“Where to go and what to see and do?”
Such is the dilemma for Virginia’s modern-day explorers. The state is chock-full of A-list attractions like the big three: Mt. Vernon, Monticello, and Colonial Williamsburg. But if you stick to the usuals, which are indeed worthy of their notable status, you’ll miss out on all kinds of treasures tucked here and there. You’ve got to dig deeper to find a jet covered with pennies or an old (3100 B.C.), iconic structure replicated in Styrofoam. These are just a few of the trove of artifacts that make Virginia so much fun. We’ve compiled a short list to get you going, but get your spyglass out, because once you hit the road, you’ll spot many, many more.
Change Plane
Created in 2008 by artist Courtney S. Hengerer, Pennies from Heaven is an installation of a mini F-14 fighter jet (6 feet tall) in Falls Church, slathered with 14,000 copper pennies. That’s $140! Up front, pennies are affixed heads up, and on the tail, tails are up, of course. Extra points if you can spy the six United Kingdom pennies scattered among Lincoln’s heads. 6400 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church. CourtneySHengerer.com
Heads of State
The story of the 42 President Heads began when Houston artist David Adickes, inspired by Mount Rushmore, created concrete busts ranging from George Washington to George W. Bush. They resided in Williamsburg’s Presidents Park until they fell upon hard times, but a fan, Howard Hankins, saved them by moving them all (18 feet tall and 22,000 lbs. a piece) to his property in Croaker. They’re accessible with an event ticket or enrollment in a photo workshop. Near Williamsburg. ThePresidentsHeads.com
Maize Maze
Said to be the largest corn maze (34 whopping acres) in the country, Liberty Mills Farm challenges visitors with four different trails ranging in difficulty—the easiest trail takes 30 minutes and the hardest is a mystery maze with no map! Wander around tall corn day or night (with flashlights). Open Sept. 14 for the 2024 season. 9166 Liberty Mills Rd., Somerset. 434-882-6293. LibertyMillsFarm.com
Petit Elvis
It’s three feet tall and located in someone’s yard, but Roanoke’s Miniature Graceland is every bit as exciting for true fans as the full-scale Graceland in Memphis, Tennessee. Complete with velvet curtains in the windows and a mini gold statue of Elvis in his environs, the site has fallen into disrepair several times but was resurrected by devotees of The King. 605 Riverland Rd. SE, Roanoke.
Prehistoric Beasts
The brainchild of Joseph Geraci, Dinosaur Land is home to more than 50 life-size, faux, fiberglass dinosaurs that have lived peacefully in an enclave about 20 minutes north of Front Royal since 1963. Other large animals on display include King Kong (big enough for kids to sit in his palm), a 60-foot shark, and a 70-foot octopus. Best of all, it’s OK to touch the statues. 3848 Stonewall Jackson Hwy., White Post. 540-869-2222. DinosaurLandVa.com
Tree Carving Trail
Children and other fans of cultural icons like SpongeBob SquarePants and The Grinch frequently skip along a woodsy path in what Warsaw locals call The Enchanted Forest, and it’s all thanks to tree carver Tom Rhodes who learned his craft in Cub Scouts. Find a sweet fawn curled up in a tree trunk nook and Batman standing ready for action, just two of more than 80 characters that can be checked off on a free map. 211 Wallace St., Warsaw.
Round Things
Near the Gold Mining Camp Museum are two large, hollow concrete orbs called Hornet Balls that have defied explanation for decades. Measuring 7 feet tall, 20 feet in circumference, and weighing 7 tons, their purpose remains a mystery. The current best guess is that they crushed stone at the local gold mine in the early 1900s, however where the name “hornet balls” came from remains elusive. 14421 Gold Dust Pkwy., Goldvein. 540-422-8170.
Art Al Fresco
More than 100 outdoor sculptures are planted in a 10-acre grassy field at the Robert F. Cage Shanti Sculpture Farm and Studio, where the large-scale work of the late tobacco auctioneer and artist Robert Cage is on display. The range of construction is wide—surplus industrial materials, color and whimsy, abstract and representational. You can’t walk the field without contacting the owner, but you can park on the side of the road and have a look. 1041 Cage Trail, South Boston. RobertFCage.com
Lightweight Landmark
Created by artist Mark Cline, this replica of English antiquity and ancient mystery Stonehenge is made of Styrofoam and called Foamhenge. Previously located at Natural Bridge until it was dismantled and stored, public outcry demanded its return, so Cline erected it at Cox Farms. An astronomer advised him on how to position each “stone” to align with the summer solstice. Open for limited hours in spring and summer and during the farm’s Fall Festival. 15621 Braddock Rd., Centreville. 703-830-4121. CoxFarmsVa.com
Big Bottles
Originally built for the Richmond Dairy Co. in 1913 with oversized 40-foot milk bottles on three corners of the brick building, this legendairy complex has seen its fair share of interesting occupants. After serving as a creamery until 1970 and later as a homebase to creatives like world-famous GWAR and fabulous hat designer Ignatius, it was converted into 99 apartments in the 1990s. 201 W. Marshall St., Richmond.
This article originally appeared in the October 2024 issue.
