Front Royal is a town of 15,000 people (2019) in the US state of Virginia's Shenandoah Valley. It is the county seat of Warren County.

Understand

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Get in

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Front Royal Main Street
  • The town is at the intersection of Interstate 66, US-340 and US-522 near US-55. It is just miles from the intersection of Interstate 66 and Interstate 81
  • The closest airport is 1 Shenandoah Valley Regional Airport (SHD), a small airport with scheduled commercial service only from Chicago–O'Hare and Washington–Dulles.
  • About an hour drive from Front Royal is 2 Washington Dulles International Airport major airport with numerous domestic and international flights.
  • For passenger train service, 3 Manassas Amtrak Station is about an hour drive from Front Royal.
  • Passenger bus service is available from 4 Washington Greyhound Bus Station, about a 90-minute drive from Front Royal.

Get around

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Front Royal's downtown area along Main Street is walkable.

There is a bus, the called Front Royal Trolley, which travels around the town of Front Royal but not the surrounding areas. ($0.50 fare; free for ages 0-12). (Route map)

Otherwise, you will definitely need a car to get around.

Sonner Hall
  • 1 Skyline Caverns, 10344 Stonewall Jackson Hwy (Route 340), +1 540 635-4545. M-F 9AM-5PM, Sa Su 9AM-6PM;. A series of caverns turned tourist attraction, one of only a few places in the world where you will find Anthodite formations, minerals shaped like orchids. There are also a series of underground streams and a waterfall to see here, as well as a miniature train. Adults $28, children age 6-12 $14, children age 0-5 Free..
  • 2 Christendom College, 134 Christendom Drive (off Shenandoah Shores Rd), toll-free: +1-800-877-5456. Catholic college, opened in 1977.
  • 1 Appalachian Trail. The 2,100-mile (3,400-km) Appalachian Trail passes near Front Royal. You can find it on Route 522 (Remount Road), about 4 miles southeast of the center of town. From here, you can walk 969 miles (1,560 km) south to Georgia or 1,134 miles (1,825 km) north to Maine. There is a Front Royal Trolley stop here, but pickup is only twice per day.
  • 2 Skyline Drive (begins at Stonewall Jackson Hwy). A 105-mile (169-km) windy road, along the Shenandoah National Park in the Blue Ridge Mountains, with dozens of beautiful views. Particularly stunning when the leaves change color in late September and early October. $30 per vehicle for a 7-day pass, or $55 for a 12-month pass.
  • 3 Warren Riffles Confederate Museum, 95 Chester St, +1 540 636-6982. Relics and records of the US Civil War. Also books and gifts. Weekdays 9AM-4PM; Su noon to 4PM April 15-Nov 1; by appointment rest of year.
  • 4 Blue Ridge Hot Air Balloons, 552 Milldale Hollow Rd, +1 540 622-6325. Hot air balloon rides over the Shenandoah Valley, to see the area from above. From $180 per-person.
  • 5 Front Royal Canoe Company, 8567 Stonewall Jackson Hwy, +1 540 635-5440, . Offers canoe, kayak, and rafting trips down the Shenandoah River. Trips from 3 to 40 miles (5 km to 65 km). From $40.
  • 6 Royal Family Bowling Center, 430 Remount Rd, +1 540 636-3113.
  • 7 Blue Ridge Shadows Golf Club, 456 Shadows Drive (on US522/340: 2 miles north of I-66), +1 540-631-9661. Featuring views of the Blue Ridge Mountains, this award-winning golf course offers five sets of tee boxes ranging from 4,994 to 7,301 yards. The front nine plays as a traditional mountain course with vast elevation changes, tight fairways and numerous bunkers on most holes. The back nine, on the other hand, plays as a lakes course with wider fairways and water on almost all 9 holes, including the Signature Waterfall at the 18th green.
  • 1 PaveMint Spokin' Taphouse, 9 S Commerce Ave, Front Royal (Route 522), +1 540 252 4707. F Sa 11AM-10PM, Su-Th 11AM-9PM. Located in a former gas station, it serves comfort food with an international twist. Plenty of great beers available. Has both indoor and outdoor seating.
  • 2 L Dee's Pancake House, 522 E Main St, +1 540 635-3791. Pancakes and other breakfast food. Cash only.
  • 3 Spelunker's Frozen Custard & Cavern Burgers, 116 South St, +1 540 631-0300. Burgers and frozen custard.
  • 4 Front Royal Fox's Pizza Den, 239 South St, +1 540 635-2800. Pizza, sandwiches, and salads.
  • 5 Houlihan's Restaurant + Bar, 101 Hospitality Drive (on US522/340: 2 miles north of I-66), +1 540-631-3045. Houlihan’s offers relaxed, casual dining and bar seating for 196 guests, featuring quality American fare freshly prepared with contemporary flavors and creativity. Houlihan's features a 98% made-from-scratch kitchen. From fresh-baked artisan breads to mini martini flights, you’ll find a variety of popular dishes along with interesting new tastes delivered to the table with smart presentations.
  • 6 Khukuri Nepali Cuisine, 40 Riverton Commons Dr, +1 540-749-2440, . W-M 11:30AM-3PM & 4-9PM, Tu closed. Traditional Nepalese and north Indian cuisine including dal-bhat-takari, momos, tandori, etc.

Drink

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  • 1 Chester Gap Cellars, 4615 Remount Rd (near Route 522), +1 540 636 8086. F-Su 11AM-6PM, M-Th closed. Scenic winery that grows its grapes on-site. Lovely view of the surrounding area. Well-behaved dogs are welcome outside.
  • 2 Glen Manor Vienyards, 2244 Browntown Rd, +1 540 635 6324. W-Su 11AM-5PM, M Tu closed. Taste many different varietals of wine that have been produced on their 17-acre vineyard. Beautiful view of the vines, pasture, and mountains. The farm has been owned and farmed by five generations of their family for over 100 years.
  • 3 Front Royal Brewing Company, 122 E Main St, +1 540 631-0773. F noon-10PM, Sa 11AM-10PM, Su 11AM-8PM, M W Th noon-8PM, closed Tu. Local brewery in a large space.
  • 4 Vibrissa Beer, 122 E Main St, +1 540 631-0773. Su-Th 11AM-9PM, F Sa 11AM-11PM. Brewery and restaurant with indoor and outdoor seating. Live music some Friday and Saturday evenings. They also have a location in Winchester.
  • 5 Main Street Daily Grind Café, 215 E Main St, +1 540 635-3556. Daily 8AM-6PM. Coffee and espresso drinks. Also serves breakfast and lunch.
  • 6 Honey & Hops Brew Works, 212 East Main St (east from Main and Royal), +1 540 692 6032, . M Tu Th 3-9PM, W closed, F-Su noon-10PM. 3 brothers from Alaska, making mead in the Shenandoah Valley. Small batch, hand crafted, honey wine.

Sleep

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Bed & Breakfast

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Hotels and motels

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Campground

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  • 3 Gooney Creek Campground, 7122 Stonewall Jackson Hwy, +1 540-635-4066. Check-out: noon. Beautiful tent/RV campground immediately alongside the Gooney Creek. 20A hookups. No wifi. Swimming possible in river. $36.

Go next

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Routes through Front Royal
END Middletown  W  E  Manassas Washington, D.C.
Hancock Winchester  N  S  Culpeper Jct


This city travel guide to Front Royal is a usable article. It has information on how to get there and on restaurants and hotels. An adventurous person could use this article, but please feel free to improve it by editing the page.