You know something’s different when the same downtown keeps showing up in magazines like Smithsonian, USA Today, and Country Living. Beverley Street in Staunton looks amazing in photos, but it’s even better in person. Walk those 11 blocks, and you’ll pass 131 buildings that survived because nobody had the money to tear them down in the first place. Now that’s turned into the town’s biggest asset.
- The Smithsonian named Staunton one of the 20 Best Small Towns in America, and USA Today ranked it 6th for Best Small Town Cultural Scene in 2024.
- From April through October, Beverley Street closes to cars every weekend, turning the Victorian storefronts into an outdoor dining and shopping district.
- The 30-acre historic district packs everything within walking distance, with the Clock Tower Building from 1890 still keeping time on the corner.
What Makes This Street Different From Every Other Main Street
Most small towns have a few old buildings. Staunton, VA, has an entire downtown that looks like someone hit pause in 1900. The Beverley Historic District was added to the National Register of Historic Places back in 1982, and most of the storefronts date from the 1870s through the 1920s. You’re looking at Italianate facades with arched windows, Romanesque Revival buildings with stone columns, and Queen Anne details that cost a fortune to build back then.
The weird part? These buildings stuck around because Staunton went through some rough economic times. When other cities were tearing down Victorian storefronts to build modern strip malls, Staunton couldn’t afford to. By the time money came back, people realized what they had was actually worth keeping. The Historic Staunton Foundation started a facade program in 1971, and since then, over 250 buildings have been brought back.
The Clock Tower That Runs the Show
If you’re trying to meet someone downtown, you say “at the Clock Tower.” The building went up in 1890 as the second YMCA in Virginia, complete with a bowling alley, running track, gym, and library. The clock came from the E. The Howard Clock Company in Massachusetts, and most of the original parts still work today. That square tower rising from the corner turret became the visual stamp of downtown.
Walk down from there, and you’ll hit shops like Billy Opal selling men’s and women’s clothes in a 3,000-square-foot space, Burrow & Vine with plants and home goods, and Foxtails doing nature-inspired gifts. The retail mix leans heavily local. You won’t find the usual chain stores here.
Why Weekends Feel Like a Street Fair
Here’s where things get interesting. Starting in April and running through October, Beverley Street shuts down to cars from Friday at 4 p.m. until Monday morning. Shop & Dine Out turns the whole street into a pedestrian zone. Restaurants put tables outside. Shops spill onto the sidewalk. You can walk down the middle of the road with a coffee in hand.
The 2024 season brought in 15 restaurants and 20 retailers for the weekend closures. Places like Zynodoa, BLU Point Seafood, Sweet Addie’s, and Queen City Bistro set up outdoor seating. This isn’t a one-time festival thing. It happens almost every weekend for six months straight. Hotel 24 South actually has to warn guests about the street closures because they’re such a regular occurrence.
The Food Scene That Punches Above Its Weight
For a town of 25,000, the restaurant situation is ridiculous. You’ve got everything from Baja Bean Co. in the old Masonic Temple to fine dining spots that would hold their own in cities five times this size. The range goes from pizza and burgers to sophisticated tasting menus. People drive in from Charlottesville and Harrisonburg just to eat here.
Coffee shops, ice cream parlors, wine bars, they’re all crammed into these Victorian storefronts. The Split Banana has 18 flavors of gelato. The density of good food options in such a small area means you can hit three different restaurants in one evening without moving your car.
What’s Within Walking Distance
The whole historic district covers about 30 acres. You can park once and spend a full day without needing to drive anywhere. The Blackfriars Playhouse, home of the American Shakespeare Center, sits right downtown. The Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library is a few blocks away. Walk down the hill, and you hit the Wharf District with its converted warehouses and different vibe.
The American Planning Association recognized West Beverley Street as a Great Street for its Victorian charm and walkability. When organizations that study city planning give you an award, you’re doing something right with your street layout.
Why It Actually Works
Most downtowns that look this good feel like museum pieces. This one doesn’t. People live in the apartments above the shops. Locals grab lunch at the same spots tourists visit. The mix of residential, retail, dining, and culture creates real street life with actual energy.
The street improvements help too. New sidewalks went in, bike lanes got added, and crosswalks became more visible. The West Beverley Street project wrapped up most of its work in 2024, adding 600 feet of new sidewalk and making the whole corridor more comfortable for everyone who isn’t in a car.
Sometimes the best small towns aren’t the ones that tried hardest to be perfect. They’re the ones who held onto what they had when everyone else was tearing things down. Beverley Street works because the bones were already there. The town just had to recognize what it was sitting on and give people a reason to show up.
