13 Historic Virginia Music Venues

Virginia's music venues are full of rich history. Places that now host live music once started out as old movie houses or stores or farmhouses and changed over time. Here are 13 of Virginia's historic music venues.

Tally Ho Theatre—Leesburg

A landmark in historic downtown Leesburg, the Tally Ho Theatre was created in 1932 as one room movie house. As time went on, new multiplex movie theaters began springing up around the area and forced the duplex movie theater out of business. It operated as a movie theater until the theatre was sold and renovated in 2012, and started hosting live bands in a wide range of genres.

Floyd Country Store—Floyd

The Floyd Country Store opened in 1909 as a general store that served old-fashioned candy, hand-dipped ice cream, homemade country food, and a great collection of hard-to-find old-time and bluegrass music accessories. In the late 1990s, the industry needed to change to stay in business, and at that time the store was open one night a week for what is now famously known as the Friday Night Jamboree. The Jamboree brings people each week to dance, enjoy and play gospel, old-time, and bluegrass music. The crowd usually spills out into the street, as it’s one of the most popular events in the area.

Beacon Theatre—Hopewell

The Beacon Theatre is in the center of downtown Hopewell. Designed by Fred Bishop, it was constructed in 1928 as a silent movie and vaudeville show palace. During the 1930s and 1940s, the famous burlesque dancer, Sally Rand, and cowboy performer Lash LaRue performed at the Beacon. From the 1950s until the 1970s, it was the local movie house. After a $4.1 million restoration, the Beacon Theatre has been returned to its original splendor and regularly offering all kinds of music from Motown to country to bluegrass to rock.

The Birchmere—Alexandria

The Birchmere opened on April 4, 1966 and has hosted top acts including Johnny Cash, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Patti Loveless, Dave Matthews, Emmylou Harris, and Ray Charles. The music hall has also played an important role in the discovery of new artists — the Chicks and Vince Gill among them. In 1997, the Birchmere opened its current Alexandria location just down the road from the original, where it sets an intimate tone by keeping the audience close — just two feet away from the stage.

Carter Family Fold—Hiltons

The Carter Family Fold was founded in 1979 by Janette Carter, daughter of A.P. and Sara, who with Sara’s sister Maybelle are considered the “First Family of Country Music.” The original Carter Family lived on this hallowed ground at the foot of Clinch Mountain and the performing legacy carries on at the Family Fold. The 1,000-seat music center hosts old time, bluegrass and country music every Saturday night. There’s a dance floor that’s typically packed with people of every age clogging and flat-footing.

The Paramount and the Jefferson—Charlottesville

Located on Charlottesville’s historic Downtown Mall, both the Paramount Theater and the Jefferson Theater are historic venues that host a variety of music shows ranging from rock, bluegrass, and reggae to country, metal, and hip-hop. The Paramount Theater opened in 1931 and became a landmark overnight. The venue thrived as a movie palace for 40 years and brought in patrons by the thousands before closing in 1974. In 1992, a $16.2 million restoration project restored the Paramount to its former glory and the venue opened its doors to the public once more in 2004.

The Jefferson Theater was established in 1912 as a live performance theater that played host to silent movies, vaudeville acts and a historic list of musicians. The Jefferson Theater closed in 2006 for restoration and renovations and reopened in 2009 highlighting the theater’s vintage architecture while modernizing its facilities.

Garth Newel Music Center—Hot Springs

William Sergeant Kendall, a well-known painter in the 1920s, built Garth Newel in 1924. There, he and his wife trained and rode fine Arabian horses, painted, and enjoyed musical evenings in their home. After Kendall died in 1938, his wife Christine Herter Kendall began a chamber music study program, which would gain prominence in the following years. The Rowe String Quartet began giving concerts on the property in 1973. Christine died in 1981, bequeathing the property to the Garth Newel Music Center Foundation, which is devoted to the continued development of the Music Center. It has grown from a season of a half-dozen concerts in the mid-70s to more than 50 today.

The National—Richmond

The historic National Theater was built in 1923 and designed by architect Claude K. Howell, who also created many residences on Richmond's Monument Avenue. It became a part of the then-thriving Theatre Row along Broad Street. The venue originally staged both live entertainment, such as vaudeville shows, as well as motion pictures. In 1968, it was converted into a dedicated cinema, which closed in 1983. Restored and reopened in 2008, The National is used as a performing arts and music venue hosting numerous mainstream acts.

Lime Kiln Theater—Lexington

The Lime Kiln Theater is rooted in and inspired by the magic of a natural, outdoor theater. In 1967, two Washington and Lee University students, Tommy Spencer and Don Baker, produced “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” in an abandoned turn of the century lime quarry and kiln. 15 years later, Spencer convinced the owner of the site to donate the use of the land for the establishment of an arts organization. After thousands of volunteer hours to clear the brambles, thickets, and rubble and build the stage, the first season was presented in 1984. Lime Kiln Theater hosts numerous live music shows and plays throughout the season.

Harrison Opera House—Norfolk

A theater in the 1940s, the Virginia Opera Center Theater hosted entertainment for USO troops during World War II. The house was renovated and re-christened Edythe C. and Stanley L. Harrison Opera House in 1993 and is now the official home of the Virginia Opera. With more than 1,600 seats, the Harrison Opera House retains an intimate ambience adorned with glittering chandeliers and sweeping staircases reminiscent of the old time glamour.

Wolf Trap—Vienna

When concert goers attend the Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts, they are standing on what used to be a working farm. Catherine Filene Shouse acquired the land as an escape from Washington, D.C. city life in 1930. The farm served as a gathering place for her family, friends, and social and political leaders where they enjoyed dinners, parties, and nature walks. Shouse founded Wolf Trap in 1966 when she donated the land and funds to build a large outdoor amphitheater to the federal government.

Academy Center for the Arts—Lynchburg

A hub for cultural arts in Lynchburg and its surrounding communities, the Academy Center for the Arts is housed in a historic hodge-podge of a building. It hosts performances in its Historic Academy of Music Theatre, a space which opened in 1905. That building would burn down, but the theatre was brought back to life in 1912. It then enjoyed a decades-long run of successful events before closing in 1958. The doors remained closed for 60 years, then it was reopened in 2018. Extensions to the building added a Warehouse Theatre and Music Hall, where events are regularly hosted.