If there’s one thing the Shenandoah Valley prides itself on, it’s history. Stroll into any store, and it won’t take long before you understand the year the structure was built and the number of households have actually owned it.
And this love of the past doesn’t limit itself to stories. It’s entrenched in the important things– the old things– that fill roadside thrift stores, sprawling antique shopping centers, and curated high-end shops. Throughout the Shenandoah Valley, which starts simply south of Lexington, Virginia, on its southern border and rises to Winchester, Virginia, in the north, there’s a reverence for antiques that generates consumers and deal hunters from all over the area.
The very best method to see the full breadth of antiquing in the Shenandoah Valley is to plan a trip beginning on either end and weaving your method through to the other. It’s difficult to see it all at once, however you can hit the highlights and, obviously, you need to prepare a journey back since there’s always something new (old) to see.
Leading Antique Stores in the Shenandoah Valley
If you start in the south and work your way up, the first town you’ll hit is Lexington, which is closely followed by Staunton. You’ll weave your way up through Verona, where an antiques wonderland is waiting, then through Weyers Cave, Mount Crawford, Harrisonburg, and Strasburg. A second day will take you through Boyce, Millwood, Berryville, and Winchester, at which point, your wallet will be empty and your automobile will be complete.
Factory Antique Mall
Did you understand the biggest antique mall in the United States remains in the Shenandoah Valley? In unsuspecting Verona, Virginia, there’s a 147,000 square foot antique shopping mall– and they declare they’re still growing. At Factory Antique Mall, you can find glassware in any color under the sun, taxidermy, primitives, midcentury, chinoiserie, vintage clothing, and even caning repair. If it’s on your to-find list, it’s going to be here.
Staunton Antiques
The Staunton Antiques Center is right in the heart of downtown Staunton, and it encompasses 13,000 square feet of vendors offering conventional antiques, dishware and glassware, and whatever in between. This is a classic antique mall where you’ll find all the brown wood and milk glass your heart could prefer.
Diverse Retro
If you grow in an antique store where you have a little less to take a look at, then Eclectic Retro provides a more curated appeal. This spot on the outskirts of downtown Staunton has a mix of midcentury vintage and some older antiques.
Red Schoolhouse Antiques
Walking into Millwood’s Red Schoolhouse Antiques feels like exploring a refurbished historic home. The antiques are plainly old– well over the hundred year threshold– however they feel crisp and restored in the middle of the light and bright spaces.
17 East Beverly Antiques
Expand your meaning of antiques at 17 East Beverly Antiques in Staunton where there are toys, fashion jewelry, fabrics, and vintage clothing mixed in amidst the furnishings and home foods. There are four independent shops under the bigger 17 East Beverly Antiques umbrella, each with their own style and sense of curation.
Rolling Hills Antique Mall
Rolling Hills Antique Mall in Harrisonburg focuses on antiques, which, on an offered day, might suggest anything from military products to classic marketing to depression glass and Pyrex. Their claim to fame is over one million products in the shop, so it’s worth a visit to see what treasures you might discover.
Spring Hollow Antiques
Found right on Main Street in charming Woodstock, Virginia, Spring Hollow Antiques concentrates on American antiques, especially those with a farmhouse feel. You’ll discover blanket chests, cabinet, and chairs that have actually seen centuries of stories before yours.
Vilnis & Co.
Antiques Vilnis & Co. Antiques owner Vilnis Vitols has remained in the business of antiques and style given that 1975 and his perfectly curated collection shows that expertise. He concentrates on spectacular neo-classical style with American and English roots. Each piece remains in pristine condition, either restored or adoringly looked after through the generations.
Strasburg Emporium Antiques
Just down the street from the unbelievable collection at Vilnis & Co. is that terrific visual overload that is Strasburg Emporium Antiques. Over 60 dealerships and 52,000 square feet cover everything from furnishings to china to glassware to even clothing and cowboy boots. If you require anything sentimental or enjoyable for your cooking area, you’ll discover it in the aisles here.
Hip & Humble Antiques and Interiors
Hip & Humble Antiques and Interiors has a mix of curated vignettes of brought back vintage and antique items, garden decor, and an upstairs attic-like area that has special and interesting pieces that are in desperate requirement of saving. It also happens to be among those places where styled fulfills economical, which are frequently equally unique.
Blue Peacock Antiques
If you’re making your method northward, Blue Peacock Antiques is one of the last stops in the Shenandoah Valley This antiques store in Winchester, Virginia, lies right on their pedestrian shopping mall and has more than 9,000 square feet of diverse vendors.
Special Antiquing Finds in the Shenandoah Valley.
Throughout the region, there are several shops that accommodate more niche shopping. From gorgeous china to handmade primitives to rare silver, here are a few more stops to add to your map.
Old and New at Fox and Pheasant
Impeccably curated spaces comprise the hunt country aesthetic of Fox and Pheasant in Boyce, Virginia. This cozy shop has both antiques and carefully selected brand-new products that flaunt different decor styles in each space. From the masculine, hunt-inspired front space to the chinoiserie details in the back, this charming shop is set up much like your most stylish pal’s home.
Primitives at Alpha and Omega
While the beautifully crafted, high-end antiques may be what captures most people’s eyes, others are drawn to the subtleties of more useful, practical items. Primitives are handmade early American products, and they’re seen throughout the Shenandoah Valley, a lot more so than in other antiquing regions. At Alpha and Omega in Waynesboro, Virginia, you’ll discover a large collection of primitives and pottery– ideal for including a rustic touch to your home.
Estate Jewelry, Collectibles, and Silver at Rocky’s Gold and Silver
Have your eye on discovering a specific collectible, coin, or sterling silver set? Rocky’s Gold and Silver is an imposing structure in Weyer’s Cave that’s filled with a number of spaces of treasures. There’s an entire space of both great and costume estate fashion jewelry, an area devoted to silver, and case-upon-case of collectible glasses and china.
Exploring Shenandoah Valley Flea Markets
If your concept of a perfect antiquing weekend focuses on the thrill of the hunt, then include these flea markets to your journey schedule.
Shenandoah Valley Flea Market
The Shenandoah Valley Flea Market in New Market, Virginia, looks simple from the outside, then you stroll within and you still may discover yourself wondering if it’s worth the stop. There’s a mix of true flea market vendors and more curated booths offering glassware, chinoiserie items, Wedgewood, milk glass, and more blue and white than you might use in a life time.
The Flea Market in Edinburg
In Edinburg, Virginia, you’ll discover The Flea Market in Edinburg. Here, you’ll dig through booths discovering the ideal gaudy pieces for your home and sentimental items for your kitchen area. There are books, collectibles, and whatever you didn’t recognize you needed– until now.
Tips for Planning an Antiquing Road Trip in the Shenandoah Valley
Assembling a road trip itinerary can be as overwhelming as it is fun, particularly when there are countless stops to be made. Here are a few pointers to prepare the supreme antiquing journey through the Shenandoah Valley.
Check out in the Fall for Views Beyond the Antiques
There’s no bad time of year to visit the Shenandoah Valley for antiquing. Dealerships and suppliers are continuously generating brand-new products, and there’s no shortage of deals and extraordinary finds. Nevertheless, fall is a preferred time of year for lots of to go to the Shenandoah Valley thanks to the lively leaf peeping.
But think about that carefully– a popular time of year could suggest more crowd, which might mean more people ogling over that set of Wedgewood catchalls you’re wanting to discover.
Plan Your Itinerary From One End to the Other
You can begin with the north or the south depending upon which instructions you’re originating from. The concept is to hit as much of these antique stores in one journey as possible, however be practical. If you like to roam the aisles slowly, analyzing each piece of glasses, screening every drawer, and appreciating the historic information on federal period sideboards, then break it into three or four days. Otherwise, a weekend is reasonable with 2 over night stops.
Stay Where There’s an Appreciation for Antiques
It’s most likely that somebody planning an antiquing road trip desires the complete immersive experience, so select places to remain that speak to the history of the location and, yes, the antiques.
If you begin in the south, the Inn at Meadowcroft is simply outside of Staunton set on the most picturesque household farm. You keep an eye out around you, and you’re surrounded by hundreds of acres of pastoral views. The inn itself was constructed by merging 2 hand-hewn log cabins, one dating to 1820 and the other, 1795. The home furnishings and decoration throughout the inn are antiques sourced
As you head north, L’Auberge Provençale in Boyce is a circa 1753 estate that boasts George Washington as an initial trustee of the home. Today, it’s a countryside inn decorated in French antiques and serving one of the most tasty fine dining menus in the Shenandoah Valley. It’s located in close proximity to both Millwood and Berryville, where numerous of the can’t miss stops are located.