The people and places that welcome visitors proudly keep their family history alive
ABINGDON, VIRGINIA–OCTOBER 2025–Southwest Virginia is known for its mountains and its music, for creative craftspeople and welcoming communities. This 19-county region, so rich in culture and natural resources, extends across 8,600 square miles and is within a day’s drive of more than half of the United States population. Those who visit its communities and attractions find that family ties are strong here. And the places and memorabilia of many of Southwest Virginia’s families represent some of its most popular attractions and tell its most compelling stories.
Country music is celebrated and music royalty is remembered at the Carter Family Fold (3449 A P Carter Highway, Hiltons, Virginia 24258). Every Saturday evening from February to November, performers take the stage at the unassuming Carter Family Memorial Music Center, where the first family of country music came of age and the legendary Johnny Cash held his final live performance. The family legacy began in 1927 when Alvin “A.P.” Carter, Sara Carter and Maybelle Carter recorded their first songs as part of the now-famous Bristol Sessions.
A.P. Carter’s daughter, Janette Carter, founded the center in 1979 to celebrate the family’s contributions and keep their musical traditions of bluegrass and folk music alive. The Carter Family Fold is now directed by Janette’s daughter. Next door, visitors can tour the cabin and birthplace of A.P. Carter and the Carter Family Memorial Museum.
Those Bristol Sessions recordings led to Bristol becoming known as the Birthplace of Country Music and they are the subject of a comprehensive, dynamic and interactive exhibit at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum (101 Country Music Way, Bristol, Virginia 24201; 276-285-3831). Stories of the Carter family and many other pioneers of country music, as well as the genre’s worldwide influence, are told throughout the museum.
Another musical family with deep roots in Southwest Virginia is that of legendary bluegrass artist Dr. Ralph Stanley. Known for his distinctive style of singing and banjo playing, Stanley and his brother, Carter, began performing as the Clinch Mountain Boys in 1945, and later as The Stanley Brothers. His Dickenson County roots and primitive Baptist upbringing were cornerstones of his life and career and are chronicled in the Ralph Stanley Museum (249 Main Street, Clintwood, Virginia 24228; 276-926-8550). Exhibits depict his life, from his musical beginnings playing what he referred to as “mountain music” to his Grammy Award-winning performance in the film “O Brother, Where Art Thou?”
The Stanley family musical tradition continues as, seven decades later, Dr. Stanley’s son, Ralph II, tours year-round with Ralph Stanley II & The Clinch Mountain Boys. His 2022 release “Back to Virginia” recounts Clinch Mountain memories of times with his father. The next generation is also committed to keeping the music alive. Nathan Stanley is Dr. Stanley’s grandson and a touring and recording artist in his own right. The Grammy nominated artist and Dove Award winner, who was raised by his grandparents, recalls stories of traveling with his “papaw” and even taking the stage with him at the Grand Ole Opry. Nathan still lives in the home he grew up in and is often participating in functions at the museum.
Like music, coal mining is an integral part of Southwest Virginia’s history. Today, stories of the importance of the industry, and the role it played in communities throughout the region, are told along the Virginia Coal Heritage Trail, which winds through seven counties. The first coal boom town in the region was Pocahontas. The Pocahontas Mine opened in 1882, accessing an amazing 13-foot-tall coal seam. Now the Exhibition Mine & Museum (215 Shop Hollow Road, Pocahontas, Virginia 24635; 276-945-9522), the only attraction of its kind in Virginia, examines Pocahontas #3 Coal Seam Mine’s 73 years of operation which are interpreted as visitors take a tour, walking the same underground paths miners traversed. The tour guide, Michelle, has stories of her own to share. Her great-grandfather was a coal miner at Pocahontas in the early years of its operation. Today, she tells his story and many others, both on walks through the mine and among the displays and memorabilia in the Coal Heritage Museum located next door in the mine’s original power house.
Franklin County is known as the Moonshine Capital of the World. Laws Choice Distillery is operated by three generations of the Law family and made famous on the Discovery Channel hit show, “Moonshiners.” Amos Law became a moonshiner in 1952 and the family business is still alive and well in Franklin County.
Big Walker Lookout (8711 Stoney Fork Road, Wytheville, Virginia 24382; 276-663-4016) is a family-owned-and-operated attraction and is the oldest and highest private attraction in Virginia. A 100-foot tower offers an outstanding viewing platform, and from an elevation of 3,405 feet, the view of the Appalachian Mountains and Virginia farmlands is spectacular. The Country Store is filled with locally made crafts, baked goods, jams, jellies and more. This is also a venue for The Crooked Road performances, and hosts a popular summer music series featuring regional artists.
Of course, the lodging options throughout Southwest Virginia are as varied as the landscape. An outstanding example of a hotel that celebrates family is the boutique The Bolling Wilson Hotel (170 East Main Street, Wytheville, Virginia 24382; 276-223-2333) in Wytheville. The property offers 30 luxurious guest rooms which are themed to honor the hotel’s namesake and hometown hero, first lady Edith Bolling Wilson. Arguably Wytheville’s most famous resident, she became first lady when she married President Woodrow Wilson and is considered by many historians to be the “secret President” during much of his term. Nearby, the Edith Bolling Wilson Birthplace Museum (145 East Main Street, Wytheville, Virginia 24382; 276-223-3484) celebrates the early life of its native daughter as well as her time as the first lady.
If you go
Southwest Virginia Cultural Center & Marketplace (One Heartwood Circle, Abingdon, Virginia 24210; 276-492-2400) is the perfect place to start an exploration of the region’s culture and its stories. There are displays of the work of regional artisans, interpretive displays of Southwest Virginia’s history, heritage, outdoor recreation and scenic beauty and live musical performances from local artists.
A trip down The Crooked Road: Virginia’s Heritage Music Trail is an excellent way to explore the region’s diverse musical heritage, which has become an integral part of its identity. This 330-mile driving trail connects 10 major venues and more than 40 affiliated venues and festivals for visitors to enjoy.