American Armored Foundation Tank Museum Journey into the pages of military history at the most extensive international collection of tank and cavalry artifacts in the world. The collection dates from 1509 to the present. Exhibits of 100 tanks and artillery pieces, over 1200 uniforms, 1500 pieces of headgear, Sandbox Soldier exhibit, International Hall of Tank & Calvary Generals and much more is awaiting your visit. Learn and explore military history thru the eyes of the soldier. The Tank Museum is open Monday through Saturday, 10 am to 5 pm year round. For further information, call (434) 836-5323, email aaftank@gamewood.net or visit www.aafttankmuseum.com. Prepare yourself for an adventure for both young and old alike.
Birthplace of Lady Astor Viscountess Nancy Astor was born in Danville, May 19, 1879. She became the first woman to sit in the British Parliament. Her sister, Irene, married artist Charles Dana Gibson and inspired the famous "Gibson Girl". A historical marker is located at the corner of Broad and Main Streets. The birthplace is under renovation at 117 Broad Street and is open by appointment only. To schedule a tour, contact the Danville Welcome Center at (434) 793-4636, specialevents@visitdanville.com, or visit www.visitdanville.com.
Civil War Sites A self-guided driving tour brochure of 14 Civil War sites in the Danville area is available at the Danville Welcome Center The tour includes the National Cemetery, Civil War prison, and Sutherlin Mansion. Phone 434-793-4636.
Danville Museum of Fine Arts and History 975 Main Street
This Italian Villa mansion was home to Major William T. Sutherlin, wartime quartermaster for Danville and one of its most prominent citizens. For one week, April 3 - 10, 1865, Major and Mrs. Sutherlin opened their home to Jefferson Davis and the Confederate government. In this house, Davis wrote and delivered his final proclamation to the Confederacy on April 4, and later that day met with members of his Cabinet for the last time. On April 10 reliable news arrived that Lee had surrendered. At 11 p.m. Davis and other officials left Danville on a twelve-car train headed for Greensboro.
The museum also features exhibits of local artists and those on loan from other museums. The museum includes a small auditorium used by local repertory groups, library, original furnishings and a unique gift shop. The museum offers community tours, art shows, classes and lectures throughout the year and is open Tuesday thru Friday from 10 to 5, Saturday and Sunday from 2 to 5. Located at 975 Main Street, 434-793-5644 or visit www.danvillemuseum.org.
The Danville Historical Society offers a Guided Walking Tour. Learn little-known facts about the historic buildings and their former residents on or near Millionaires' Row. An easy 60–90 minute walk takes you into the heart of Danville's Historic District where you will marvel at the beautiful Victorian mansions and churches. Your guide will tell stories about the buildings and the secrets within their walls. The tour begins on the back steps of the Danville Museum of Fine Arts and History. Cost is $6 for adults; children under 12 free with paying adult.
Danville Science Center A satellite of the Science Museum of Virginia, the Danville Science Center campus is located on Craghead Street. The Science Center is loaded with hands-on exhibits that encourage you and your family to unlock the secrets of how things work. The Science Center is open Tuesday thru Saturday from 9:30 to 5, Sunday from 1 to 5. Admission is $6.00 for adults, $5.00 for students and seniors and children 3 and under are free. 434-791-5160 or visit www.dsc.smv.org.
Estelle H. Womack Natural History Collection Located at Danville Science Center Science Station (old train station). The museum is dedicated to increasing public awareness of our natural environment. The museum collection includes mounted animals, native birds, reptiles, amphibians and insects as well as Indian artifacts, fossils and minerals. The museum is open Monday thru Saturday from 9:30 to 5, Sunday from 1 to 5, and for group tours by reservations. 434-791-5160.
Mill Historic District The Mill Historic District is situated along both sides of the Dan River in downtown Danville. The Riverside Division buildings of Dan River Inc, represent several stages in the century long development of one of America’s major textile companies, including the firm’s first cotton mill at the corner of Main and Bridge streets in downtown Danville. Major architectural styles range from the relatively small brick vernacular mills and outbuildings of the "cotton factory fever" of the 1880s and 1890s to the massive concrete modernist structures of the 1920s. The complex forms an important component of the industrial heritage of this southern manufacturing city.
Millionaires Row Listed in the "National Register of Historic Places," this section of Main Street highlights the heritage of Danville’s Victorian Era. Mansions are resplendent with gables, ginger bread scrollwork, columns, porticos, cupolas, and minarets. Victorian Walking Tour books which describe these and many other homes in the Danville Historic District are available at the Danville Welcome Center. 434-793-4636, specialevents@visitdanville.com, or visit www.visitdanville.com.
The National Cemetery Located on Lee Street, the National Cemetery is the burial ground for 1,158 Federal prisoners of the Civil War who died in Danville.
Tobacco Warehouse & Residential Historic District Occupying some forty blocks of the heart of the city, this district formed the economic wellspring of the 19th-century Danville. The various warehouses, factories, shops, and dwellings display the city’s mill-town personality and the rise of its working class. Industrial activity grew along with the town’s transportation systems and the cultivation of bright-leaf tobacco, which shaped Danville into one of the South’s primary tobacco markets. The tobacco industry grew fastest in the 1870s and 1880s with the emergence of plug and twist tobacco. Today, some three-dozen structures, many of them massive factories, former auction warehouses or storage facilities built between 1870 and 1910, reflect the glory days of Danville’s tobacco enterprise. A residential area uphill from the industrial streets along the river contains more than 400 dwellings erected between 1880 and the 1930s, plus a large Victorian-era municipal cemetery — Green Hill, as well as Danville’s National Cemetery, and Freedman’s Cemetery, designated for newly-free slaves just after the Civil War.
Veterans Memorial The Veterans Memorial is a beautiful tribute to all the Veterans who "did what they had to do". It stands as a reminder for generations to come of all the brave men and women who gave of themselves to protect the freedom that we enjoy. Over 5500 Veterans are honored with an individual brick on the Memorial Walkway located in the Dan Daniel Park, River Point Drive, Danville. Open year-round, dawn to dusk. For further information and donations, call 434-793-0884. |
