I went to Roanoke's main tourist website before traveling to Roanoke. I discovered that the Mill…read moreMountain Star is the top attraction. Like Diamond Head and Waikiki are icon landmarks in Hawaii, and Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island in New York City, Roanoke has the Mill Mountain Star. It was a short 15 minute drive from downtown Roanoke to the Star itself. My friend and I decided to spend a little time here before heading back to downtown Roanoke for dinner. It looked like a beautiful drive and it ended up being one of the most beautiful ones I've done all day in Roanoke. Once we got to the parking area, we found parking and walked to the viewing platform. The overlook was fenced off from people who happened to be looking a little too close and might fall off the cliff. There was informational signage for those who want to learn more about the area and the mill mountain star itself. The views were spectacular looking out into the city of Roanoke and Roanoke valley. It was very beautiful and amazing to see. The mill mountain star is the symbol of the city of Roanoke and it is made out of neon tubing and is 88.5 feet tall. It was initially created as a Christmas symbol but gradually became a symbol of the city of Roanoke. I soaked it all in for maybe 10 minutes and took a selfie with the Mill Mountain Star before we went back to downtown Roanoke for dinner. It was definitely worth going, even if it was just 30 minutes, including the drive times. Definitely Recommended if you're in the area. At least there is restroom facilities here, which is a big plus. The overall experience here at the Mill Mountain Star was breathtaking and indescribable. It was a highlight of my trip to Roanoke, Virginia for sure. The drive up the hill was nice and definitely walkable if you want to, just watch out for cars if you do. There is a long bench directly in front of the structure that you can sit on to rest. On this March 2026 day I was here, my friend and I came across a group of adolescent girls who happened to be sitting on the bench at the time. All 5 of them hanging out together. Thought that was pretty neat and typical. Friends hanging together. After reading those information signage at the Mill Mountain Star, I gazed out into the Roanoke valley and reminded myself that it was absolutely great that I am able to travel. How the history of the Roanoke valley came to be and how the city gradually was formed and is currently thriving. The area is kept clean by the local parks department and there were a few trash cans around for visitors to throw away their garbage. There's also restroom facilities here too for visitors. After leaving downtown Roanoke and driving south towards Rocky Mount, we saw the Star being lit up for the evening. It was great to see it being lit up as a landmark of Roanoke. If you're in the area and want to look at the top attraction of Roanoke, swing on by. Best bet would be to come in the morning or late afternoon to avoid crowds if possible. The Mill Mountain Star is the iconic symbol of the city of Roanoke, Virginia. Its physical address is located in Mill Mountain Park, 2000 JB Fishburn Parkway SE. There was no admission fee required here, which s very nice. Just be respectful to others that are around and keep the area litter free. As far as parking goes, there are maybe 8 parking stalls that are readily available for visitors. You may want to avoid crowds for the best time possible. If you're a fan of public transportation, bus route 41 takes you from the 3rd street station in downtown Roanoke close enough to Mill Mountain. You'd stop off at the Dollar General at Riverland Road EB and Garden City (Hwy 116) but you'd have to walk close to 2 miles from there to get to the parking lot and the Mill Mountain Star. There is also the Mill Mountain Trail head if you don't want to follow the road leading up to the Star. Might be more scenic if you have the time to hike versus driving. And of course, there's always Uber and Lyft if you need them for your convenience. It was one thing that I can knock off my list to visit. It's quite nice to see at night. If you're in the area and want to see the Roanoke Star, come on by. And by the way, There's nothing up here besides restrooms and a parking lot, as far as amenities go. Best thing to do is eat or drink before or after you visit. 5.0 stars for the overall experience. Support local! A+

We stopped here on our travels to Roanoke. We read about it being one of the most visited places in…read moreRoanoke. We followed the directions and arrived before the sun was setting. We were told it is great place to see the sunset. We parked in the small parking area and took the short walk to the observation deck which is just below the star. The view from the observation deck is amazing. There is a display that shows the mountains you can see with names and distance. We read there is another observation deck if you follow one of the trails but we did not explore more. Our only recommendation is to get here early because parking is limited.

A little broken down, but still an interesting local curiosity. If you like a little side of the…read moreroad fun, have a peek

This place is amazing, literally the best place to visit in Roanoke. Despite what some of the…read morereviews say, it is much bigger than expected. Neighborhood is beautiful, right next to the river. You are missing out if you don't make this a priority stop when passing by, near, around, or within a hour of Roanoke.

Took a little hike recently to one of the areas civil war battlefields. The Hanging Rock…read moreBattelfield Monument is on the north end of the trail heading towards Salem. A flat open parking area is at the entrance with easy access to the monument and surrounding signage. The trail is well marked going in but quickly disappears into the brush. There is an unmaintained path of sorts that goes a couple miles back into the forest. It follows the creek for quite a while and there are a few places to access the water back under the canopy. The "rocks" are back in maybe half a mile, even less and the outcropping is hard to miss. I followed the trail up to where it met the modern roadway and back through another section even more overgrown. Walking a part of history through an area that had more battles fought than any other state in our union. If you enjoy history, hiking, and getting outdoors. This is an easy access and fairly level spot. There is the Hinchee General store on the corner about 150' across the grass that has drinks, outdoor seating, etc. 3.5 Stars the monument and signage, along with about a dozen parking spots are right off the main road. 01027

This is the best and most famous thing to do when visiting Roanoke. We went right before sunset and…read moreit ended up being the perfect time. You sit on the hill opposite the star and once the sun goes behind the tall trees, make your way over to the other side and see all of the city light up before you. Granted, it is a small place, but you get a whole view below you. The star is the biggest manmade star so take that as you will. It was nice that you could drive directly up to the parking lot and there were paved sidewalks so anyone could make the walk right up to the star. The parking lot is rather small so be prepared to either wait or have to go back down a little bit to find a place. We were there on a beautiful fall night so it seemed like the entire city was there. People were patient as you took pictures though so there was no trouble at all. Just a little crowded on the observation deck so be prepared.

A majestic object that looks down on the city from a small mountain. The mountain has a series of…read moretrails, with more planned, so there is plenty of opportunity to spend more time than just looking at the star and checking out the overlook. However, even if one is just going to do that, the views are nice.

Amazing statue and such a fun little treat while driving around the downtown Roanoke area. Parking…read morenearby since it's an a strip mall/ shopping area.

While in the Roanoke, VA area visiting family, Kayla Beth Fields Deacon and I turned it in to a…read moreRoad Trip. We left the hotel and drove about 10 miles over to the downtown area to see the Transformer Mega Giant Optimus Prime He was so excited!!

I've seen many memorials dedicated to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. But none so memorable and of such…read morelocal and national historical significance as this one. The Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Bridge in Downtown Roanoke, formerly known as the First Street Bridge and Henry Street Bridge, features engraved quotes and a 7-foot bronze statue of Dr. King wearing a business suit with his arms outstretched overlooking the historic Gainsboro neighborhood. The granite pedestal includes a relief panel of Dr. King and Coretta Scott King marching in Washington, D.C. The statue was sculptured by the husband and wife sculptor team of Jeffrey H. Varilla and Anna Koh Varilla (whose studio is Koh-Varilla Guild in Chicago), and stands at the north side of the MLK Jr. Memorial Bridge. Even before knowing the history behind this area when I first moved to Roanoke, crossing over the bridge and seating on one of the benches facing the Statue of Dr. King brought me great interior peace and hope for the future. These interactive benches near the memorial statue are equipped with speakers. One can press buttons to listen to clips of Dr. Kings iconic speeches. Historically, this crossing was a symbol of segregation, dividing Downtown Roanoke from the historically African American Gainsboro neighborhood. But today it serves as an important landmark honoring the region's rich African American Heritage, civil rights history, and acts as a gathering place to celebrate these and move forward. The statue and bridge were dedicated in 2008. This site is open to the public year-round. I highly recommend and encourage you to give it a visit whenever you're in the area, considering it is a powerful landmark for reflection on the civil rights history.

This narrow pedestrian bridge (formerly the First Street Bridge, later the Henry Street Bridge)…read morecarries people across the railroad tracks between downtown Roanoke and the Gainsboro neighborhood. Repaired and reopened to traffic in 2008, it no longer carries vehicles but only pedestrians and bicycles. At the one end of the bridge is a statue of Dr. Martin Luther King with some benches. From the bridge, you can look down into the railyard where the Norfolk & Southern and the Amtrak Northeast Regional trains pass. The bridge is 316 feet long and is a steel pony truss. It is the last steel truss bridge in Roanoke. It is in good condition though I wouldn't recommend walking barefoot across it. [Review 13794 overall, 1116 of 2020, number 1228 in Virginia.]

Salem Civic Center treated Trump Rally attendees worse than anything I've ever seen. Absolutely…read moreabhorrent!!! I've always loved the Salem Civic Center and had good experiences there until yesterday, 11/2/2024, for the Trump Rally. You REALLY LET US DOWN YESTERDAY. There were signs for "Cooling Stations" supposedly, but none were set up. I had called days ahead and spoken with a man at the Civic Center about what would be available since no outside food or water would be allowed inside due to high security, and I was "ASSURED" there would be a Concession stand open with drinks and pre-packaged snacks, but no cooked food like hotdogs due to the expected size of the crowd. That would be perfect....EXCEPT, after waiting in line since 8 am, doors opening at 12, surprisingly INTENSE heat that had people passing out while waiting with no shade, we get inside at almost 2 pm to find them CLOSING THE CONCESSION STANDS!!!!!!!!!!! Yep CLOSED. Doors locked. First, I was told because they 'ran out of drinks, water and food." Then I was told by another worker: 'Secret Service closed it." It seemed to be open on and off as random people, like news reporters, seemed to be getting food and drinks AND COOKED FOOD. Then 'magically' the concession opened on the main level the instant Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin began his speech about an hour into the Rally. (Coincidence? I doubt it. Seemed intentional like so much of what happened Saturday.) But the line was NOT MOVING. And when we finally got waited on 1.5 hours later, we found out why the line was barely moving if at all. The young man behind the counter seemed to be intentionally moving as slow as possible! We had to argue with him to fill the $5 drink cups up! (he was filling them half way.) And there was also arguing with him over putting the cheese on the nachos! Not to mention, there were NO cardboard drink carriers for our family of five attending this who had had very little food or water since 8 am! That was true of nearly everyone there just due to circumstances. There were only 2 water fountains we could find, and one had almost no water pressure and you could only get one sip before it quit. The other one in the lobby had a long line...again, understandably so...people were dying of thirst and expecting to purchase water once inside. WHY ON EARTH DIDN'T YOU PREPARE FOR THIS CROWD????????????? Why didn't you bring in a TRUCK LOAD of BOTTLED WATER? I've owned and run a small vending service in the past, and even WE didn't run out of bottled water a large events, made a lot of money selling it, and also had DRINK CARRIERS!!!!! What is WRONG WITH YOU, SALEM CIVIC CENTER????? This was either GROSS INCOMPETENCE, or MALICE AGAINST TRUMP SUPPORTERS! I hate to think that was the case, but I was there and experienced it and it sure felt intentional because who could be that stupid?? One worker when I asked if there was water available (I was clearly having an issue with being over heated at this point) and she answered in a very sarcastic mean manner: "Well we had the restaurant open all morning and NOBODY CAME IN." REALLY LADY????????????????????????????? Unbelievable RUDE AND INSENSITIVE. How out of touch are you people anyway??? Did you not look outside and see with your own eyes what was happening out there? Thousands of people, Long lines, zig zagged through the ropes designed to organize the large numbers of people in line to get in!! You couldn't even get out of that line to use the Porta-Johns!!!!!!!! Much less visit and sit down in the indoor restaurant! Salem Civic Center, if you had been on top of your game, which CLEARLY YOU WERE NOT AND DIDN'T WANT TO BE, you would've had your bitchy restaurant person outside selling drinks, water and snacks to this massive crowd! I don't know who mismanaged this SO POORLY, but you should be fired! People were left suffering with heat strokes and dehydration, elderly people and children and some in health predicaments due to this negligence on your part. I'll be surprised if you aren't sued over this by someone. I hope Trump himself sues you! Heads should roll over this. You need new management, and new employees and a whole overhaul. I will never forget how BADLY I and my family and friends were treated yesterday. You all are deplorable: including every single employee there yesterday but most especially management!

The band we saw here, (the Turnpike Troubadours) were great; outstanding; excellent. The venue…read moreitself is miserable. It is clear that this is not a great venue for people who like to go to concerts, unless they want to stuff their faces at the same time with cheap, nasty greasy food. Better for sports fans who drink so much beer they're beyond caring. I did not know until we walked the considerable distance from the parking lot to the doors that handbags are not allowed inside the venue. Why not? I wondered. This was a first. I go to a *lot* of concerts, but never had I experienced any venue as officious. The staff were nice enough, but the owners are obviously way, WAY more interested in the profits made by hawking greasy, repulsive junk food than trying to make it enjoyable and comfortable for the concertgoers. I was ready to bail at that point and go home, but we were meeting another couple there, and my husband offered to run all the way back to our car and leave my bag there. They will allow see-through ziplock bags, so if you need to carry tampax, Anacin, etc, along, be warned they will be on full display, or take your chances without bringing anything. A completely disrespectful-to-women venue. Their rationale for this is to make a few bucks on food, and heaven forbid anyone might sneak food in. I never carry food in my handbag--no matter, we were still all forced to gag on the smell of fast food grease. UGH! I did not buy a single drink or bite on GPs, even I had not been grossed out. Instead of 1 so-so opening act, they had 2, and they both played a long time, so the Troubadours didn't come out till at least 9:15, or was it 9:30? (the concert started at 8, I believe, but we arrived at 8:15). There are lots of stairs to climb to any seat in the higher rows, so be warned, prepare to do a lot of climbing--no ramps, either, which is tougher in any kind of a heel. No handrails either. The seats are pretty small and hard, and leg room is poor for the longer-legged folks. Because of the so-so opening acts taking up so much time, the concert finished at 11:15. As we got closer to Blacksburg on the trip home, we got caught in some heavy traffic, ~ 12? which made the drive home even longer. I would have felt the trip was worth it if the humiliating treatment of women had not been freely and unapologetically displayed, but given their f---ed up policies and customer relations, I would not ever to a concert at this venue again, no matter who was performing there. They absolutely s*ck. No other venue in Virginia that I've gone to a concert at, has ever treated women so ignominiously. Even Jiffy Lube Pavilion, which has an egregiously hostile staff, never deprived me of my handbag, (in which I keep Visine, an essential at populous events for ppl with contacts). I hope the sexist porcine venue owner gets his butt sued one day.

This is the vintage Dr Pepper clock. It's on the side of the road. We are driving down the…read moreexpressway and saw it. Took a few pictures and put it on here for everyone else to see. I don't really know the details, but Dr Pepper must have something to do with the city because they have a few different Dr Pepper things.