ABINGDON — VOTED THE 2006 "AMERICAN DREAM TOWN" 

Abingdon, Virginia, the county seat of Washington County, enjoys a long and distinguished history. Chosen the American Dream Town and All American City, Abingdon continues to stand out as one of Virginia’s premier spots for tourist to visit. Don’t think of this oldest English-speaking town west of the Blue Ridge Mountains as a museum—modern amenities flourish alongside 200-year-old landmarks in Abingdon’s blend of the venerable and the new.

Founded in 1778, one of Abingdon’s prior visitors was Daniel Boone who called the area Wolf Hills. Washington County was named in honor of George Washington. Abingdon was named in keeping with this tie to George Washington — the Town gets it name from Abingdon in Oxfordshire England, the ancestral home of Martha Washington.

Modern-day Abingdon continues to offer historical riches, updated to 21st-century luxury and tastes. The town will be the future home of Heartwood, Southwest Virginia’s Artisan Center, which will permanently house the business offices of The Crooked Road. Abingdon has long been a center for the arts in the region and nowhere else is this better demonstrated than at the world-famous Barter Theatre. Actor Robert Porterfield founded Virginia’s State Theatre, the Barter Theatre, during the Depression of the 1930s. The Barter takes its name from the former practice of accepting “35 cents or the equivalent in produce” as the price of admission. Over the years, the Theatre has garnered a top-flight professional reputation. Ernest Borgnine, Hume Cronyn, Gregory Peck, Patricia Neal, Ned Beatty, Gary Collins, Kevin Spacey, and Jerry Hardin—just to name a few—are counted among Barter alumni. Classic and contemporary, Broadway hits and world premiers are all standard “fare” January through December at Barter Theatre and Barter Stage II.

Abingdon’s William King Regional Arts Center, a Partner of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts—and accredited by the American Association of Museums—offers a rotating schedule of regional and national exhibits, an outdoor sculpture garden, working studios for artists, a museum store, and classes in fine arts and crafts. Also featuring the finest in arts and artists is the Arts Depot. Located in a former rail freight depot, the Arts Depot is home to artists-in-residence, galleries, and more.

Focusing on the arts and culture of the region is the Virginia Highlands Festival. Held the first two weeks of August, the Virginia Highlands Festival highlights regional art, history, and culture. The Virginia Highlands Festival draws over 250,000 visitors annually and boasts one of the largest antique markets in the southern United States. It has received numerous awards, including the designation as one of the Top 100 Tourist Events in North America. Other Abingdon events include Plumb Alley Day, the Highlands Jazz Festival, the Washington County Fair, Mistletoe Marketplace.

Every genre of music is offered at the Abingdon Market Pavilion such as bluegrass, classical, rock and gospel music concerts during the year. The Highlands Jazz Festival, held every April, features many jazz greats as well as a day of local student jazz ensembles. And in addition to concerts and special events, many of the Abingdon restaurants and pubs, offer live music on the weekends. The Barter Theatre presents musicals that are both classic productions, as well as regional productions that celebrate the old-time and bluegrass heritage of the region.

Nature has not spared her bounty in this part of the country—here you will find the Mount Rogers National Recreation Area, the Virginia Creeper Trail and Appalachian Trail, the scenic forks of the Holston River and South Holston Lake, and some of the highest mountains in the Eastern United States.

The popular Virginia Creeper Trail originates just off Main Street in Historic Abingdon. The trail follows the rail bed of the Virginia-Carolina Railroad for 34 miles from Abingdon through Damascus, to the top of Whitetop Mountain near the Virginia-North Carolina border. Numerous points for automobile parking allow portions of the trail to be followed without having to travel the entire route.

So, whether you’re looking for fine food and lodging, superb arts, beautiful surroundings, homegrown crafts, splendid shopping, or just a leisurely stroll down the brick lanes of one of the nation’s pre-eminent historic districts, come to Abingdon. As a place for sampling history or Southern hospitality, we think you’ll agree that this Virginia Historic Landmark is unparalleled, for here you truly will find “Arts of Historic Proportions!”

Abingdon Convention & Visitors Bureau
335 Cummings Street
Abingdon, VA 24210
1-800-435-3440
276-676-2282
276-676-3076 Fax
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Visitors Center open 9:00 to 5:00 Daily