New attractions are opening across the Commonwealth in 2023.  Here's just a few highlights:

GENERAL TRAVEL OFFERINGS

The Silver Line extension of the Dulles Corridor Metrorail expansion project is finally open!  The new section opened in November 2022 and connects Washington Dulles International Airport in Virginia to downtown Washington D.C., as well as to points beyond the airport in Virginia, making it even easier for passengers to travel around the Capital Region. Numerous Virginia attractions, including some of its more than 330 wineries, 300+ craft breweries, distilleries, shopping, farm-to-table dining, hikes and parks are now more accessible than ever with no rental car required.

Norfolk will see its highest volume of cruise guests in the history of the city's Half Moone Cruise Center at Nauticus with the 2023 expansion of Carnival Cruise Line's offerings.  Available now through October, new four- to 10-day voyages offer itineraries in the Eastern Caribbean, The Bahamas, Bermuda, Canada and New England.  The cruise line will launch year-round weekly sailings from Norfolk beginning Feb. 18, 2025. 

Carnival is not the only one expanding cruises in Virginia.  For the first time ever, Princess Cruises will call at Yorktown, VA and Virginia's Historic Triangle, as part of a series of custom-curated itineraries in summer 2024 that will highlight opportunities to experience Colonial Williamsburg and Jamestown in addition to visiting the historic seaside town. 

FESTIVAL AND ANNIVERSARY NEWS

Virginia American Revolution 250 – Virginia will recognize the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution, the Revolutionary War, and America's independence with a major statewide commemoration involving every locality with hundreds of hosted events beginning in 2023 and leading up to the official anniversary in 2026.  As The Birthplace of America, Virginia will be 'the place to be' for America's 250th anniversary.

NEW TO DO

Two Boxes of Oranges and Admonia Jackson was recently unveiled as the fifth temporary public art installation on Old Town Alexandria's waterfront, on display until November 2023. Created by Jamaican-born, New York-based award-winning artist Nina Cooke John of Studio Cooke John, the installation is inspired by the ships uncovered on Alexandria's waterfront in 2015 and 2018 and the many layers of history that are not readily seen.

Cirque du Soleil will hold the U.S. premiere of ECHO, its newest touring show, in Tysons, Virginia.  This is the first time in Cirque du Soleil's history that the Capital Region will host the U.S. premiere.  The show will debut under the Big Top at Lerner Town Square on September 6, 2023.  ECHO is a story about evolution and the symbiotic unions on which our future depends. 

Mid-summer 2023, Springfield Town Center will welcome the opening of LEGO Discovery Center, a 32,000-square-foot indoor LEGO attraction that features millions of LEGO bricks and multiple activities.  Billed as the ultimate indoor LEGO playground, this will be the first of its kind in the country with a highly interactive indoor LEGO play experience. 

As part of the new National Landing and Amazon Headquarters coming to Virginia, the Crystal City Water Park will reopen in 2023 with an entirely new presence, complete with new restaurant kiosks and seating areas, a full-service restaurant, new water features — including a “water wall” with a bar perched on top — and a stage. In addition to decorative water features, the revamped park will also feature public art installations and bike facilities near the entrance to the Mt. Vernon Trail. 

The new southern waterfront route of the self-guided Alexandria African American Heritage Trail just launched and features nearly double the number of stops as the northern route that was launched in 2021.  History buffs also will soon be able to revisit the Alexandria Black History Museum, with new and updated exhibitions.

The opening of the National Botanic Garden is slated for 2023.  The 250-acre gardens are located in Chantilly, Virginia, near Dulles International Airport. The landscaped grounds merge horticulture, architecture, topography and art, and include the largest bamboo gardens in the U.S. as well as the East Coast's largest water-borne Xeric gardens – also known as water-wise gardens. 

Norfolk Botanical Gardens has begun construction on the Garden of Tomorrow with an expected opening date in 2023.  The Garden of Tomorrow takes sustainability and conservation education to a new level, featuring a revolutionary new parking garden, entry pavilion and conservatory, highlighting some of the most threatened species in the world. 

Oyster Seed Holdings, in Virginia's Northern Neck region, is one of the largest oyster seed producers on the East Coast.  Starting in summer 2023 they will offer hatchery tours and tastings to the public.  Guests will get a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to put oyster seeds in the hands of farmers.  Admission also secures access to their exclusive pop-up oyster bar with beer and wine on hand for purchase. 

The Birthplace of Country Music Museum in Historic Downtown Bristol honors the hidden heroines, activists, and commercial success stories of women who have impacted the roots and branches of old-time music in a new special exhibit, “I've Endured: Women in Old-Time Music,” on display March 23 – December 31, 2023.  Created by a women-led content team, this will be the first exhibition curated by the museum that will eventually travel to other institutions. 

Escape the storm on the all-new DarKoaster ™, North America's first all-indoor straddle coaster, launching in 2023 at Busch Gardens® Williamsburg.  Traveling on snowmobiles across 2,454 feet of track, daring explorers will race through total darkness while changing course to avoid the elements.  

In 2023, visitors can experience a little competitive excitement at Water Country USA® on the all-new Riptide Race™.  This adrenaline-pumping water slide pits teams against each other as riders take their mark atop a 54-foot tower before racing through 520 feet of slide, with low walls to keep a careful eye on the competition.

The iconic Warm Springs Pools, an integral part of Bath County and Virginia history, have reopened following a $4 million rehabilitation by The Omni Homestead Resort.  Fed by four natural warm springs rich in mineral content, the 19th century bathhouses have been sought by travelers for centuries.  The stone basin of the Gentlemen's Bathhouse was constructed in 1761, making it the oldest spa structure in the country.  Extensive effort has been placed on maintaining the existing character, referencing the structures as they were when the resort acquired them in 1925.  The bathhouses are listed on the National Register of Historic Places and Virginia Landmarks Register.

Skip Barber Racing School, the world's largest automotive education and entertainment company offering driving and racing schools at the finest tracks in America, will relocate its headquarters from Connecticut to Virginia, and has established a new performance driving school at the VIRginia International Raceway (VIR) with available racing programs year-round.

The Willowbrook Homestead Museum in Wytheville will open in 2023 as a full living history museum.  Featuring cabins, a smoke house, cook house, barns and a blacksmith shop all originally built in the 18th century.

 'Round the Mountain: Southwest Virginia's Artisan Network has launched a new online store which provides shoppers access to 1,000's of beautiful, handcrafted items created by Virginia artisans with shipping available internationally.

The Virginia Scenic Railway debuted late last year offering twice-daily sightseeing excursions from Staunton through the legendary Shenandoah Valley — complete with tabletop meal service in a beautifully modernized passenger car.  Already selling out months in advance, the new railway already has plans for expansion.

NEW TO EAT AND DRINK…

Albemarle County will welcome two new wineries in 2023, Southwest Mountains Vineyards and Paradise Springs Winery. This will be Paradise Springs' third location and its second location in Virginia.  The original winery is located just outside Clifton, VA, in Fairfax County. Paradise Springs is the first bicoastal winery in the United States, with its third location in California. This will push the number of wineries in the Charlottesville region to nearly 45.

Just opened in Virginia Beach, from the home of the city's beloved “orange crush” cocktail, Waterman Spirits is the nation's first distillery to use an organic, coral-filtered process in its vodka production.  The result is an organic line of spirits that celebrates the natural flavors of the earth, filtered with coral that's sourced with our environment in mind, flavored with natural products and made with certified organic corn.

Catoctin Creek Distilling Co., The Virginia Rye Whisky ℠ distillery, is offering a new experience for visitors.  In addition to touring and enjoying flights of spirits and cocktails, visitors will now have the option to fill their own bottle from the new "Catoctin Creek Filling Station."  Barrels with unique profiles and collaborative stories will be chosen from the distilleries inventory and offered for hand filling.  Visitors will be instructed how to apply the label, cork the bottle, seal it, and then they can write the special batch information upon each bottle with their own signature, making this a truly personalized unique bottle found nowhere else in the world.

With over 4,000 acres of grapes that span the state, Virginia is home to 10 regions and 8 distinct American Viticultural Areas.  The newest AVA is the Virginia Peninsula AVA nestled in an Atlantic Coastal Plain area defined by the York and Pamunkey Rivers to the north and the James River to the south.  The new AVA now also has its own wine trail, the Virginia Peninsula Wine Trail, featuring six wineries, offering new ways to explore Virginia wine.

Capital One Center will see the opening of Santi in 2023, a new, 7,000-sq-ft concept from Michelin-starred Chef Pepe Moncayo that will focus on Spanish culinary tradition. This won't be the only high-profile restaurant to choose from at Capital One Center; Wren, a Japanese-fusion small plates concept located inside The Watermark Hotel, was recently deemed one of The Washington Post's 25 Best New Restaurants in the Region.  Additional restaurant announcements are expected.

Kismet Modern Indian - the Virginia sister restaurant of the Michelin Bib Gourmand award-winning Karma Modern Indian in Washington D.C. – opened its second location in Richmond.  The original location of the casual Indian concept in Alexandria was Chef Ajay Kumar's first branch out into Virginia following the success of his D.C.-based Karma.

NEW TO STAY…

Richmond recently welcomed the Moxy Richmond Downtown, a playful and affordable boutique brand under the Marriott umbrella that offers guests a complimentary cocktail at check-in and pet-friendly rooms.

The Moxy at Virginia Beach is slated for a summer 2023 opening and will feature 134 oceanfront rooms with animated style and an outdoor oceanfront pool with a two-story slide.  In Moxy tradition, cozy and smart bedrooms plus vibrant social spaces will entice travelers ready to break from the conventional hotel experience.  

Arriving in winter 2023, Hotel AKA Alexandria will bring a dramatic new addition to Old Town Alexandria steps from the city's flourishing boutique scene and thriving waterfront.  Custom-designed by visionary architect Piero Lissoni, the new, sophisticated accommodations offer a long-term stay option with premium amenities such as a Technogym fitness center and more.

A signature addition to the Cavalier Resort, the new Embassy Suites by Hilton recently opened. Its 157 luxury hotel suites feature a host of first-class amenities.  Indoor and outdoor pools, a 24/7 fitness center and a pair of new eateries – Arbuckle's Bar & Grill and beachfront dining at the Taco & Tequila Shack – make it a destination all its own.

The Forum Hotel at the University of Virginia Darden Business School in Charlottesville opened last month. The new property is managed by Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants, part of IHG Hotels & Resorts' Luxury & Lifestyle Collection.  The hotel sits adjacent to a five-acre arboretum and botanical garden and will feature 198 guest rooms, 10 suites, a destination restaurant, pub, sports bar and coffee shop.

The reopened Crossroads Inn is situated adjacent to Pippin Hill Farm & Vineyards and has accommodated travelers since it was built in 1820.  The Inn is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as a designated Virginia Historic Landmark.  Originally known as the Crossroads Tavern, this Inn has served no other purpose since its construction than as a stop for weary travelers.  Because of its intentional and detailed preservation, the Crossroads Inn provides guests a modern glimpse of how early 1800s taverns were built.  The Crossroads Inn adds to the growing portfolio of lodging options available at Charlottesville-area wineries.

AND casino resorts are coming to Virginia...

• Hard Rock Hotel & Casino has opened its temporary casino and conducted a ribbon cutting for their exciting resort property in Bristol, the official Birthplace of Country Music, further highlighting the incredible music experience to be found in that corner of the Commonwealth. The hotel and connected amenities are slated to open in 2024.
• Rivers Casino Portsmouth opened in early 2023 featuring seven restaurants, a 3,000-seat event center, movie theater and retail stores. The accompanying four-star hotel will open in 2024.
• Headwaters Resort & Casino in Norfolk opens their temporary casino in March 2023 and the full resort in 2024.
• Ceasars Entertainment will open a casino resort in Danville. The temporary casino is set to open in mid-2023 and the full resort in 2024.
• A fifth casino resort is currently under consideration for Petersburg.

Discover more new offerings in our online Press Room at Virginia.org.

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Love is at the heart of every Virginia vacation. 

Virginia is for Lovers / Visit Virginia channels: Twitter: @VisitVirginia / Facebook: @VirginiaIsForLovers / Instagram: @VisitVirginia

CONTACT: Christi Braginton / International Media Relations Manager / Virginia Tourism Corporation / cbraginton@virginia.org / 505-500-7396