This is a big year for the United States. We’ve been independent for two and a half centuries, and our country’s cities and states are commemorating this milestone. As the site of several Revolutionary War events, including the decisive final battle of the war at Yorktown, Virginia offers plenty to visit and learn.
VA250, organizer of Virginia’s commemorative events, has created a special Passport game, making this the perfect year to hit the road. The VA250 Passport is a 64-page keepsake commemorative guide containing discounts and a list of 70 participating museums and historic sites in all five state regions—Central Virginia, Northern Virginia, Shenandoah Valley, Southwestern Virginia, and Tidewater.
Accessing your free Passport is a breeze. No photo, form, fee, or trip to Washington, D.C., required. Pick one up at any of seven signature sites around the state, and be on your way. As you visit any of the 70 designated locations, get your Passport stamped so you’ll be eligible for discounts and prizes. Passports are good through Dec. 31. VA250.org.
Explore some of the Commonwealth’s historic sites
Central
1. Historic Kenmore, Fredericksburg
2. Historic St. John’s Church, Richmond
3. SIGNATURE SITE: Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello, Charlottesville
4. SIGNATURE SITE: Virginia Museum of History & Culture, Richmond
Northern
5. Gadsby’s Tavern, Alexandria
6. SIGNATURE SITE: Mount Vernon
7. George Mason’s Gunston Hall, Lorton
Shenandoah Valley
8. Belle Grove Plantation, Middletown
9. Frontier Culture Museum of Virginia, Staunton
10. Museum of the Shenandoah Valley, Winchester
Southwest
11. Historic Smithfield, Blacksburg
12. Salem Museum, Salem
13. Historical Society of Western Virginia, Roanoke
Eastern
14. Bacon’s Castle, Surry
15. Menokin, Warsaw
16. Great Bridge Battlefield & Waterways Museum, Chesapeake
17. SIGNATURE SITE: Colonial Williamsburg
18. Colonial National Historical Park, Jamestown to Yorktown
This article originally appeared in the June 2026 issue.
