A Weekend Getaway to Roanoke, Virginia

Sometime during my weekend visit to Roanoke, Virginia—after I spent the night in a hotel that was once a firehouse, dined in a former bank lobby, strolled through a sleek postmodern museum, and played pinball in a gallery packed with vintage machines—I realized I had only scratched the surface of what this former railroad town has to offer.

Locals like to say the city is a family-friendly version of another popular Blue Ridge Mountains town a few hours south in North Carolina. “We’re like Asheville light,” says Mike Whiteside, co-star of Salvage Dawgs, a reality TV series that features his Roanoke-based salvage warehouse.

Visitors can park downtown and spend most of the weekend on foot. There’s plenty to do within a few blocks, and hiking and biking trails are a short drive away. Here’s where to stay and what to do in this up-and-coming urban getaway.

What’s old is new

Now the commercial hub of Southwest Virginia, Roanoke started as a pioneer village near a salt lick that attracted game and Native American hunters. The city boomed in the 19th century as a railroad crossroads, eventually becoming home to Norfolk and Western Railway (now Norfolk Southern). In 1907, the city built a brick firehouse on Church Street with horse stables and sleeping quarters for firefighters.

Guests relaxing on sofas at Fire Station One.

Fire Station One is a boutique hotel with a furniture showroom and restaurant on the first floor of what used to be a firehouse. Photo by John Park

In fall 2022, local furniture company Txtur reopened the building as Fire Station One with a showroom on the first floor. It added a boutique hotel and restaurant in spring 2023.

Guests relaxing on Fire Station One chairs.

Guests of Fire Station One can buy any of the furnishings in their room and have it delivered to their home. Photo courtesy Savara Hospitality

The 7 guest rooms are furnished with the company’s products. Guests can “buy their room,” or rather what’s in it, and have all the furnishings delivered to their home 6 weeks later. Rates start at $200.

The hotel’s restaurant, Stock, serves Northern European dishes like meatballs in lingonberry sauce and open-face rye bread sandwiches topped with gravlax. Chef Jeff Farmer says he chose a Scandinavian theme because the furniture showroom reminded him of an upscale Ikea. But rest assured, his sleek dining room doesn’t feel anything like a big-box store’s cafeteria.

Liberty Trust, a 1910 bank that reopened as a high-rise hotel in 2022, serves international cuisine in its restaurant, Vault. Photo courtesy Savara Hospitality

Another night, I walked to Liberty Trust, a 1910 bank building that reopened as a high-rise hotel in 2022. Many of its spacious rooms offer mountain views (rates start at $190; AAA discount available).

Dig into Japanese shrimp dumplings at Vault, Liberty Trust's restaurant. Photo courtesy Savara Hospitality

The menu at its restaurant, Vault, takes diners on an international adventure. The shareable dishes include Japanese shrimp dumplings, steak tartare, and khachapuri, a sinfully rich egg and cheese bread from the country of Georgia.

Other notable dining options include Fortunato, a rustic Italian eatery serving house-made pastas, custom cocktails, and wood-fired pizza. Wine bar and restaurant Bloom specializes in locally raised products that include Virginia lamb, North Carolina shrimp, and Alabama salami.

Breakfast biscuit from Scratch Biscuit Company.

Scratch Biscuit Company makes more than a dozen versions of the Southern breakfast staple. Photo by Justin Chesney

Don’t miss Scratch Biscuit Company, which offers more than a dozen versions of the Southern breakfast staple. Need to carbo-load for the day’s adventures? Try a Jezebel Biscuit with country ham and pimento cheese.

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Elevated shopping

The city’s shopping is just as imaginative as its dining. A former self-serve restaurant now houses Crafteria, an Appalachian maker’s mart. Here, artisans offer regional products like beeswax candles cast from cedar twigs, jewelry made with coal dust, and regional foods like sorghum barbecue sauce.

A block away, there’s Mast General Store, a huge shop with men’s and women’s outdoor clothes from L.L. Bean, Oboz, and more. On Market Street, you’ll find boutiques like She’s International, founded by a former flight attendant who sells some of her favorite overseas finds, such as a leather handbag shaped like a tulip from Amsterdam. A few stores down, Book No Further features local authors.

In downtown Roanoke, treat your sweet tooth at the Candy Store. Photo by Justin Chesney

The Candy Store stocks thousands of sweets like a potato-shaped chocolate bar and Dr Pepper–flavored cotton candy.

Shop for reclaimed treasures at Black Dog Salvage. Photo by Justin Chesney

The Black Dog Salvage warehouse that Whiteside owns with Salvage Dawgs co-star Robert Kulp is another must-visit Roanoke attraction. The 40,000-square-foot store sells treasures reclaimed from old homes and business, such as an antique ship propeller and vintage door frames. It also offers summer weekend concerts at its Dog Bowl amphitheater.

Museums and more

Make time for Roanoke’s museums. If it moves, you’ll likely find it at the Virginia Museum of Transportation. Exhibits include a railroad siding with steam locomotives and custom passenger cars, a vintage police car from nearby Salem, and an exhibit on Virginia’s female aviation pioneers. Adults, $12.66.

Taubman Museum of Art exterior with rail cars in front.

The Taubman Museum of Art was designed by a colleague of architect Frank Gehry. Photo by Justin Chesney

You can’t miss the strikingly modern Taubman Museum of Art and its glass and steel atrium, designed by a colleague of starchitect Frank Gehry.

Sculpture in the Taubman Museum of Art atrium.

Check out the collection as well as the glass and steel atrium at the Taubman Museum of Art. Photo by Justin Chesney

The permanent collection includes pieces by Norman Rockwell, Thomas Eakins, and Howard Finster, a Baptist minister known for his outsider paintings and sculptures. The museum also has a blingy collection of Judith Leiber handbags. Free admission.

Pinball machines at the Roanoke Pinball Museum.

The Roanoke Pinball Museum has more than 60 games visitors can play, including the 1947 Humpty Dumpty, the first to use electromagnetic flippers. Photo by Justin Chesney

For a hands-on gallery, head down the block to the Roanoke Pinball Museum, which has more than 60 machines. Admission ($15; children under 2 are free) provides unlimited play. Choices include Humpty Dumpty, a 1947 model that was the first to use electromagnetic flippers, and The Addams Family, which rewards players with video clips from the classic TV show.

The great outdoors

Rent a bike or take an e-bike tour along the Greenway, trails that line the Roanoke River. Photo by Justin Chesney

On a weekend morning, the entire city seems to be on parade at the Greenway, a network of trails that follow the Roanoke River. Rent a bicycle or sign up for an e-bike tour at Roanoke Mountain Adventures—but first check out the store’s consignment racks, where you might find a bargain on the perfect Patagonia fleece.

McAfee Knob provides a fun backdrop for Instagram-worthy photos and overlooks the Catawba Valley on the Appalachian Trail. Photo by Blue Cat Studio/stock.adobe.com

Mountain-biking trails and hiking routes lace the hills and mountains surrounding the city. One of the most popular leads to McAfee Knob, considered one of the Appalachian Trail’s most-photographed spots. A shuttle takes hikers to the trailhead Fridays through Sundays for the 7.5-mile round-trip hike.

At the top, strike a pose on a rock that appears to hang over the Catawba Valley and seems made for Instagram. (You’ll see a silhouette of the overlook on Virginia’s Appalachian Trail license plate.) Although it looks dramatic, it’s not particularly scary.

At the base of Mill Mountain, a 3-mile hike leads to the Roanoke Star. Photo by Justin Chesney

For an adventure closer to town, head to the base of Mill Mountain, where a 3-mile hike leads to the Roanoke Star. Originally a Christmas display, it has become a municipal symbol and inspired Roanoke’s nickname, Star City. An overlook offers a commanding view. Try to arrive at dusk when the city lights twinkle to life. It looks like a jewel nested in the mountains, a fitting description for this sparkling Blue Ridge city.

Charlottesville-based writer Larry Bleiberg now finds himself sneaking off to Roanoke as much as he can.