downtown, which runs independent boutiques, galleries and antique shops.

Key Takeaways

• Farmville, Virginia is a great destination for outdoor enthusiasts, history buffs, and culture seekers.
• The town offers a variety of outdoor activities, including fishing, hiking, biking, and horseback riding.
• Visitors can also explore historical sites and cultural attractions, as well as enjoy shopping and dining experiences in the charming downtown area.

Outdoor Adventures

Looking for outdoor time in Farmville? You are well placed. This town has options for anybody who likes being outside. Here are a few worth the day:

High Bridge Trail State Park

If you want a walk or a ride worth the effort, High Bridge Trail State Park is the one. This 31-mile trail runs through downtown Farmville and opens onto the country either side of it. Rent a bike at the Outdoor Adventure Store and take the 4.5-mile ride out to the bridge. And take the photograph when you get there, because that is what everybody does.

Sandy River Outdoor Adventures

For something with more adrenaline in it, head to Sandy River Outdoor Adventures, which turns up under a second name later on this page. This park runs a three-hour ropes course in the treetops for ages 7 and older. If you want the full version, there are 20 zip lines and 60 obstacles at what it calls Virginia’s largest and grandest aerial adventure park, which is the operator’s own claim. And this page suggests cooling off in the Appomattox River afterwards, though the water at that site is a different one.

So what are you waiting for? Get outside and use what Farmville has.

Historical Sites

If you read history, Farmville is the town for it. Here are the historical sites you should take:

Moton Museum

The Robert Russa Moton Museum is the one, for anybody with any interest in the civil rights era. This building was the centre of a student-led strike that became part of ending segregation in public schools. You can work through the exhibits and get what those students actually did, and what it cost them.

Hampden-Sydney College

Founded in 1775, Hampden-Sydney College is among the oldest colleges in the United States. This institution has produced a long list of notable alumni, given here as two U.S. Senators and a Supreme Court Justice, which is worth checking against the fuller record. Take a walk through the campus and the age of the place shows.

Civil War Sites

Farmville sat in the middle of the closing weeks of the Civil War, and there are sites worth walking. The Sailor’s Creek Battlefield Historical State Park is where to start. You can stand and look over the ground where the last major engagement of that war was fought. The Overton-Hillsman House, used as a field hospital during the battle, is open and shows you what that actually meant.

Whether you want museums, historic sites or simply the story of this area, Farmville carries it. Don’t drive past this town, because there is more in it than the size suggests.

Arts and Culture

If you follow art, Farmville has more than you would expect. Here are two things to work through:

Longwood Center for the Visual Arts

The Longwood Center for the Visual Arts is the stop for anybody who looks at art. The center runs exhibitions across the range, contemporary work and historical material both. You can also take the events and workshops they put on through the year. So if you want the local art scene, the Longwood Center for the Visual Arts is where it lives.

Local Artists

Farmville holds a working community of artists who take it seriously. You can find their work in galleries and shops through the town. If you want a present that is not generic, take one of those galleries for the paintings, the sculpture and the portraits. And you may well buy something before the artist becomes expensive.

Whether you follow theater, film or anything else, Farmville has a version of it. So go and work through the local art scene. You will find something you did not expect.

Food and Drink

You cannot have a proper day without proper food and drink. Lucky for you, Farmville has both. Here are the places worth taking:

Virginia Tasting Cellar

If you drink wine, make your way to the Virginia Tasting Cellar. They pour regional wines and will put a red flight in front of you. And if you want something to eat with it, the cobb salad is the one that works alongside.

Three Roads Brewery

For beer rather than wine, Three Roads Brewery is the stop. They run craft beers on draft and will show you round the brewery. And if you are hungry, the chicken BLT is what people order.

North Street Press Club

If you want something smarter, head to the North Street Press Club. They run cocktails and small plates properly. Plus the room is built for an evening with people you like.

No matter what you are after, Farmville will land it. From the beer to the wine to the cocktails, something here works. And if you want the plain version, Walker’s Diner does the classic diner food.

Farmville is not a furniture town, whatever the shopping section here says. It is not really a college town either, whatever the page implies. It is the place where a group of school students walked out and changed the country. The furniture and the college both came a long time afterwards. Read this page in that order and it makes a great deal more sense.

Shopping Experience

When it comes to shopping in Farmville, you are better served than you would think. From the independent artisan shops to a furniture store with a national reputation, this town covers it.

Green Front Furniture

If you need furniture, Green Front Furniture is the first stop and probably the last. With over 15 acres of showroom, a figure this page contradicts elsewhere, the scale of it has to be seen. Whether you want a couch or something for outside, it is in there somewhere. Plus the prices are the reason people drive from three states away.

Local Artisan Shops

If you want something less predictable, take the local artisan shops. You’ll find handmade mugs through to statuary. These are where the presents come from when the present has to mean something. Plus the money goes to people who live here.

So whether you came for furniture or simply to browse, Farmville covers it. Happy shopping.

Family Friendly Activities

Are you looking for a day with the family in Farmville, Virginia? Look at what follows. Here are two places that will keep everybody occupied.

Sandy River Adventure Park

Sandy River Adventure Park, which is the same site named differently earlier on this page, works for families who want to be outdoors and moving. The park runs rope courses, zip lines and climbing walls that will test everybody. And nobody is left out, because the courses run from easy through to hard. You can also stop at the picnic area when somebody needs a break.

Twin Lakes State Park

If you want the quieter version, Twin Lakes State Park is the answer. This park runs two lakes covering fishing, boating and swimming. There are also hiking trails and a playground for children. And you can rent a cabin or a campsite if a day turns into a weekend.

No matter which you take, Sandy River Adventure Park and Twin Lakes State Park both give a family a proper day. So pack the bags, take the children and get out into it.

Accommodations

When it comes to a bed in Farmville, you have options. From small cottages to the smarter hotels, something here will fit.

Hotel Weyanoke

If you want the comfortable end in Farmville, Hotel Weyanoke is the one. This historic hotel has been renovated properly and it pairs modern comfort with the building it started as. The rooms are generous and well finished, and the staff talk to you.

Located in the middle of downtown Farmville, Hotel Weyanoke is the right base for the town. You can walk to the shops, the restaurants and the attractions, the Longwood Center for Visual Arts and the Robert Russa Moton Museum among them.

But you do not have to leave the building for an evening. Hotel Weyanoke runs its own rooftop bar, The Catbird, which opens onto downtown Farmville. You can take craft cocktails and small plates with the town underneath you.

If you want something less formal, check the hotel’s restaurant, Sassafras, though the dining there is worth confirming before you plan around the name. The menu runs Southern-inspired cooking with a modern hand, and the room stays relaxed.

Overall, Hotel Weyanoke is the choice if you want somewhere comfortable and central in Farmville.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the best ways to beat the heat in Farmville, VA?

Well, you could get in the river, but if that is not the plan, fear not. Farmville has ways to stay out of the heat. Take the Longwood Center for Visual Arts, where the air conditioning comes with the artwork. Or take the High Bridge Trail State Park, where the trees do the work for most of its length.

What’s the scoop on the best ice cream spots in Farmville?

Ah, the question that matters. When it comes to ice cream in Farmville, there are a couple of places worth knowing. Try the ice cream at the Uptown Coffee Cafe for the sit-down version. Or head to the Frosty Penguin for the classic soft serve.

What are some quirky and unique things to do in Farmville?

Looking for something different? Take the Robert Russa Moton Museum, which holds the story of the Civil Rights Movement in Farmville. Or head to the Green Front Furniture store, given here as over 100,000 square feet, a figure that does not match the acreage quoted earlier on this page.

What’s the story behind the famous High Bridge in Farmville?

Ah, the High Bridge. This structure was built in the mid-1800s as part of the South Side Railroad. During the Civil War it mattered enough to fight over, and retreating Confederate soldiers tried to burn it behind them. Today it carries walkers and cyclists, and the view from the middle is the reason people come.

Are there any festivals or events in Farmville worth checking out?

Absolutely. Farmville runs events through the year worth planning around. This page names the Virginia Wine & Garlic Festival in October, though that one is held elsewhere in the state. And the Heart of Virginia Festival in May is the local one, with live music, arts and crafts and the rest of it.

What makes Farmville, VA a great place to retire or settle down?

Well, for a start, Farmville looks after its own. It’s a small town where people know each other and turn up when something is needed. Plus the country around it and the pace of the place make it easy to settle into. And with the shops, the restaurants and the calendar, there is enough to do without driving anywhere.

Frequently asked questions about Farmville, Virginia

What actually happened at the building the Moton Museum occupies?

A student strike. Pupils walked out of an overcrowded segregated high school in 1951 and their case was folded into the one that ended segregation in schools across the country. The building is now a National Historic Landmark, with the museum housed inside it. Admission costs nothing and the exhibits will take you an hour. Go there before anything else here, because it changes how the rest of this town reads.

Is the High Bridge Trail State Park worth the ride out?

Genuinely, yes. The bridge itself carries you high above the river on the bed of an old railroad, and standing on it explains why the armies fought over the crossing. The whole trail runs flat for miles, because a railroad grade has to be. You can rent a bike in the town itself first. Ride out and back rather than one way, because there is no shuttle at the far end.

Is Green Front Furniture really as large as they claim?

Larger, probably. This page gives the showroom two completely different sizes in two different sections, and the two figures are nowhere near each other at all, so treat both with care. It occupies a whole run of old tobacco warehouses through the middle of town. The sheer scale of it is the attraction rather than the furniture. Allow a full afternoon for it, because people who go in for a lamp lose the day.

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