Explore Rocky Mount

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Downtown Rocky Mount Restaurants

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Anastasia's Speakeasy

Enter a barbershop and find the secret door to this Roaring 20’s-themed speakeasy restaurant featuring an extensive bourbon selection, creative cocktails, and a delicious dinner menu.

Recommend: smoked old fashion, ahi tuna app, wood-fired pizza

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Crooked Road and Co.

The Crooked Road Catering team has recently opened their fabulous storefront for breakfast and lunch. Chef Agnes’s menu is evolving and seasonally fresh – and so are the cocktails!

Recommend: mimosa flight,Cuban panini, steak salad

Voodoo Lounge and The Porch

Award-winning Chef John Schopp of Center Stage Catering has opened his storefront restaurant for lunch and dinner featuring wood fired pizzas, seasonal apps, with eclectic atmosphere.

Recommend: Seasonal moonshine cocktail, wood-fired pizza, birria tacos

A restaurant with a wooden deck and barrels in front of it at night.

Olde Towne Social House

Choose your favorite vintage seating vignette and settle in for a vast international wine selection, delicious charcuterie, and seasonally changing salads, sandwiches, and desserts.

Recommend: Share a bottle of wine, large charcuterie board, three-dip trio

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The Alley Cat

This “British pub meets Vegas” styled bar features over 100 beers from around the world, retro-themed menu items, and live-music on their stage every Friday night.

Recommend: Seasonal draft, fried bologna

sandwich, Dorito salad

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Rocky Mount Burger Company

A Rocky Mount staple, you can’t go wrong with a grilled-fired burger with a side of sweet potato fries – venture into the full bar featuring local beers and moonshine. Check their socials for live music on most weekends.

Recommend: Seasonal draft, brisket burger, pickle fries

Rocky Mount Smokehouse

Locally known as “Buddy’s BBQ” for his award-winning sauces and smoked meats, you’ll love the flexible choices of meats, sides, and meal sizes to get your VA BBQ fix. Don’t miss the bar featuring bourbon and local moonshines!

Recommend: Bourbon cocktail, three meat platter with sides, moonshine BBQ sauce


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Lil' Shabby's Bistro

Foodies will swoon over Lil’ Shabby’s creative and eclectic menu of Chef Cheryl’s fusion inspirations like Mexican Street Corn tacos, hot honey deviled eggs, and Philly eggrolls – save room for the fun cocktails!

Recommend: sweet potato tacos, Waygu burger sliders, glazed salmon

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Rocky Mount Breweries and Distilleries

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Living Proof Brewery

Drink local! This best view of downtown Rocky Mount is on the back deck of this brewery while holding one of their latest innovative beers. Check their socials for live music dates, trivia, poker, and other events as well as weekend food trucks.

Recommend: Get a flight first and find your favorites

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Twin Creeks Distillery

This is the Moonshine Capital of the World! Twin Creeks is a multi-generational family of original Franklin County Moonshiners that distill moonshine, brandy, and whiskey. Enjoy their tasting room and retail shop in downtown Rocky Mount and check their socials for bluegrass jamborees and live music.

Recommend: Get a flight of moonshine cocktails

Shopping in Rocky Mount

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The Painted Trunk

You’ll discover vintage finds and antique treasures in this ever-evolving portal of nostalgia. Ask the shopkeeper if you’re looking for something specific - she probably has it!

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Old's Cool

Vintage clothing and records, along with toys, baseball cards, and more make up the nostalgic finds at Old's Cool that have the memories rushing back.

The Magnolia Closet

Magnolia’s has their eye on high fashion at a low cost. All items in this boutique are new from name brands you’ll recognize, but at a fraction of the department store cost.

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Music Venues

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Harvester Performance Center (Rocky Mount, VA)

The Harvester Performance Center is an indoor music venue located in Downtown Rocky Mount hosting about 300 musical acts annually. Performers and music lovers enjoy the intimate atmosphere with amazing

lighting and state-of-the-art audio, lighting and video.

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The Coves Amphitheater (Smith Mountain Lake, VA)

The Coves Amphitheater and Charity Concert Series were born to support the performing arts while helping local charities serving people in need. This outdoor venue in Union Hall has open seating and upgraded chair seating options.

The Country Store Friday Jamboree (Floyd, VA)

Travel the Crooked Road to The Floyd Country Store for  their infamous Friday Night Jamborees with bluegrass and country music artists. Check their socials for other performances during the week.

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Spas

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Vintage Spa

Massages, facials, hair, and nails are just a few of the luxurious spa services you can expect at the Vintage Spa. Treat yourself to a day of well-deserved pampering!


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Southlake Spa and Salt Room

Nestled in the quiet wooded corner of a 50-acre farm, the vintage grain bin creates a truly unique experience with a salt room on the first floor and a dramatic vaulted ceiling yoga room on the second floor.

Museums and Historical Experiences

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Moonshine Explosion Museum

(Inside The Alley Cat)

Discovered just a few years ago in the basement of an old Model-T dealership, experience the interactive re-telling of the building’s moonshine history and subsequent explosion.

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Franklin County Historical

Society's Museum

The history museum and research library provides public access to collected materials about Franklin County. There is no admission fee, but they request a donation for tours and research assistance.

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Blue Ridge Institute Museum and Farm

The Blue Ridge Institute & Museum was created in 1973 by Ferrum College to document, interpret, and present the folk heritage of the Blue Ridge region. Visit the museum and farm in Ferrum, VA.

Booker T. Washington

National Monument

Learn how slavery, the Civil War, and emancipation affected the now infamous Booker T. Washington at the plantation where he was enslaved.

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Taubman Art Museum

The Museum offers eleven galleries as part of the Fralin Center for American Art and originates 15-20 exhibitions per year. Featured artists have ranged from Kehinde Wiley to John James Audubon and from Sally Mann to Norman Rockwell.


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O. Winston Link and

Roanoke History Museum

Learn more about the extraordinary work of O. Winston Link, a renowned black and white photographer of trains, and learn more about Roanoke back to its early settlers.

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Virginia Museum of Transportation

This museum celebrates the rich history of transportation in the Commonwealth of Virginia and offers visitors a chance to explore the many ways transportation has shaped our state's history

and economy. Be sure to see the infamous 611 locomotive!

National D-Day Memorial

Since its dedication, the memorial has welcomed tens

of thousands of visitors each year and is a remarkable tribute to the many that died on D-Day in WWII. The memorial is in Bedford to honor the town that lost the highest per capita of men that fateful day, now known as the Bedford Boys.

Statue of a World War II soldier

Parks and Hikes

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Waid Park

Waid Park is an outdoor paradise located

conveniently near the Town of Rocky Mount with over 15-miles of multi-use trails, access to the Pigg River, and two disc golf courses. Watch for summer river float events on their website.

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Smith Mountain Lake State Park

With 14 trails that wind along the shoreline, you’ll navigate through picturesque landscapes while enjoying scenic lake views. Ranging from easy half-mile walks to moderate 3-mile treks, these trails are also available for mountain biking.



Philpott Lake and Park

The lake’s 100-mile shoreline is surrounded by 20,000 acres of protected federal and state lands, providing lake visitors to an utterly tranquil escape. On the lake, paddlers can explore miles of water with views of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

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Fairy Stone State Park

Home of the legendary fairy stones, this park is well

known for its 168-acre lake adjoining Philpott Reservoir. Attractions include hiking trails, lake swimming, rowboats, canoes, paddleboats, kayaks, picnicking and two playgrounds.

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