Add Us As A Trusted Google Source Lexington, Virginia, is a small city with an outsized historical footprint. Home to both Washington and Lee University and the Virginia Military Institute, the town has been shaped for generations by the people who lived, taught, and are buried within its borders. Whether you’re drawn by Civil War history, military heritage, or just quirky attractions, Lexington has some surprising sites worth exploring.
Key Takeaways
- Lee Chapel & Museum: A National Historic Landmark built at Robert E. Lee’s request, now a museum housing the Lee Family Mausoleum and galleries exploring the building’s 150-plus year history.
- Stonewall Jackson House: The only home Confederate General Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson ever owned, restored to its 1850s appearance and open for self-guided tours.
- Virginia Military Institute (VMI): The nation’s first state-supported military college, offering cadet-guided walking tours of its historic post and a museum tracing the achievements of its alumni.
- The Skin of Little Sorrel: A one-of-a-kind exhibit at the VMI Museum preserving the hide of Stonewall Jackson’s beloved war horse.
- The Coffee Pot: A whimsical, decades-old roadside building shaped like a giant coffee pot.
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Lee Chapel & Museum
No visit to Lexington is complete without a stop at University Chapel, more widely known as Lee Chapel. Completed in 1868 at the request of Robert E. Lee, who was serving as president of Washington College at the time, the building was originally referred to simply as “the College Chapel.” Over more than a century and a half, it has evolved from an active house of worship into a museum dedicated to telling the full story of its history, architecture, and role on campus.
Today, visitors can explore galleries spread across both floors of the building, including the Statuary Chamber, Robert E. Lee’s preserved office, and the Lee Family Mausoleum. The museum recommends setting aside at least 90 minutes to take in the exhibits, which examine everything from the chapel’s original purpose to the many ways it has been reinterpreted and repurposed over time. Shield-shaped “Key Notes” signage is placed throughout the building to encourage visitors to pause and reflect, and hands-on activity tables make the space approachable for guests of all ages. History buffs can also download the free Bloomberg Connects app before their visit for bonus audio and visual content. Beyond its museum function, the chapel remains a living part of campus life, hosting annual events like the university president’s welcome to new students and the Institute for Honor. It’s open Wednesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., though hours can shift around university events or inclement weather, so it’s worth checking ahead.
Stonewall Jackson House
A short walk from the chapel sits the only home Confederate General Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson ever owned. Jackson and his wife, Anna, purchased the house on Washington Street in 1858, during the decade he spent in Lexington as a professor of Natural and Experimental Philosophy and an instructor of artillery tactics at VMI. It was during these years that Jackson also joined the Lexington Presbyterian Church and settled into life as a private citizen, reportedly taking great pleasure in tending the kitchen garden behind the house.
That quiet chapter ended in April 1861, when Jackson left Lexington for war. He earned his famous nickname after the First Battle of Manassas and went on to lead Confederate troops through the 1862 Valley Campaign before dying in May 1863 from complications following wounds sustained at Chancellorsville. After his death, the home took on a very different role, serving as the only hospital in Rockbridge County for nearly fifty years.
The house has been open as a museum since 1954 and was carefully restored in 1979 to reflect its appearance during the Jacksons’ residency. As part of the VMI Museum System, it now offers self-guided tours through the garden, kitchen, dining room, bedroom, study, parlor, and linen closet, along with more than 60 artifacts that belonged to the Jackson family. It’s open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (closed on select holidays and during January and February), and travelers can save money by bundling tickets with the VMI Museum and the Virginia Museum of the Civil War.
Virginia Military Institute (VMI)
As the nation’s first state-supported military college, VMI has been training leaders for the military, public service, and private sector since 1839. Beyond its role as an active college campus, VMI offers visitors a genuine window into its history through daily Cadet Guided Post Tours, available whenever school is in session. Guests can gather in the lobby of the VMI Museum, located on the second floor of Memorial Hall, at 12:15 p.m. for a 40-to-50-minute walking tour that departs at 12:30 p.m.
The VMI Museum itself, founded in 1845, holds the distinction of being the first public museum in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Its collection of roughly 20,000 artifacts traces the institute’s alumni, who have gone on to become Nobel Prize recipients, Pulitzer Prize winners, explorers, film stars, and civic leaders. Many pieces in the collection were donated by the very individuals who once used them. The museum also doubles as a working classroom, with VMI faculty partnering with museum staff to give cadets hands-on access to historical items. It’s open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The Skin of Little Sorrel
Inside the VMI Museum sits one of Lexington’s most unusual and talked-about exhibits: the preserved hide of Little Sorrel, Stonewall Jackson’s favorite horse. Jackson prized the animal for its stamina and apparent intelligence, riding Little Sorrel throughout the war, including the moment he was fatally wounded. The horse outlived his famous rider by more than two decades, living out his final years on the VMI campus before dying in 1886 at the age of 36.
The Coffee Pot
For something entirely different, head to 1870 E Midland Trail to see Lexington’s most photographed piece of roadside Americana: The Coffee Pot. Built in 1959, the building is designed with a spout and handle that make it unmistakably resemble a giant coffee pot. Over the decades it has worn many hats, having operated as a restaurant, a beer and wine bar, a canoe rental shop for vacationers, a fish market, and even an art studio. While it currently sits without a business inside, The Coffee Pot remains a cherished piece of local lore and an essential photo stop for anyone passing through Lexington.
