Virginia factories to visit and tour

Virginia has factories to visit and tour. Below, first are the active, working factories. The next section has historical operations which often have demonstrations or renactments. These incluse both large and small operations, from several person chocolate factories and cheesemakers to large manufacturers making paper towels, wood products, beverage cans and bottles, are open to the public with real tours, exhibitions and fun education.

In some cases, such as a manufacturing process that is no longer in use, the only way to see it and learn about it is a museum or living history center. So, we also provide information about engineering facilities and museums, dinosaur digs, even government facilities, like NASA, astronomy oberservatories and more that are open to the public on certain days and times. And if there is some place that is just plain fun to visit, we add that, too!

These are perfect for homeschooling, for STEM and for fun! Kids love visiting these places! They're learning and getting an education without even realizing it. And most of these are either free or under $10! What's better then fun, entertaining, good for children and families, educational and free?

Here are some of the top factory tours in Virginia and contact information and tips about visiting them.

Factories, Engineering, Museums and other fun demonstrations and exhibits to visit in Virginia

• Amazon Fulfillment Center - tour of the facility
  1901 Meadowville Technology Pkwy, Chester, VA 23836. Phone: (804) 526-5879.
  If you’ve ever wanted to see inside one of Amazon’s massive fulfillment centers (FCs), here’s your chance! Amazon offers free virtual and in-person tours of FCs around the world, where our expert tour guides show visitors what it’s like to work inside the facilities. As our guest, you will see it all for yourself, learning about the innovative technology and the incredible people who make Amazon what it is today. Register now for a virtual tour or an in-person tour (in select locations).
• CiderWorks' Tasting Room and Orchard - apple cider
  2545 Rural Ridge Lane, North Garden, VA 22959. Phone: 434-979-1663. Email: fruit@albemarleciderworks.com. Open: Saturdays and Sundays. At Rural Ridge orchard, you can enjoy tasting cider and apples, listen to live music, and unwind in a serene, rural setting away from the city's hustle and bustle. They offer a guided tasting of their award-winning cider. Tastings feature 5 unique, rotating ciders. Learn about apple history and cider production from a knowledgeable cider expert. Tastings are first come, first served, and reservations are not accepted. Consider an Orchard to Bottle Cidery tour, available on select Fridays and Sundays. Tickets are required and include an expanded tasting. There are also additional Activities:
  Explore horseback riding tours with their partners at Indian Summer Guides.
  Arrange a private picnic through their partners at C'Ville Picnic.
• Philip Morris Manufacturing Center - virtual tours only
  3601 Commerce Road, Richmond, VA 23234. Phone: (800) 627-5200. way back in 1993, they stopped offering in person tours. See this Roanoke Times article ; " After 19 years of offering visitors free guided tours and free packs of smokes, Richmond's signature industry is closing its doors to the public."
• Route 11 Potato Chips - food factory
  11 Edwards Way, Mount Jackson, VA 22842. Email: sales@rt11.com. Phone: 540-477-9664. Open: the factory is open to the public Mondays to Saturdays, 9am to 5pm. Closed on major holidays. There are big windows in our retail store that allow you to see the entire process of us making chips, with the exception of the peeling of the potatoes. We will be happy to talk to you about the potatoes, the process, and the daily realities of chipland.  There are no walk-through tours of our facility.  If you have a large group (15 people or more), please call ahead so we know you're coming. Individuals, families and small groups are welcome at any time. If you are coming specifically to watch us make chips, it is best to call in advance to make sure we're cooking. There are plenty of chips to sample and purchase, and there is no charge for the fry viewing. However, we do ask that no photos be taken of our production areas.
• Colonial Williamsburg - historic settlement with re-enactments
   101 Visitor Center Drive, Williamsburg, VA 23185. Phone: (888) 965-7254. Open: Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. - 6 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday 9 a.m.- 6 p.m. Colonial Williamsburg is the world’s largest living history museum. Our 301 acres feature iconic sites, working tradespeople, historic taverns, and two world-class art museums. Colonial Williamsburg is open 365 days a year. Most Historic Trades and Sites are open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. After hours, check out Evening Programs, which run well into the night. The Art Museums of Colonial Williamsburg are open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Restaurant and store hours vary. When adverse weather occurs, we encourage guests to explore The Art Museums of Colonial Williamsburg, as well as take a tour of the Governor's Palace and The Capitol, which are all indoor activities.

Virginia Historical Forts and Sites, Famous buildings, Active Federal facilities to tour, Geology: like fossils and volcanic areas

 

• Colonial National Historic Park, - historic settlement
  Jamestown and Yorktown, VA.
  

  On May 13, 1607, Jamestown was established as the first permanent English settlement in North America. Three cultures came together - European, Virginia Indian and African–to create a new society that would eventually seek independence from Great Britain. On October 19, 1781, American and French troops defeated the British at Yorktown in the last major battle of the American Revolutionary War.

  
  • Alerts and Current Conditions
  • Info about the park
  • Park event calendar
  • Park maps
• Fort Monroe National Monument, military fort
  Fort Monroe, VA.
  

  Fort Monroe National Monument has a diverse history spanning the American story from American Indian presence, Captain John Smith's journeys, first arrival of enslaved Africans in English North America, a safe haven for freedom seekers during the American Civil War, and a bastion of defense for the Chesapeake Bay through the 21st Century. Visit and witness the on-going preservation work in action.

  
  • Alerts and Current Conditions
  • Info about the park
  • Park event calendar
  • Park maps
• George Washington Birthplace National Monument, - historic home
  Westmoreland County, VA.
  

  George Washington Birthplace National Monument is located in the Northern Neck of Virginia. It encompasses 550 acres of the former Popes Creek Plantation, which is the American ancestral home of the Washington Family and where George Washington was born. In addition to a Colonial Revival farm, visitor center, and historic structures, the park also has picnic grounds and a public beach.

  
  • Alerts and Current Conditions
  • Info about the park
  • Park event calendar
  • Park maps
• Historic Jamestowne - Colonial National Historic Site - historic settlement
  James City County, VA
  Walk in the steps of Captain John Smith and Pocahontas where a successful English colonization of North America began. Despite early struggles to survive, the 1607 settlement evolved into a prosperous colony. As the colony expanded, the Virginia Indians were pushed out of their homeland. In 1619, the arrival of Africans was recorded, marking the origin of slavery in English North America.
  • Alerts and Current Conditions
  • Info about the park
  • Park event calendar
  • Park maps
• Yorktown Battlefield Colonial National Historic Site - military fort (ruins)
  Yorktown, VA
  Discover what it took for the United States to be independent as you explore the site of the last major battle of the Revolutionary War. Here at Yorktown, in the fall of 1781, General George Washington, with allied American and French forces, besieged General Charles Lord Cornwallis’s British army. On October 19, Cornwallis surrendered, effectively ending the war and ensuring independence.
  • Alerts and Current Conditions
  • Info about the park
  • Park event calendar
  • Park maps

Virginia State parks and historic sites

• Bear Creek Lake (BC)
• Belle Isle (BI)
• Breaks Interstate (BK) *
• Caledon (CA)
• Chippokes Plantation (CP)
• Claytor Lake (CL)
• Clinch River (CR) **
• Douthat (DO)
• Fairy Stone (FS)
• False Cape (FC)
• First Landing (FL)
• Grayson Highlands (GH)
• High Bridge Trail (HB)
• Holliday Lake (HL)
• Hungry Mother (HM)
• James River (JR)
• Kiptopeke (KP)
• Lake Anna (LA)
• Leesylvania (LE)
• Mason Neck (MN)
• Machicomoco (MA)
• Natural Bridge (NB)
• Natural Tunnel (NT)
• New River Trail (NR)
• Occoneechee (OC)
• Pocahontas (PO)
• Powhatan (PW)
• Sailor's Creek Battlefield Historic (SC)
• Seven Bends (SE)
• Shenandoah River (SH)
• Shot Tower (ST)
• Sky Meadows (SK)
• Smith Mountain Lake (SM)
• Southwest Virginia Museum Historical (SW)
• Staunton River (SR)
• Staunton River Battlefield (SB)
• Twin Lakes (TL)
• Westmoreland (WE)
• Widewater (WW)
• Wilderness Road (WR)
• York River (YR)

Virginia Seasons, bugs, topography and climate

Virginia's climate is typical southern Atlantic coast: humid, sub-tropical, hot summers and relatively mild but cold winters that feel colder due to the relatively high humidity. There is moderate rainfall throughout the year, snows are common in the winter. Average coastal temperatures in July and August rarely exceed 90°F (32°C).

Camping in Virginia

If you're looking to save money on your trip, camping may be a fun alternative to hotels and motels, especially, if you already have the gear, or are looking to get some. BTW, this websites ( https://RoadTrippingAndCamping.com ) explains everything you need to know about camping gear and where to the best gear at the lowest prices.

Twenty-nine state parks throughout the state offer camping (see camping rates) with a total of more than 1,800 campsites. Site sizes, configurations and amenities vary. Some parks provide sites with electric and water hook-ups, which tend to be larger to accommodate recreational vehicles and campers.

• Kiptopeke and Hungry Mother campgrounds offer sewer hook-ups.
• Primitive campgrounds are open year-round and do not offer a bathhouse.
• Full-service campgrounds (with bathhouses) are open from the first Friday in March through the first Monday in December with the exception of Douthat, Hungry Mother, Pocahontas and Shenandoah River state parks which have full-service campgrounds open year-round.
• Park campgrounds are pet-friendly, (False Cape has some restrictions).

Sign up for the Customer Loyalty Program to earn points for free overnight stays.

Reservations

Reservations are recommended, and it's best to reserve a site as early as possible. Reservations are accepted 11 months in advance and up to 2 p.m. on the day of arrival. You may reserve a site by calling the Customer Service Center Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., or at  Virginia State Parks Camping Reservations online. A “hybrid” reservation system is used for most developed campgrounds, i.e., those with bathhouses. At least half of the sites in those campgrounds may be specifically reserved. The rest are reserved by site type, and guests select a specific site on arrival. As we transition to all site specific in 2022, some parks have increased the sites available for specific reservations.

If you have concerns or questions about your upcoming reservation, please call our Customer Service Center at 800-933-7275, Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Please be sure to call before your reservation is scheduled to start.

There are both state parks and private campgrounds in Virginia.