The Southwest Virginia Museum Historical State Park is pleased to present the 30th Annual Festival of Trees.

During the Festival of Trees, the Friends of Natural Bridge State Park asks local organizations to decorate a holiday tree to represent themselves in the community.

The Geminid meteor shower is considered by many to be the best of the year, producing up to 120 multicolored meteors per hour at its peak.

Winter is a time when everything seems to slow down, but nature never truly stays still.

All are welcome at the Friends of Sailor's Creek Battlefield volunteer support group during their monthly meeting as they focus on a variety of objectives designed to assist the park's mission in preserving the hallowed grounds of the last major battle of the American Civil War in Virginia on April 6, 1865.

Help support the park you love.

The Friends of Powhatan State Park is a group made up of citizen volunteers from Virginia’s Piedmont region who are passionate about supporting the park’s mission.

Get your mid-week boost with a walk among the trees, meadows, with fellow nature lovers!

This program is designed to introduce young participants to the wonders of the natural world and foster an appreciation for the environment.

Winter is a time when everything seems to slow down, but nature never truly stays still.

Aside from enjoying a breakfast worthy of real maple syrup today, now is a great time to get ready for maple syrup season in just a few weeks.

The Ursids meteor shower is a minor meteor shower producing 5-10 meteors per hour at its peak.

Just as caterpillars grow and change, our Caterpillar Club programs are designed to help your little one grow and change.

Join us for a festive, family-friendly workshop where we’ll transform natural materials into beautiful, one-of-a-kind Christmas ornaments.

From the small eastern screech owl to the great horned owl, eight species of owls call Virginia home part or all of the year.   Get a glimpse into the mysterious world of our elusive nocturnal raptors.

Learn the legend behind the naturally occurring stone cross formations and travel to the special location in the park to search for your own "fairy stone." After a short presentation on what you will be looking for, we will head to the site.

Meet Gertie and Birdie, our Educational Ambassadors, and interact with our knowledgeable rangers while they care for these beloved critters.

Did you know that coyotes are not naturally native to Virginia?

Join a ranger for a guided hike along one of the fingers of Fairy Stone Lake that leads to an abandoned iron mine.

Hit the trail with one of our rangers to see which birds of Fairy Stone State Park are hiding in plain sight along Oak Hickory Trail.

Join us for a magical and entertaining view of one of our most treasured holidays at the Karlan Mansion.

Experience Natural Bridge State Park like never before, with festive lighting and roaring fires; the park is awash in the holiday spirit this December.

A beloved holiday tradition, the Festival of Trees celebrates its 30th year.

Don your ugliest holiday attire and join us for a night of festivities!

Have you ever seen or heard an actual owl call in the night?

Carol your way through the winter woods on a wagon decorated with holiday lights!

Take advantage of our remote location far from city lights to see brilliant night skies over the lake.

Carol your way through the winter woods on a wagon decorated with holiday lights!

Learn the legend behind the naturally occurring stone cross formations and travel to the special location in the park to search for your own "fairy stone." After a short presentation on what you will be looking for, we will head to the site.

Bundle up and explore the frosty beauty of First Landing State Park with our Self-Guided Winter Adventure Scavenger Hunt!

Event Registration is full!

Behind every general was a horse that carried them into history.

This trail begins on Iron Mine Trail and features an iron mine once used by Fayerdale residents, as well as an overlook of Fairy Stone Lake.

Start your weekend with fresh air, beautiful scenery, comradery, and a feeling of accomplishment.

Would you like to have the chance to explore the trails in Powhatan State Park and meet new people?

Join us for a guided Winter Discovery Hike along the Buck Lick Trail and experience the quiet beauty of the forest in its cold-weather stillness.

Join a ranger for a guided hike to look for winter birds.

Travel through time on this scavenger hunt.

Enjoy a winter birding adventure to discover duck species and habitats.  In less than a mile we will look for waterfowl from a shallow pond, tidal creek, and the river.  Bald eagles are also frequently found in the area.

“And into the forest I go, to lose my mind and find my soul.” - John Muir Join our rangers on a guided hike and learn about our native species, park history, and wetland habitat.

As you gather with your families during the holidays, visit our discovery hours at Shenandoah River State Park!  Activities available may include making your own animal track, meeting Henry the turtle, exploring under a microscope, and more!

Marshes are more than great spots for fishing, canoeing, and bird-watching.

Have you ever wanted to identify the different birds in your yard or even start bird watching as a hobby?  If so, this program is for you.  We'll go over the basics of finding and identifying birds, the basic equipment you might need, as well as some tips to help you make the most of your birding adventures!

Winter’s snow-covered trails are full of mysteries—each footprint a clue left behind by the animals that call this place home.

Our animal ambassadors Hisstopher and Harrold want to meet you!

Put your animal knowledge to the test in this fun, interactive guessing game!

Winter will be here before you know it, so join us to discover more about "Hibernation, Adaptation, and Migration" or, what animals do to survive the colder, winter months.

Come make a craft to brighten the shortest day of the year and welcome the longer and lighter days ahead!

This historical building tour is designed to highlight the architecture of the time, designs, furnishings, special touches, ornate decor, and stories within the walls of the Jones-Stewart Mansion.

Ever wonder what stories a tree can tell?

Let your creativity flow at our Creation Station, where you can create your favorite animal mask, opossum puppet, turkey, butterfly, or batteau craft.

Join us for a festive celebration filled with holiday activities and music.

Step into the shoes of a 19th-century farmer and help care for our heritage breed chickens and goats!

Enjoy the beauty of York River State Park, while having the opportunity to take pictures along the way.

Long ago, giant beasts roamed these lands...put yourself into the shoes of an Ice Age hunter in this spear-throwing workshop using an ancient spear-throwing device: the atlatl! The atlatl was used on the North American continent and all over the world, enabling both men and women to efficiently hunt megafauna such as woolly mammoths and giant ground sloths.

Join our rangers in exploring the wildlife along our central trails.

Murders over moonshine rocked the town of Fayerdale in the 1920s and 30s, leaving a dying town remembered for tragedy rather than the mining operations that once made it a boom town. Moonshining (illegal whiskey making) was quite prevalent in and around the Fairy Stone State Park area in the early 1900s. Jealousy, greed, and competition often led to feuds, brawls, and even killings.

Get creative when you build your very own bug at this ranger-led program.

Step into a world where science, technology, engineering, art, and math (STEAM) converge with the magic of winter at our snow-themed STEAM event.

Slither on over to the Visitors Center for an in-depth look into the fascinating lives of local reptiles.

Are you in need of some fun holiday decorations?

Did you know there was once a thriving "boom town" located where our lake is today?

Through trail, stone, and timber, the CCC carved a legacy that still shapes Douthat today.

Join us for a lesson in the unique adaptations that make animals well suited for surviving the colder winter months.

Discover our International Dark-Sky Park!

Join us for a magical and entertaining view of one of our most treasured holidays at the Karlan Mansion.

The Southwest Virginia Museum Historical State Park is pleased to present “The Festival of Trees: An Evening Aglow” on November 28 and December 20 from 5-8 p.m. For these two evenings only, visitors will be offered an opportunity to view the museum in a different light.

Experience Natural Bridge State Park like never before, with festive lighting and roaring fires; the park is awash in the holiday spirit this December.

A beloved holiday tradition, the Festival of Trees celebrates its 30th year.

Carol your way through the winter woods on a wagon decorated with holiday lights!

Join us for a special night hike through False Cape State Park.

 As you ride down on the chairlift and make your way to the tunnel, you will be surrounded by thousands of Christmas lights and see animated Christmas displays.

Carol your way through the winter woods on a wagon decorated with holiday lights!

Did you know that James River State Park is a member of the International Dark Sky Association?

Please Note: This is an entirely indoor astronomy program Join Kim Kenny of the Crewe Observatory as he takes you back in time to Bethlehem to see the night sky as it was during Jesus' lifetime. Using the Holy Bible, computers and cutting-edge astronomy software, you will experience in two hours what the Wise Men saw and the signs in the sky from Jesus' birth to his crucifixion.

Come join the storytellers from CHAOS (Chapel Hill Astronomical and Observational Society) on the Observation Field to share the stories of the stars.

Carol your way through the winter woods on a wagon decorated with holiday lights!

This Winter Solstice, join our rangers on a morning hike through the Holly Marsh Trail to see the sunrise over the Potomac River!

Make the most of the shortest day of the year and ring in the winter season with a series of hikes.

Walk in the footsteps of moonshiners from decades gone by.

We all enjoy a yummy meal and that’s the same for our resident snakes that live here in our Visitor Center.

Craft a keepsake for the upcoming holiday season.

As you gather with your families during the holidays, visit our discovery hours at Shenandoah River State Park!  Activities available may include making your own animal track, meeting Henry the turtle, exploring under a microscope, and more!

Join us in creating your very own bird feeder to put in our park or your back yard!

Celebrate the first day of winter by going on a guided hike with a ranger and learning about Mason Neck’s unique environment and the history of the park as a bald eagle sanctuary.

Make the most of the shortest day of the year by stepping outside, connecting with nature, and welcoming winter with fresh air and scenic views.

Humans aren't the only ones who build amazing structures.  Insects, birds, and mammals are among the many animals who create complex homes for themselves.  Let's take a look into the world of these master builders of the animal kingdom.

Come face-to-face with some of First Landing State Park’s most fascinating residents!

Take a 4-hour guided tour through Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge and False Cape State Park!

Join us for "Turtle Time" at Holliday Lake State Park and meet our beloved turtle, Harrold Holliday!

Just because we don’t always spot them, we know the animals are around by the tracks and traces they leave behind.

Join a ranger on this one-mile trek and discover the different flora and fauna that can be found in the winter. Be sure to wear warm, comfortable shoes and clothes, and bring a water bottle if possible.

Learn the legend behind the naturally occurring stone cross formations and travel to the special location in the park to search for your own "fairy stone." After a short presentation on what you will be looking for, we will head to the site.

Join us for a cozy afternoon of holiday cheer!

Join us for a magical and entertaining view of one of our most treasured holidays at the Karlan Mansion.

Have you ever found yourself in need of a length of string while out in the wilderness?

Trees have magical qualities that provide us with many important everyday items, as well as a large portion of the oxygen we breathe.

Westmoreland State Park is home to four different ambassador animals: Reba the corn snake, Stevie the king snake, and two red-eared sliders, Venus and Jennika.

Discover the “bear facts” about Fairy Stone State Park’s black bears at our ranger-led program. Learn about their characteristics, habits, how to avoid conflicts, and much more.

Nature Journals are great way to practice intentional observation of your surroundings.