This Virginia Downtown Is Made For Strolling
Known as Virginia’s “City of Churches,” Danville is an ideal place to visit if you enjoy walking. Shaped by the tobacco and textile industries, its location along the Dan River helped fuel its success as a trading hub and today adds to Danville’s allure as one of the South’s topmost walkable tourist destinations. Boasting pleasant brick-paved sidewalks connecting Victorian-era tobacco and textile warehouses to a revitalized riverfront and a Main Street lined with mansions and churches, strolling Danville's downtown district is an experience not to be missed. The best way to experience this dynamic tourist hotspot? Simply slip on a pair of comfortable shoes and start walking.
Follow in History’s Footsteps
Here’s a tip: as you stroll through Danville, keep an eye out for the town’s many helpful plaques and info stations. You’ll find them everywhere around town, usually positioned next to a historic building or a place where one once stood. They certainly add a lot to a self-guided tour of the town, so stop and have a read whenever you see one.
Downtown Danville has several important historic markers, with those lining Main Street being particularly interesting. One relates to Danville’s “City of Churches” nickname, detailing how the town has more places of worship per capita than anywhere else in Virginia.
A few feet away, another explains how Danville was the last capital of the Confederacy for just eight days in April 1865. As the Civil War neared its close, Jefferson Davis fled Richmond, the Confederate capital, and established temporary headquarters here. Both were facts I only learned when exploring Danville on foot.
Start Your Stroll at The Bee Hotel
The Bee Hotel, located just off Main Street in the heart of the town’s commercial district, is an ideal base from which to wander Danville. Occupying a grand old newspaper building from 1925 that reflects Danville’s early prosperity, references to the building’s past are everywhere. A huge original printing press dominates the lobby, while cutaways in the walls show the old offices and spiral stairs connecting newsrooms to the presses.
Named after a line of work clothes that used to be manufactured at Dan River Mills, once one of the country’s largest textile mills (it’s now a massive residential and retail complex), be sure to request a room overlooking Patton Street.
If you do, you’ll find yourself facing the attractive Danville Municipal Building, an edifice that looks even more impressive when lit by the setting sun. You can also get great views of the town from the hotel’s trendy rooftop bar, the aptly named Hive.
From the hotel's main entrance on South Union Street, turn left toward the Municipal Building, then left again along Patton Street to the River District, where the real fun begins.
The River District and Riverwalk
Only a 10-minute walk east from The Bee Hotel, the wonderful River District has become the epicenter of Danville's entertainment and dining hub. Centered on Craghead Street and the blocks surrounding several repurposed tobacco and textile warehouses, there’s so much to see and do here that you’ll want to take your time.
Must-visits include the Danville Science Center, an epic family attraction that occupies a renovated railroad freight station. Fun interactive exhibits focus on the Dan River watershed, regional ecology, as well as the stars above (check out The Dome for its state-of-the-art digital experiences).
And if visiting on a Saturday, the Danville Community Market gives you the chance to meet local vendors selling produce, baked goods, and handmade crafts in a former warehouse. For fancy food options, Cotton at Riverside Millserves farm-to-table Southern cuisine inside a converted textile building. For a great casual bite, Links Coffee House has earned a devoted following for its delicious breakfast sandwiches. Sit outside and watch the world go by.
The Dan River itself provides a great excuse for a wander. Part of the River District, the Riverwalk Trail is a paved, level pathway that follows the riverbank behind the old tobacco and textile warehouses. If you’ve got the additional energy and time, cross over the pedestrian bridge (a former railway bridge) across to the other side of the river, where you can then loop back to the two bridges to begin your Main Street walking tour.
Main Street
The westward walk along Main Street from the River District is equally fun. You’ll pass by several shops popular with locals and visitors alike, some of which feature storefronts that haven’t changed much in decades. Highlights include River District Artisans, Glitz & Glamour Boutique, and Rippe's Apparel, Shoes, Luxury Outerwear.
Across the street, you’ll see an intriguing sign attached to an old brick wall. Overlooking this pleasant brick-pathed green space, it reads simply “Home” in large letters. Once adorning the nearby White Mills development, it was part of a larger sign that read “Home of Dan River Fabrics.”
Forward-thinking townsfolk saved the letters, and you can now even enjoy them when they’re lit up at night. From here, keep walking westwards until you find yourself surrounded by elegant old Victorian- and Edwardian-era mansions.
The Grand Old Mansions of Millionaires' Row
The western end of Danville Main Street is home to the residential district known as Millionaire's Row. It was here that the town’s tobacco barons, textile execs, and railroad tycoons constructed their huge palace-like homes between 1870 and 1920, all of them trying to outdo their neighbours in grandeur.
Standouts include the Sutherlin Mansion at 975 Main Street. Built in 1859, it’s now home to the Danville Museum of Fine Arts and History. Constructed in Italianate styling, it was here that Jefferson Davis stayed in 1865, making it the last Executive Mansion of the Confederacy.
While the other elegant homes on Millionaire's Row are privately owned, there’s a good chance you can get inside # 926 Main Street for a peek if you join a guided tour. Professional tour guide Joyce Wilburn offers a variety of tour options around Danville, and is well-connected enough to get her clients into this grand old mansion for an inside look.
It’s well worth the cost and definitely time well spent. As well as having the opportunity to have a peek inside this elegant old mansion, you’ll be greeted by the current, extremely friendly owner who’ll share tales of his remarkable preservation efforts. Be sure to ask how previous owners included a motorbike gang who rode their bikes to the upper levels (true story!).
The City of Churches
Some of Virginia’s most impressive churches are also located along Millionaires' Row, a reflection of the contributions made by the town’s Gilded Age elite. Several charming old churches representing Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian, and Episcopal congregations are all situated within walking distance of these old homes and are easy to spot, as there’s little here to block views of their steeples and bell towers.
The best examples include First Baptist Church, a lovely Romanesque Revival structure completed in 1895, and as impressive inside as it is outside. Cross over Chestnut Street, and you’ll see the no-less impressive First Presbyterian Church. Built with a Greek Revival facade in 1857, it’s one of only a handful of antebellum churches to have survived in the city.
Crowning Millionaire's Row and Main Street, though, is the beautiful Mount Vernon United Methodist Church. Built in 1859 and named after George Washington's Mount Vernon estate, it also just so happens to provide superb views along the route you’ve just followed on your leisurely stroll through Danville.
Other Walkable Virginia Downtowns
Charlottesville
The college town of Charlottesville boasts an equally walkable downtown. Head to the Historic Downtown Mall, a brick-paved pedestrian corridor stretching along Main Street. One of the longest pedestrian malls in the United States, it’s home to the Paramount Theater, a 1931 Art Deco cinema, and the Jefferson Theater, which hosts live music in a building dating back to 1912.
Winchester
Located at the north end of the Shenandoah Valley, Winchester also features a strollable downtown district. Here, the Loudoun Street Mall passes through Old Town Winchester, a commercial district with many buildings constructed before 1900. Highlights include the Old Courthouse Civil War Museum and one of Shenandoah Valley’s most popular eateries, the Union Jack pub.
Danville’s Sidewalks Tell A Tale
If you visit Danville, bring along a good pair of walking shoes as you’ll find yourself exploring one of the South’s most interesting old downtowns. Walking along the River District and Riverwalk alone can take the best part of a day if you go slowly and stop to smell the flowers… and see the sights. Add Main Street and Millionaire's Row to the mix, and yes, those shoes will prove a godsend. So, for travelers interested in learning more about Virginia’s tobacco and textile history, Danville is an ideal place for an urban stroll.
