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Mystic FalLs

Historic Sites Dining & Nightlife Walking tours Nature & Outdoors

Explore the Town

Discover historic sites, dining, and more throughout Mystic Falls

Map Legend
Historic Sites
Dining & Nightlife
Nature & Outdoors
Shopping

Historic Sites

Town Square with clock tower
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Mystic Falls, VA

Town Square

Sacred ground long before 1860, our square remains where Mystic Falls gathers. The clock tower stands sentinel. Ancient oaks provide shade. Seasonal festivals fill the space with music and laughter. This is the heart that keeps beating.

Wickery Bridge covered in fog
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Mystic Falls, VA

Wickery Bridge

Some places carry weight. This covered bridge, with its perpetual fog and creaking planks, has witnessed love and loss since the town's earliest days. Cross it slowly. Listen. Feel.

Salvatore Boarding House gothic architecture
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Mystic Falls, VA

The Salvatore Boarding House

Once the site of legendary gatherings, now home to the Salvatore Boarding School for the Young and Gifted. Gothic architecture. Storied past. Legacy living forward.

Mystic Falls Cemetery with stone angels
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Mystic Falls, VA

Mystic Falls Cemetery

Beautiful, not morbid. Founding families rest beneath elaborate stone angels and marble crypts. Fresh flowers appear on graves over a century old. The past is never past when it's family.

Lockwood Mansion exterior
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Mystic Falls, VA

Lockwood Mansion

Grand estate of the founding Lockwood family. Host to the annual Founder's Ball and countless historic gatherings. Southern elegance preserved.

Historical Society building
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Mystic Falls, VA

Mystic Falls Historical Society

Archives, artifacts, and stories from 160+ years of history. Open Tuesday-Sunday. Start your visit here—our staff knows everything worth knowing about this town.

Dining & Nightlife

Where locals gather and strangers become friends

Inside the Mystic Grill
Local Favorite

The Mystic Grill

More than a restaurant, more than a bar—the Mystic Grill is Mystic Falls' living room. Locals claim their favorite booths, bartenders know your order by the second visit, and strangers become regulars before they finish their first drink.

The brick walls have absorbed over 160 years of conversations: first dates, business deals, confessions, celebrations, and the occasional heated argument that gets smoothed over by the third round. Order the bourbon (we have opinions about which one), settle into the worn leather, and understand why this place has outlasted everything else.

Hours: Mon-Thu 11am-11pm, Fri-Sat 11am-1am, Sun 10am-10pm

Cuisine: American comfort food, extensive bourbon selection

Live Music: Friday & Saturday nights

Main Street Coffee

Morning coffee, afternoon pastries, and the best people-watching in town. Local favorite for breakfast meetings.

Coffee & Pastries

The Founder's Table

Upscale Southern cuisine in a restored 1860s building. Perfect for special occasions and romantic evenings.

Fine Dining

Giuseppe's Pizzeria

Family-run since 1985. The pizza recipe came from Giuseppe's grandmother in Naples. Locals swear by the margherita.

Italian

Sweet Memories Bakery

Fresh-baked goods daily. The peach pie recipe has been in the owner's family since before the town was founded.

Bakery

Walking Tours

Follow the stories through our streets

Historic downtown walking tour
2 hours

Historic Downtown Tour

Self-guided walking tour through downtown's most significant sites. Historical markers explain what happened where—and occasionally what might have happened, depending on who's telling the story.

  • Town Square & Clock Tower
  • Founding Family homes
  • Original 1860s buildings
  • Mystic Falls Historical Society
Self-Guided Free
Download Map
Evening legends tour
90 minutes

Legends & Lore Evening Tour

Guided evening tour exploring locations connected to our stranger tales. Your guide shares legends locals have passed down for generations—some with documentation, others existing purely in the realm of "everyone knows someone who..."

  • Wickery Bridge at twilight
  • Cemetery after dark
  • Stories of the founding families
  • Local mysteries & legends
Guided $25/person
Book Tour
Founding families trail
3 hours

Founding Families Trail

Extended self-guided tour visiting estates, crypts, and landmarks associated with the Lockwoods, Salvatores, Gilberts, Forbes, and Fells. Understand how five families shaped 160 years of history.

  • Lockwood Mansion (exterior)
  • Salvatore Boarding House grounds
  • Family crypts & monuments
  • Historic family businesses
Self-Guided Free
Download Map

Nature & Outdoors

Where the town meets the wild

Mystic Falls (The Waterfall)

Just outside town limits, the waterfall that gave Mystic Falls its name cascades through Virginia forest. The hike takes about 30 minutes from the nearest parking area, winding through woods that feel untouched by time.

The falls themselves aren't dramatic—this isn't Niagara—but there's something peaceful about the way water tumbles over ancient rock, the way mist catches afternoon light. Locals come here to think, to clear their heads, to remember why they stay.

Distance: 1.5 miles round trip

Difficulty: Easy to moderate

Best time: Morning or late afternoon

Note: Trail can be muddy after rain

Mystic Falls waterfall

More Outdoor Activities

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Forest Trails

Several marked trails wind through the woods surrounding Mystic Falls. Range from easy 1-mile loops to challenging 5-mile hikes.

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Scenic Cycling

Country roads with minimal traffic make for peaceful cycling. Bike rentals available at the visitor center.

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Fishing

Local creek offers catch-and-release fishing. Virginia fishing license required.

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Photography

Golden hour in the town square, fog at Wickery Bridge, autumn foliage—every season offers stunning shots.

Ready to Explore?

Download our complete visitor's guide or stop by the Historical Society to plan your perfect Mystic Falls experience.

Download Visitor Guide Plan Your Trip