Uncover the Mystery: Top 5 Fun Facts About Roanoke You Never Knew!

1. The Roanoke Star: A Cosmic Celebrity

In a 'starry' twist to the phrase "Everything is bigger in Texas," it seems Roanoke, Virginia, has something massive to boast about: The Roanoke Star, a colossal 100-foot tall illuminated star, standing proudly since 1949, got a bright LED makeover in 2016, and can be seen atop Mill Mountain, winking at the city like a cosmic celebrity.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

2. Mill Mountain Star: A Literal Star-Struck City

Star-struck, you say? In Roanoke, the feeling is quite literal: Behold the Mill Mountain Star, the world's largest freestanding illuminated man-made star, perched atop Mill Mountain, charming the skyline with its 88.5 feet and 2,000 feet of neon tubing since 1949.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

🛩️ Discover the birthplace of modern aviation in North Carolina, where the Wright Brothers took to the skies, forever changing the way we travel. Learn about their groundbreaking flight and its lasting impact on our world!

=> Fun Facts about North-Carolina

3. Beads & Railroads: The True Story of Roanoke

In an unexpected plot twist, the story of Roanoke isn't about a ghost colony but a town with a deep love for beads: Roanoke, Virginia's name comes from the Algonquian word "rawrenock," which refers to shell beads used for trade by Native Americans. As fate would have it, the town became a railroad hub, and today, visitors can explore its locomotive history at the Virginia Museum of Transportation and the O. Winston Link Museum.
Source => tribstar.com

4. The Never-Ending Elizabethan Reality Show

Lights, camera, 16th-century action: Roanoke Island boasts the longest running outdoor drama in the US, "The Lost Colony", which has been dishing out historical intrigue since 1937, presenting the mysterious disappearance of English colonists like a never-ending, enigmatic, Elizabethan reality show.
Source => thelostcolony.org

5. Fashion Meets Caves: Dixie Cavern's Underground Catwalk

When Virginia's not for lovers but spelunkers with a flair for fashion: Dixie Caverns has been delighting visitors since 1923 with its cool 55-degree temperatures and requiring a chic yet comfy walking shoe attire for the 45-50 minute, quarter-mile underground catwalk. However, be warned that staircases make it less friendly for strollers and wheelchair users.
Source => dixiecaverns.com