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Home
to the third oldest lighthouse on the Bay, a cultural arts center,
Virginia's Lil' Ole Opry, two museums, nature preserves, and an active
artisan community, Mathews County offers something for everyone.
Start
your tour of the Historic Courthouse District on Main Street at the Mathews
County Visitor & Information Center,
located in the historic c. 1898 Sibley's General Store, where you'll
find maps, guides, brochures and local knowledge to guide you through
the county. McVIC is also home to the Made
in Mathews Showcase and
Bay-related and historical exhibits. Over 60 artists display
their craft offering a wide variety of items.
Kayakers
and canoers alike enjoy The
Mathews Maritime Heritage Trail.The
Heritage Trail is a partnership project initiated in January 2009 to
preserve the valued coastal landscape, and tell the colorful history of
Mathews County’s nautical heritage. Phase I of the
project will focus on water routes, and will follow the 90 mile
Blueways Water Trail, a
component of
the Chesapeake Bay Gateways Network. Later phases will
include bicycle routes and scenic drives to allow local citizens and
tourists a chance to explore and learnabout the county’s
natural and cultural assets.
Mathews
County is home to the Bay
School Cultural Arts Center
providing students a unique opportunity to explore the arts. Year-round
classes are offered in painting, sculpting, rug hooking, glass blowing,
bead working, papermaking, basket weaving and more. The Center also
hosts special exhibits, lectures and live performances throughout the
year.
The
Mathews
Art Gallery,
a cooperative effort of more than 50 local artists, is the showplace
for a wonderful collection of art in every medium--fine art,
photography, fabric art, basketry, carving, pottery, jewelry. Working
artists demonstrate their craft on site during gallery
hours.
Whether
you're a country music fan or just want to spend an evening with
down-home-hootin'-hollerin'-toe-tappin'-hand-clappin' fun, you won't
want to miss Donk's--Virginia's
Lil Ole Opry.
Lively country music shows every other Saturday night, often featuring
Mathews' own country music star,
Lynda
Smith.
While
you're in the county, plan to visit The
Poddery.
Weekly kiln
firings produce the largest selection of handmade stoneware,
and tiles in the area. Original pottery, outdoor sculptures,
Chesapeake Bay inspired designs may be seen at this unique pottery
showroom, open daily.
The
third oldest lighthouse on the Bay, New
Point
Comfort
Lighthouse
was commissioned in 1804 by Thomas Jefferson. The 55-foot octagonal
sandstone lighthouse sits on an island, separated from the mainland by
the Hurricane of 1933. View by boat or from the New Point Comfort
Preserve Observation Walkway.
Originally
established as a community project, the Gwynn's
Island Museum
started out on a small scale. From the beginning it was obvious that
there was a great deal of interest in preserving the long and colorful
history of Gwynn's Island and
Mathews
County. The Museum grew rapidly and by the end of the first year space
for the many exhibits and artifacts had become limited, so plans were
made to look for a new home on the Island. A 100-year-old building,
originally serving as the Odd Fellows Lodge and later the Island's
first public school, was donated in 1992 and restored by dedicated
volunteers to what you see today.
Bethel
Beach Natural Area Preserve,
83-acres of sandy beach, low dunes and salt marshes on the Chesapeake
Bay, is home to rare plants, nesting birds and the endangered
Northeastern Beach Tiger Beetle. Visitors are welcome,
but please tread lightly and respect the restrictions.
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