About Darden - Life in Charlottesville

Chroma Projects

Local art gallery located on the Downtown Mall
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The Garage

A multipurpose space for art, music and film
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IX Art Park

Public, noncommercial, interactive art space, open night and day
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Kluge-Ruhe Aboriginal Museum

One of the world's finest collections of Australian aboriginal art
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McGuffey Arts Center

An artist-run cooperative art center located near the Downtown Mall
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Muse Paintbar

Studio combining painting instruction with a restaurant and bar
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Second Street Gallery

Art gallery featuring contemporary art and artists
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UVA Ruffin Gallery

Art gallery serving as an active part of UVA's Studio Art program
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UVA Fralin Museum of Art

UVA's main art museum featuring national and international exhibits
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Virginia Festival of the Book

Annual festival featuring renowned authors, writing workshops and more
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Wine and Design Charlottesville

Studio offering art classes and wine for social groups
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Albemarle County Parks

Albemarle County's numerous parks offer swimming, fishing, boating, picnic shelters and hiking.
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Carter Mountain Orchard

Fruit orchard on nearby Carter Mountain offering fruit picking, recreation and great views of Charlottesville
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Chiles Peach Orchard

Fruit orchard in nearby Crozet, Virginia, offering fruit picking and recreation
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Liberty Mills Farm

Local farm offering a farm market and pick your own, plus seasonal events
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Virginia Discovery Museum

Museum fostering intellectual curiosity and development for children
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Visit Charlottesville: Family-Friendly Activities

Website offering a wide variety of family-friendly activities in the area
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The Charlottesville area is home to one of the richest food communities in the country. From fine dining to casual eateries of every stripe, the area’s bustling food scene is one of Charlottesville’s finest attributes.

• Visit Charlottesville’s Restaurant Guide: A comprehensive guide to area eateries from the region’s tourism bureau
• C-ville Weekly’s Restaurant Listings: Restaurant listings from the local weekly newspaper
• The Charlottesville Guide’s Restaurant Listings: A list of area restaurant from a local tourism guide
• 43 Things to Eat in Charlottesville: A fun list of great local food from the folks at Spoon University
• The Charlottesville 29: News and a list of “ideal” 29 restaurants in Charlottesville

Wine, Beer & Cider

Virginia is home to roughly 200 wineries, numerous cideries and dozens of craft breweries and the Charlottesville region is home to some of the best. Most establishments welcome visitors for tours and tastings, and many hold events throughout the year.

• Virginia Wine: The state’s official wine tourism site
• Monticello Wine Trail: Information on the wineries located in the Charlottesville region
• Visit Charlottesville Vineyards, Breweries & Cideries: Guide from the region’s tourism bureau
• Darden Wine and Cuisine Club: The student club seeks to educate members about a range of food and drink
• Best Virginia Wineries to Visit: Many local wineries are included in this list from Food and Wine.
• Darden School of Brew: The student club seeks to educate members through hands on brewing experiences and guest speaker events.

James Monroe's Highland

Home of the fifth president of the United States
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Lewis and Clark Exploratory Center

Educational center focusing on the historic expedition to the Pacific Ocean
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Michie Tavern

A historic tavern providing food, drink and lodging for 200-plus years
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Monticello

Home of Thomas Jefferson, UVA's founder, author of the Declaration of Independence and third president of the U.S.
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Montpelier

Home of James Madison, fourth president of the United States
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University of Virginia Lawn and Rotunda

The heart of UVA and a UNESCO World Heritage site
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Charlottesville Opera

Offering opera and musical performances for more than 40 years
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The Jefferson Theater

Historic concert venue on the Downtown Mall
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John Paul Jones Arena

UVA's basketball arena hosts concerts from Taylor Swift to Paul McCartney
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Old Cabell Hall

UVA's principal lecture and concert hall, located on the historic Lawn
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The Paramount Theater

Classic movie theater converted to a concert and performing arts space
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The Southern

Intimate music venue located on the Downtown Mall
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Ting Pavilion

Outdoor concert pavilion on Charlottesville's Downtown Mall
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George Washington National Forest

Home to the Blue Ridge Parkway and popular hikes such as Humpback Rocks
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Golf Courses

View a listing of the area's many golf courses
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James River Reeling and Rafting

Tubing, canoeing, kayaking and camping trips on the nearby James River
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Observatory Hill Trail

A popular hiking and biking trail adjacent to UVA's Central Grounds
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Old Rag Mountain

One of the most popular hikes and rock scrambles on the East Coast
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Ragged Mountain Natural Area

Nearby natural area featuring two lakes, mature forest and several miles of trails
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Rivanna Reservoir

Home to UVA Rowing and a premier location for fishing and boating
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Rivanna Trail

A combined urban and wilderness trail encircling the city of Charlottesville
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Shenandoah National Park

Home to the Skyline Drive and hundreds of miles of hiking trails along the crest of the Blue Ridge Mountains
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UVA Athletics

Official home of the Cavaliers. Find out when UVA's national championship-winning men's and women's sports teams will play next.
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The University of Virginia offers world-class sports facilities that are available to members of the University community: golf, tennis, squash, rowing, swimming, baseball, lacrosse, polo — you name it.

Visit Virginia Sports Facilities and UVA Intramural-Recreational Sports for the full list.  

• Aquatic & Fitness Center
• Birdwood Golf Course
• Boar's Head Sports Club, including the McArthur Squash Center
• Davenport Field at Disharoon Park
• Sheridan Snyder Tennis Center
• Virginia Polo Center
• North Grounds Rec Center (adjacent to Darden)

Alamo Drafthouse Cinema

Theater offering food, full bar, plus new and classic movie screenings
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Live Arts

Charlottesville's premier venue for live stage performance
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The Paramount Theater

Classic movie theater converted to a concert and performing arts space
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Regal Stonefield Stadium 14 and IMAX

Charlottesville's largest movie theater featuring an IMAX screen
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Violet Crown Movie Theater

Movie theater with a restaurant and bar on the Downtown Mall
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Virginia Film Festival

Annual film festival attracting acclaimed independent films, actors and actresses
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From hospitals to grocery stores, gyms to veterinarians, it's important to know the resources of a city. Here we share a wide, though by no means comprehensive, set of resources.

Publications and Guides

• Visit Charlottesville
• C-ville Weekly
• The Daily Progress
• Discover Charlottesville Digital Flipbook
• Charlottesville Guide

Groceries

• Charlottesville City Market
• C’ville Oriental
• Foods of All Nations
• Giant
• Harris Teeter
• Kroger
• Trader Joe’s
• Wegmans
• Whole Foods

Hospitals

• UVA Health System
• Sentara Martha Jefferson Hospital

Fitness

• ACAC
• Hot Yoga Charlottesville
• Crossfit Charlottesville
• North Grounds Recreation Center (UVA Gym)
• Pure Barre
• Ragged Mountain Running Shop
• Rocky Top Climbing Gym

Salons & Spas

• Chung’s Barber Shop
• Salon Druknya
• Moxie Hair & Body Lounge
• Serenity Nails

Shopping

• Barracks Road Shopping Center
• Shops at Stonefield
• Downtown Mall
• Fifth Street Station

Veterinarians

• Georgetown Veterinarian Hospital
• Monticello Animal Hospital
• Old Dominion Animal Hospital