There’s no shortage of fun activities in the Roanoke Valley.

Whether stepping back in time and exploring the valley’s historic sites or gazing at breathtaking scenery and wildlife, one is sure to find something for the whole family to enjoy.
 
“We just have a lot to do here,” says Lori Medlin, president and CEO of the Halifax County Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Absorb the History

Tuesday through Saturday visitors and residents can journey with a guide or on their own through Historic Halifax and see authentically restored and furnished buildings from 1776.

Roam on over to the Roanoke Canal Museum & Trail and enjoy two adventures rolled into one. Visit the trail, which follows the Roanoke Canal’s original towpath for 7.2 miles between Roanoke Lake and Weldon. It’s ideal for hiking and biking and is rich with native wildlife and plants. Or head into the museum to see the many exhibits and learn about the history of the Roanoke River Valley and its use as a source of hydroelectric power.
 
The Civil War sites in Weldon or the Dallas Jones Veterans Museum in the Becker Village Mall in Roanoke Rapids give visitors a chance to witness history up close.
 
When you’re done there, tour the world in 80 minutes at Sylvan Heights Waterfowl Park in Scotland Neck. This massive collection of rare and endangered waterfowl lets visitors walk through six continentally themed aviaries, where they can see more than 1,500 birds from more than 170 different species.
 
Rockfish Rock
 
Think that’s a lot of birds? Well, it’s nothing compared to the number of fish in the area. Weldon, located in the heart of the Roanoke Valley, is known as the Rockfish Capital of the World, because tons of striped bass, or rockfish, swim upriver each spring.
 
When visiting various businesses throughout the valley, you might see 6-foot rockfish in a few of them. But don’t be alarmed. These multicolored fish statues are not real, like the ones spawning in the Roanoke River from April to May. They’re part of the Roanoke Valley Rocks Public Relations/Public Arts Campaign. The project, a partnership between the Halifax County CVB, the Halifax Arts Council and North Carolina’s Touchstone Energy Cooperatives, was started for two reasons, Medlin says: “To build pride in our community and so people could go around and not miss all the great businesses and attractions.”
 
Visitors and residents can even pick up a map from the CVB and take a tour around the valley, checking off all the rockfish on the list as they go. When they return, they can get a free T-shirt.