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University Chapel on the Washington and Lee campus in Lexington

Staying near Lexington, W&L and VMI

A quiet base about 30 minutes from campus, for family weekends, graduation or a few days in town.

See the cottages

Lexington is home to Washington and Lee University and the Virginia Military Institute, and to one of the best-preserved small downtowns in the Shenandoah Valley. The Inn at Firmstone Manor is about 22 miles west, roughly a 30-minute drive on I-64.

Many of our guests are families visiting a student. As one put it: "We stayed during Parents Weekend at W&L… This is an easy 20-25 minute drive to campus and a nice getaway from all the crowds in town."

Visiting a student

Lexington's hotels fill early for the big weekends: family weekends in the fall, home football games, and commencement in May. Book as soon as the schools publish their dates. Our three cottages sit side by side, so a larger family can take two or all three, with up to 10 guests in all.

Check-in is self check-in from 3 p.m., so you can head straight to campus and arrive whenever the day's events end.

Things to do in town

Downtown is walkable. Visit the Stonewall Jackson House and the VMI Museum in Jackson Memorial Hall, see the University Chapel and galleries on the W&L campus, or take a narrated horse-drawn carriage tour of the historic district. In the evening there's a ghost walking tour and, in summer, folk and bluegrass concerts at Lime Kiln Theater.

For time outdoors, walk the Chessie Nature Trail along the Maury River, wander Boxerwood's woodland garden, put in a kayak at Jordan's Point Park, or hike House Mountain just west of town.

Where to eat and drink

A few favorites: ZunZun for a chef-driven dinner, The Psalms for a classic bar and grill, Blue Sky Bakery for lunch, Heliotrope Brewery for beer and food, and the Juniper Lounge at The Gin Hotel for cocktails on the veranda over Main Street.

Our Lexington list

University Chapel & Galleries at Washington and Lee Photo: Arg1116 / CC BY-SA 4.0
🌲 Activities

University Chapel & Galleries at Washington and Lee

25 min drive
The 1868 brick chapel on the Washington and Lee campus, called Lee Chapel until 2021. Its galleries tell the university's history, and the lower level holds the Lee family crypt and Robert E. Lee's preserved office.
📍 100 N Jefferson St
🕒 Wed-Sat 10am-5pm; closed university holidays
Call Visit ↗
VMI Museum & Jackson Memorial Hall Photo: Internet Archive Book Images / Public domain
🌲 Activities

VMI Museum & Jackson Memorial Hall

25 min drive
Founded in 1845, the Virginia Military Institute's museum is housed in Jackson Memorial Hall on the VMI post. Exhibits cover VMI history and include Stonewall Jackson's horse Little Sorrel and a large firearms collection.
📍 415 Letcher Ave
🕒 Daily 9am-5pm; closed Thanksgiving, Easter and Dec 21-Jan 3
Call Visit ↗
Jackson House Museum (Stonewall Jackson House) Photo: Artaxerxes / CC BY-SA 4.0
🌲 Activities

Jackson House Museum (Stonewall Jackson House)

30 min drive
The restored downtown home where Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson and his wife Anna lived before the Civil War, run by VMI. Self-guided tours cover the house and garden, and a free exhibit gallery holds Jackson family artifacts.
📍 8 E Washington St
🕒 Daily 9am-5pm; closed Jan-Feb, Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas
Call Visit ↗
🌲 Activities

Lexington Carriage Company

30 min drive
Narrated horse-drawn carriage tours through downtown Lexington's historic district, passing the Jackson House, the colleges and old residential streets. Tours leave from across the street from the Lexington Visitor Center.
📍 106 E Washington St
🕒 Apr 1-Oct 31, Wed-Sun 11am-3:30pm (last tour 3pm), weather permitting
Call Visit ↗
🌲 Activities

Lime Kiln Theater

30 min drive
An outdoor concert venue on a 12-acre site around a 19th-century lime kiln and quarry, best known for folk, bluegrass and Americana shows. Seating is mostly general admission, with benches and lawn space in a natural amphitheater called The Bowl.
📍 607 Borden Rd
🕒 Seasonal summer concerts (2026: May 9–Oct 3); gates open about 2 hours before showtime
Visit ↗
🏞 Outdoors

Boxerwood Nature Center & Woodland Garden

30 min drive
A 20-acre woodland garden and nature education center just outside Lexington. Walking the garden is free (donations welcome), and leashed dogs are allowed.
📍 963 Ross Rd
🕒 Garden open daily, dawn to dusk
Call Visit ↗
🏞 Outdoors

Chessie Nature Trail

25 min drive
A 7-mile gravel and dirt trail on an old rail bed that follows the Maury River between Lexington and Buena Vista. It is open to walkers, runners and cyclists; dogs must be leashed, and the trail crosses working cattle farms.
📍 Old Buena Vista Rd (Route 631), near Mill Creek, about 0.6 mi east of US 11
🕒 Daily, sunrise to sunset
Call Visit ↗
Maury River at Jordan's Point Park Photo: MarmadukePercy / CC BY-SA 3.0
🏞 Outdoors

Maury River at Jordan's Point Park

25 min drive
A Lexington city park on the Maury River with a paved boat ramp, popular for launching kayaks and canoes, tubing and fishing. The state's float trip from here runs downstream to Ben Salem Wayside.
📍 Jordan's Point Park, off N Main St (US 11) at the Maury River bridge
🕒 Sunrise to sunset
Visit ↗
🏞 Outdoors

House Mountain

35 min drive
An 884-acre preserve owned by the Virginia Outdoors Foundation, with trails up to the saddle between Big House Mountain (3,645 ft) and Little House Mountain. It is a primitive area with no restrooms, and hunting is allowed in season.
📍 House Mountain parking lot, Saddle Ridge Rd (Route 643), off Jacktown Rd (Route 641)
Call Visit ↗
ZunZun
🍽 Food

ZunZun

30 min drive
Cozy, chef-driven, locally sourced eatery serving globally influenced eats alongside craft cocktails, beer and wine.
📍 11 E Washington St, Lexington, VA 24450
Call Visit ↗
The Psalms
🍽 Food

The Psalms

30 min drive
Fixture for classic American fare in an old-style bar-&-grill space with neon palms in the window.
📍 101 W Nelson St, Lexington, VA 24450
Call Visit ↗
🍽 Food

Blue Sky Bakery and Café

30 min drive
Cozy corner cafe preparing artisan baked goods, plus homemade soups & sandwiches on fresh foccacia.
📍 125 W Nelson St, Lexington, VA 24450
Visit ↗
🍷 Drink

Heliotrope Brewery

30 min drive
Family-owned craft brewery and kitchen on South Main Street in downtown Lexington, serving its own beers alongside food. It is dog-friendly and hosts community events.
📍 128 South Main Street
🕒 Mon & Wed 4–8pm; Thu–Fri 4–9pm; Sat noon–9pm; Sun noon–8pm; closed Tue (kitchen closes an hour early in Jan–Feb)
Call Visit ↗
Juniper Lounge at The Gin Hotel Photo: Artaxerxes / CC BY-SA 4.0
🍷 Drink

Juniper Lounge at The Gin Hotel

30 min drive
A second-floor lounge in The Gin Hotel serving original cocktails, craft beer and wine with seasonal small and large plates. Its outdoor veranda overlooks Main Street.
📍 30 S Main St
🕒 Wed-Thu 4-9pm, Fri 4-10pm, Sat 11am-10pm, Sun 11am-9pm; closed Mon-Tue
Call Visit ↗

Planning more days out? See our guides to Virginia Horse Center, Goshen Pass and Natural Bridge, or everything to do nearby.

Stay at the inn

Three renovated cottages on a historic 13-acre estate, about 30 minutes from campus. Book direct, with no platform fees.

Cape Cod at The Inn at Firmstone Manor from $120/night
Cape Cod at The Inn at Firmstone Manor
5 (66)
1 bed 1 bath up to 2 guests
Kitchen House at The Inn at Firmstone Manor from $135/night
Kitchen House at The Inn at Firmstone Manor
5 (58)
2 bed 1 bath up to 4 guests
The Station at The Inn at Firmstone Manor from $130/night
The Station at The Inn at Firmstone Manor
5 (42)
2 bed 1 bath up to 4 guests

Questions guests ask

About 22 miles, or 25 to 30 minutes by car on I-64.
Yes. The three cottages are next to each other and sleep up to 10 guests in all: two cottages sleep 4 and one sleeps 2.
As soon as the school posts its dates. Those weekends fill up across the whole area.
Self check-in starts at 3 p.m., and check-out is at 10 a.m.

Photo of University Chapel: Arg1116, CC BY-SA 4.0.