About 45 minutes from Charlottesville, the tribe’s own museum near Bear Mountain tells the Monacan story from their own perspective. In 1995, the Episcopal Diocese returned the land on which the old mission stood, and the site is now the home of the tribe’s museum and cultural center. The original log cabin was restored and, in 1997, was added to the National Register of Historic Places. It is a quiet, meaningful stop.

For the most immersive pre-colonial experience in the region, visit the reconstructed Monacan Indian Living History Village at Natural Bridge State Park. The Monacan Indian Nation joined with Natural Bridge to construct a living history Native American Village complex where visitors step back in time to see what life would have been in a typical Native American Village in the 17th century, with demonstrations of ancient crafts such as basket weaving, shelter construction, hide tanning, rope making, and pottery making. The towering stone arch itself — considered sacred by the Monacan Tribe — was more than a physical […]