Your LYH Garden Week Itinerary

Presented by the Garden Club of Virginia, Historic Garden Week encompasses 29 tours organized and hosted by member clubs, visitors are welcomed each spring to over 250 of Virginia’s most beautiful gardens, homes and historic landmarks during “America’s Largest Open House.” This 8-day statewide event provides visitors a unique opportunity to see unforgettable gardens at the peak of Virginia’s springtime color, as well as beautiful houses sparkling with over 2,300 flower arrangements created by Garden Club of Virginia members. During Historic Garden Week in Virginia, April 26-May 3, 2025 come experience the homes and gardens on Lynchburg’s Garden Day, Tuesday, April 29, 2025, then stay to uncover more of our vibrant city.

MORE INFORMATION

WHERE TO FIND SPRING BLOOMS IN LYH

Start your day attending Lynchburg’s Garden Day

When ready for lunch, join friends at one of our restaurants perfect for a garden party:

The Farm Basket – Set overlooking Blackwater Creek, get ready for a cozy alfresco dining experience, or grab an indoor table and enjoy the views. The Farm Basket has a local reputation for relaxed charm and extraordinary fare and signature dishes. Enjoy scratch-made café soups and seasonal salads, unique baked goodies including apple dapple cake, lemon nut bread, and delicious drinks like their raspberry iced tea. Their shop includes must-have kitchen supplies, exotic foods, gift-ables and garden plants.

Isabella’s Italian Trattoria – Isabella’s is a family-owned neighborhood restaurant serving contemporary northern Italian cuisine in a sophisticated, yet casual setting. It’s strong relationships with local farmers highlights the best ingredients of central Virginia. Whether on their patio or seated inside in the upscale casual atmosphere you will find gourmet salads, pastas, Tuscan grilled meats and fresh seafood. Make a Garden Day toast with one of their signature cocktails like the Peach Bellini!

Depot Grille – Located on Lynchburg’s thriving Jefferson Street in Downtown, Depot Grill is a fun, railroad-themed restaurant serving American cuisine and seafood favorites. Whether on their outdoor deck or inside, you’ll find their menu offers a savory blend of sandwiches & lite bites, soups & salads, and steaks & seafood straight from the grill. Wine, beer and cocktails are available along with specialty milkshakes for a fun twist to the day.

After a lovely afternoon enjoying the rest of your garden tour, check into one of our beautifully appointed boutique lodging options:

The Virginian Hotel – A centerpiece of Downtown Lynchburg since 1913, The Virginian was thoughtfully restored to its historic grandeur and refreshed with modern amenities. Settle into your spacious guest room with comforts like a complimentary Keurig® coffeemaker and cozy bathrobe. Start your day at the coffee shop, see Lynchburg from a new vantage at the rooftop restaurant and bar or call room service to have your meals delivered. And make sure to get a picture on their grand marble staircase.

The Craddock Terry Hotel – What was once a turn-of-the-century shoe factory is now a residential-style boutique hotel blending the urban architecture of two landmark brick warehouses with the fashionable styling of a modern hotel. The 44 luxurious guest rooms and suites are incredibly spacious, and due to the nature of the buildings’ origins, provide different architectural elements plus dramatic views of the James River, historic downtown Lynchburg, or the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Stylish Airbnb’s – Offering beautiful, welcoming spaces where guests can feel they belong, these appointed rooms and homes are a sophisticated choice for overnight stays in Lynchburg.

Shop our Home & Garden Shops

Irvington Spring Farm – Irvington Spring Farm sells cut flower arrangements grown straight from the farm! Interested in starting a pollinator garden? Purchase native plants for your own garden.

The Hip Tulip and Lexie & Lee – Located in the same shop, the Hip Tulip is a flower and giftshop creating unique wildflower arrangements, while Lexie & Lee is a curated lifestyle boutique offering locally made goods and vintage home decor.

Virginia Garden Supply – Find everything you need for your outdoor & indoor plants. The Garden Supply Store sells annuals, perennials, trees, shrubs, pottery, houseplants, and so much more!

Continue your Garden Day experience dining at one of our chef-inspired eateries:

Skyline Grill – Enjoy the stunning view of Downtown Lynchburg at the Skyline Grill located in the Virginian Hotel. The chef-inspired menu features seafood dishes, local beers, craft cocktails, and an international wine selection. The Skyline has indoor seating as well as outdoor rooftop patio dining and fireplace seating options. Come for the view, stay for the food & drinks!

Milano’s Enoteca & Italian Restaurants – Milano’s is an Italian kitchen with a modern setting offering steaks, fish, classic Italian dishes wine and cocktails. This chef-inspired menu is a mix of Italian regional cuisines rotating with the seasons.

The Dahlia – The Dahlia is your premier choice for authentic pub-grub and excellent seafood. Being one of the oldest restaurants in town, they are a real community restaurant. Sink your teeth into delectable dishes made with the utmost culinary experience from appetizers and salads to surf & turf and sandwiches, they have it all.

After a restful night’s sleep, make one last stop at one of our historic sites and explore their public gardens before heading home:

Anne Spencer House & Garden – A Virginia Landmark on the National Register of Historic Places, a walk behind the home of internationally acclaimed Harlem Renaissance poet and Civil Rights leader, Anne Spencer, reveals her beautifully restored garden, lily pond and her famous writing cottage, Edankraal. Push the voice box buttons to hear about Anne’s life and her time with notables such as opera stars Marian Anderson and Paul Robeson and Civil Rights luminaries Thurgood Marshall and the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Point of Honor – Point of Honor was a 740-acre plantation purchased by Dr. George Cabell in 1805. Today the 4-acre historic site includes a house museum, kitchen dependency, and restored gardens, all with scenic views of Downtown Lynchburg and the James River. A large enslaved community operated the plantation and helped to build the refined, Federal-style house for the Cabell family in 1815. Advance tickets are required for guided tours.

Old City Cemetery Museums & Arboretum – Established in 1806, this extraordinary 27-acre public garden and “history park” is a village of five small museums interpreting the stories of the diverse population of the nearly 20,000 buried here. Three-quarters of those interred here are of African descent, both enslaved and free. The cemetery’s Confederate section contains the graves of more than 2,200 soldiers from 14 states. The grounds are filled with hundreds of varieties of native and heirloom plants, including the largest public collection of antique roses in the state.

Thomas Jefferson’s Poplar Forest– Jefferson’s private retreat and plantation, popular Forest provided Jefferson with the perfect setting to pursue his passion for reading, writing and gardening after retiring from public life in 1809.The octagonal shaped home reflects Jefferson’s idealistic design aesthetic and celebrates classical forms in architecture. A Virginia and National Historic Landmark, as well as a restoration project of the Garden Club of Virginia.

Thank you for celebrating Historic Garden Week in Virginia with us and we look forward to having you come back again soon!