Small museum. The admission is free. A good mix of exhibits. I most enjoyed the Egypt and Nubia in…read moreAfrica which gave a good historical background. The museum is in the Thomas H. Bayly Building on Rugby Road in Charlottesville, Virginia, a short distance from the Rotunda.

This is a small museum but it has two floors. I visited here with three other family members and…read morethere was no admission fee. This museum has various art from other countries like Africa and other countries that were very colorful and interesting. We enjoyed our walk through and would recommend it as a great place to visit.

Such a beautiful space with an amazing collection. You can really feel the love the moment you walk…read morein. Walter and Lao Russell left behind work that's truly inspiring and it stays with you even after you leave. Definitely a must see if you're in the area, especially with so much to explore nearby like Historic Main Street in Waynesboro and the Blue Ridge Parkway and Skyline Drive just minutes away.

Waynesboro is worth visiting as a historic town with beautiful scenery. Do not miss The Russell…read moreMuseum on the Main Street! Walter Russell and his wife, Lao, were artists and creators. He was a scientist, a sculptor, a musician and a philosopher. You will be enthralled by this collection. We had a fabulous tour with the curator who is personally involved and made fascinating people more enthralling by sharing his personal experiences. Highly recommend!!!

My brother who lives in Northern Virginia just visited me and I took him to the VMFA. The attached…read morephoto is the text he left in regards to his experience at the museum. It said: You know since we went to the fine art museum I have been thinking that I was just more mesmerized than I've ever been in any other art museum. Including all the smithsonians. That's probably the best fine art museum I've ever been to. I need to go back and see more of it and actually spend a lot more time looking at things. I loved it. I think what made it so good is how accessible it was and how not crowded like the smithsonians are. But the amazing amount of artworks, ancient and modern was amazing. Well laid out. Well displayed. More than any other place!

Went here last minute to see some fine art. Im not too much into art, but the displays and painting…read morekept me entertained. Everything was super clean as well. Was able to move around freely even though it had quite a bit of people there.

I am visiting the area and kept missing the turn for parking , so if this helps anyone who is…read moreslower like me, park on the left side of the building (facing the building). Haha tons of parking there. The place itself is so fun, lots to do for kids. There are three levels but only the first two were opened. Very clean which is my favorite part. Reasonable ticket prices as well!

We love this place! Ever since we found it on our last trip to Massanutten, it quickly became a…read morerequirement for our vacations. There is so much for the kids to do! Trains, planes, and automobiles included! Probably one of my favorite parts is that it integrates fun with learning. Definitely a must if you have kids.

Wonderful museum! They had an excellent special exhibit of Arnold Newman's photography when I went…read more The garden and outdoor art installations would have great to see, but it was raining when I visited, so I didn't get to explore it.

This review is for the Garden Lights NOT all of MSV; which I love ....while on the smaller side,…read morethe museum, garden, Glen Burnie House and trail are all lovely. While the Lights are beautuful, the overall experience is disappointing. Even though its timed entry tickets, it is crowded as you must follow a specific path that is single file most of the way. A lot of the path is not well lit and very uneven. Staff randomly positioned to keep you out of closed areas were not friendly. Seemed almost identical to prior year. I doubt we will visit next year.

It's only open every other Saturday seasonally, but it was a really unique and interesting Civil…read moreWar site - featuring graffiti. It delivers what it promises. This seemed pretty common for troops to occupy houses on their travels and doodle on the walls, but this was a lucky example to preserve it behind paint which was discovered in time for it to avoid demolishion. Some graffiti is better preserved/readable than others, but it is a recent site to be opened to the public, so it's a work in progress. It's interesting to think of the young men who strolled through here 150 years ago. There was a knowledgeable guide who walked us through a few rooms pointing to some of the writing, a small exhibit, and a small gift shop. It's free, but since it's all volunteers, we gave a donation. It won't take very long to go through, but it's a cool historical site to visit in the area.

Loving history and graffiti, visiting the Graffiti House was a special treat. Built in the middle…read moreof the 19th century, the house is one of the best examples of Civil War graffiti. Used as a hospital during the War and occupied by both the Union and Confederacy, many soldiers signed their names or added drawings of horses, women, men, and more. The first floor has a little shop, a meeting room, and a restroom. (The restroom has some Civil War graffiti.) It's in the second-floor rooms where the majority of the historic graffiti can be seen along with stories of a few of its artists. It's a small museum open to the public thanks to a foundation, but it's worth your time!

Great Historical Site! We went back in 2017,…read moreSo it's been a minute. We loved it. Ask questions to the guides as they are very knowledgeable!

Wow! Monticello is amazing, and worth a visit for literally anyone and everyone. My husband and I…read morewere in the area for a wedding, and had a few hours to kill before the ceremony. We decided to explore Monticello, and booked the 45 minute Highlights Tour. If you read through the website, they'll let you know that you could spend all day here. They are correct! There are several guided tours of different lengths and prices, and the grounds, gift shop, and self-guided exhibits are expensive too. They mean it when they say you need to be on-site 30 minutes before your tour begins, because it takes time to get up to the house from the visitors center! Lauren was our guide for the Highlights Tour, and she was great. A solid mix of informative and engaging. This quick tour was just enough to get a taste of history, and definitely leaves you wanting more. I especially appreciate the steps they've taken in recent years to educate and address slavery at Monticello, including the addition of the Burial Ground for Enslaved People. Instead of taking the shuttle back to the visitors center, we walked through the garden and it was just lovely. We also passed the gravesite of Thomas Jefferson himself, which is a great spot for reflection. The gift shop had a wide variety of books, home decor, and collectible trinkets, and we found everything to be pretty reasonably priced. Monticello is operated by the Thomas Jefferson Foundation, which is a 501c3 non-profit.

This Mother's Day weekend, we finally decided to tour Gari Melchers Home and Studio at Belmont --…read morethe country retreat of American artist Gari Melchers. This has been on my FXBG bucket list for quite some time, and honestly, I have no idea why we waited so long to visit. What an absolute treat it was. For those unfamiliar with him, Gari Melchers was one of the most respected artists of his generation, known for his portraits, murals, and landscapes. Born in Detroit to German immigrants, he studied art in Düsseldorf and Paris before eventually settling at Belmont Estate in Falmouth, Virginia, near Fredericksburg. Even President Theodore Roosevelt sat for one of his portraits during Melchers' prolific career. I won't go too deep into the history lesson here, but I will say that his "country retreat" was absolutely stunning. My husband and I spent a couple of hours wandering through the gardens, touring the home, and exploring Gari's personal studio. It was such a peaceful and immersive experience. I found myself completely absorbed in his story, his artwork, and the beauty of the property itself. Since I was in a dress, we skipped the walking trails this time, but we definitely plan to go back soon in more appropriate attire to explore them. If you enjoy history, art, architecture, or simply beautiful places, I highly recommend adding Belmont to your list of places to visit.

Excellent tour. Beautiful art studio and museum. There is also a hiking trails inside. Highly…read morerecommended.