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City of Roanoke Historic Sites
The City of Roanoke in Virginia’s Blue Ridge is full of history.
Formerly known as “Big Lick” because of the salt licks where Native American and animal trails crossed through the valley, the town of “Big Lick” began to really grow in the late 1800s with the arrival of the Shenandoah Valley Railroad.
In 1882, the town was renamed to “Roanoke,” which is based off “rawrenock” - the Algonquin word for shell beads that were worn and used as trade goods, and the City of Roanoke was chartered in 1884.
Learn more about the history of the city of Roanoke by visiting some of the local museums and attractions that specialize in local history:
- O. Winston Link Museum & History Museum of Western Virginia
- Harrison Museum of African American Culture
- Virginia Museum of Transportation
- Virginia Room - Downtown Roanoke Public Library
Other popular spots in the city that showcase its history include the Roanoke Star, The Hotel Roanoke & Conference Center, Historic Roanoke City Market, and the Grandin Theatre.
The following is a list of historic sites in the City of Roanoke.
In This Section
Local History
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Visit Virginia's Blue Ridge 101 Shenandoah Avenue NE Roanoke, VA 24016 (540) 342-6025 (800) 635-5535
Visit Virginia’s Blue Ridge is committed to cultivating an atmosphere that welcomes and celebrates the unique backgrounds, abilities, passions, and perspectives of our vibrant community. As our region’s only destination marketing organization, we have a responsibility to showcase the best the Roanoke Region has to offer, and those assets and strengths come in varied forms. We embrace differences in race, religion, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or expression, language, visible and invisible disabilities, and all the intersecting identities that make Virginians and visitors alike so unique. We believe our differences make us stronger– and better.
