Harrisonburg Museums & More View All ItinerariesDay 1: Arrive and check in at the Hotel Madison & Shenandoah Valley Conference Center, a modern boutique hotel within walking distance of downtown Harrisonburg. With 230 guest rooms and 21,000 square feet of full-service meeting space and a spacious restaurant the hotel offers small town hospitality with urban amenities. Download the free Traipse Scavenger Hunts on your phone and be guided from the Hotel to Downtown Harrisonburg with a fun tour offering free outdoor challenges from family fun to a pub crawl. Challenge yourself to explore Downtown Harrisonburg with this user-friendly app and try to answer all the puzzles without using the optional hints. All puzzles are outdoors. Before dinner stop by Pale Fire Brewing Company one of five of Harrisonburg’s craft breweries within walking distance and also part of the regional Beerwerks Trail. Pale Fire is located in an old Ice House built in 1934 and now a mixed-use development of apartments, restaurants and the popular Black Sheep Coffee. Enjoy happy hour inside or on their spacious patio. Choose dinner at a restaurant within Virginia’s First Culinary District in Downtown Harrisonburg. From Southern cooking to international cuisine and farm-to-table fair choices abound. For outdoor dining Downtown Harrisonburg offers numerous options from patios to rooftop dining, if weather allows. For dinner with a view enjoy roof top dining at Jimmy Madison’s. Day 2: For early risers the Harrisonburg Farmers Market opens Tuesdays and Saturdays at 8 a.m. Don’t worry it stays open until 1:00 with ample opportunity to pick up delicious local baked goods, canned items and much more. Take a picture at the Instagram worthy LOVEworks sign near the market’s Turner Pavilion. Consider brunch at the new Magpie Diner 85 W. Gay St., offering delicious morning buns and chocolate croissants as well as a full breakfast. Enjoy coffee brewed from the adjacent Chestnut Ridge Coffee Roasters. Located in a former 1950’s tire service station, the diner is part of a renaissance of the Northern end of the downtown which includes Sage Bird hard Cidery and Merge Coffee. Take a tour of the Brethren & Mennonite Heritage Center which shares and celebrates the historical and spiritual legacies of Brethren and Mennonites farmers and craftsmen and the unique forms of faith that have been largely invisible are brought into focus for tourists and pilgrims alike through numerous period buildings and exhibits. Enjoy dining al fresco at the original Jack Brown’s Beer and Burger Joint. While dining on their patio enjoy the surrealist mural highlighting the Shenandoah Valley. Visit one of a number of local museums including: The Explore More Discovery Museum which engages young minds through interactive, multi-sensory learning experiences that promote greater understanding of themselves and their world. Featuring an 8+ makers space, play stage, airplane, farmers market, brand new third floor demonstration kitchen and much more. Take a tour of the Hugo Kohl’s Museum of American Jewelry Design and Manufacturing. The museum allows visitors to learn about the industrialization of jewelry making in the 19th Watch artisans create beautiful designs in front of your eyes and browse the retail store for that special something. The Valley Turnpike Museum explores the history of the road (Route 11), from its beginning as a buffalo path to Stonewall Jackson’s famous Valley Campaign, to the toll road era and the development of the interstate highway system. The Shifflett Fire Museum includes old fire memorabilia such as uniforms, medals, an old fire alarm, photographs and equipment, the museum provides a behind-the-scenes look at some of our nation’s heroes. The Harrisonburg Rockingham County Civil War Orientation Center features a large map of the Shenandoah Valley showing the sites of the region’s major battles, a timeline of the Civil War in the Valley, and photos and quotes associated with the central Shenandoah Valley’s Civil War sites and stories. The Virginia Quilt Museum celebrating and Nurturing Virginia’s Quilting One of only a few quilt museums in the world. Founded in 1995, The Virginia Quilt Museum is the Official Quilt Museum of the Commonwealth of Virginia. The Museum promotes a unique blend of Virginia’s art and cultural heritage. Charged with a mission of “celebrating and nurturing Virginia’s quilting heritage,” the Museum offers three floors of rotating, curated gallery space in a historic home. Enjoy dinner at Rocktown Kitchen which bring the farm-to-table philosophy to life, creating gourmet dishes from locally-sourced ingredients. Day 3: Enjoy a delicious breakfast or brunch at Capital Ale House. Offering local favorites from a crab mousse stuffed omelet to simple scones and inventive cocktails. Start the day at the beautiful Edith J Carrier Arboretum & Botanical Gardens a woodland sanctuary on the James Madison University campus, which opens at 8 a.m. every day. It is a 125 acre public urban garden and forested greenspace that preserves native plant species, provides opportunities for research, and promotes knowledge of the botanic and natural world for people of all ages. The forest acres preserve 100+ year old oaks and hickories with an expansive understory collection of rhododendrons and azaleas. Walk through the stone labyrinth for silent meditation. Stop by the Turner Ashby Monument which marks the spot where Gen. Turner Ashby, in command of Jackson’s cavalry, was mortally wounded. His death on June 6, 1862, immediately preceded the battles of Cross Keys and Port Republic. Enjoy shopping at one of Harrisonburg’s many shopping plazas, the Valley Mall, or Downtown Harrisonburg at local boutiques. Stop by Oasis Fine Art & Craft for their special exhibits and of local art on display and artisan items for sale. For more unique hand crafted items and souvenirs visit Agora Market which houses numerous shops including Lineage a local producer of heirloom quality hand-crafted canvas bags and scented candles. Relax by taking in the beauty of our area and sampling wine at one of five local vineyards: CrossKeys, Bluestone, Brix & Columns, Marceline and The Purple WOLF Vineyard at White Oak Lavender Farm. Enjoy a delicious meal at one of Harrisonburg’s over 250 restaurants such as the popular local Traditions buffet.