Have Fun Away from the Lake
Lake Anna offers visitors the perfect lakeside vacation. But if you want to stray from our shoreline, you may be asking this question: “What is there to do at Lake Anna?” History, fun, excitement—Lake Anna and nearby areas have something for even the pickiest traveler.
Lake Anna Visitor Center
Start at the Lake Anna Visitor Center, a great way to get to know our area. Located at 208 Lake Front Drive in Mineral, next to the Lake Anna Island complex, you’ll find a wealth of information, maps and brochures from local businesses, services and attractions containing the most up-to-date information. Open daily, it’s one of the best places to learn more about Lake Anna or have your questions answered.
Lake Anna Plaza
In front of the Visitor Center lies Lake Anna Plaza, located on the south side of the lake. The Plaza has two restaurants offering scrumptious cuisine and beautiful views. At Billiken’s BBQ Company, you can order by boat, car or sit inside and enjoy brisket, pulled pork and even cookies with bacon. Asian Café serves the finest Japanese cuisine, featuring fresh sushi, sashimi and hibachi. The area also boasts the Lake Anna Yacht Club with boat slips available for lease or purchase, free Wi-Fi at the docks and the Club House and much more. The Lake Anna Information Center is located next door in the wood-sided building and is equipped with helpful lake information. It also houses The Lake is Great Store & Gift Shop, the perfect place to get a special memento.
The Boardwalk on Lake Anna
Just a short drive away, discover The Boardwalk on Lake Anna, home to local favorite, Tim’s at Lake Anna. Tim’s is a restaurant and crab house in one, with a laidback, resort feel. Indoor and outdoor waterfront seating are available for patrons looking to enjoy a waterside dining experience.
Lake Anna State Park
The crown jewel of Lake Anna’s local activities would have to be Lake Anna State Park. The park spans 2,810 acres with more than 10 miles of lake frontage. The land in Lake Anna State Park used to be known as “Gold Hill” and contained the Goodwin Gold Mine. Gold was first discovered in 1829, then peaked in the 1880s.
Lake Anna State Park contains rental cabins, camping, more than 15 miles of hiking trails, lakeshore picnicking spots, a guarded swimming beach, food concession stand, a bathhouse and a fishing pond for children. The park is open daily, year-round. The parking lot is typically filled to capacity on popular weekends, such as Memorial Day and Labor Day; so get an early start if you have your heart set on the State Park.
Dickson’s Store
Dickinson’s Store has always been a local draw. The owner, W.A. Dickinson and his son, Ashley, have remodeled the inside to give the old country store a few modern amenities. They added a deli counter, which serves Champs Chicken items, deli subs and sides. The store is also home to the stone Beer Cave, housing a wide variety of unique craft beers to keep your favorite beverages at optimal temperatures.
Explore the Surrounding Towns
Nearby towns include historic Louisa County, Orange, Culpeper, Spotsylvania and Fredericksburg, all located within a 30-minute drive of Lake Anna. Each of these towns have a great selection of shopping and tourist attractions that are certainly worth exploring.
Live Music
If you’re interested in live music, the After Hours concert series is an outdoor concert at the Meadow Event Park. Some musical guests you can expect this year are Chris Lane on July 2 and Sam Hunt on September 3.
Is there anything better than watching the sun set peacefully over the shimmering waters of Lake Anna? Yes! Add live music to the mix and make it free and open to the public, then there’s nothing better. The Lake Anna Sunset Concert Series brings the best local bands to the shores of Lake Anna, so guests can jam, eat, drink and be merry!
Historical Attractions
Lake Anna is steeped in American history. The most notable historical events include the Battle of Chancellorsville in Spotsylvania, which resulted in more casualties than any other engagement ever fought on Virginia soil, including the wounding of General Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson.
Be sure to visit the site of the May 1886 Battle of Spotsylvania Courthouse. Offered are 45-minute walking tours featuring the “Bloody Angle” where the battle lasted two weeks and included bitter hand-to-hand combat between soldiers. This was a continuation of the nearby Battle of the Wilderness. These are just two of the battlefield areas that are easily accessible in our area. With many notable figures who were born and lived in the area, there is an extensive list of even more historic sites that you’d be able to fill your entire vacation with if you wanted.
Click here to read more about historic attractions near Lake Anna.
Family Fun Attractions
Kings Dominion
At Kings Dominion, families will enjoy thrilling rides, like Intimidator 305, Delirium and Twisted Timbers. Twisted Timbers is a wooden coaster with a twist of steel—first of its kind in the mid-Atlantic—that plummets riders down a 109-foot-tall barrel roll drop and sends them twisting and turning at 54 miles per hour. Or take your kids to explore Planet Snoopy, the perfect place to excite the little ones. Then, when you need to escape the heat, head to the park’s Soak City, which features water slides, rushing rivers and a 650,000-gallon wave pool, among other water rides. The amusement park is located in Doswell, only 30 minutes from the lake, and has been a favorite in central Virginia and beyond, with a vast selection of roller coasters and other attractions for the entire family.
Dominion Raceway
Have a need for speed? Dominion Raceway and Entertainment is an exciting, multipurpose motorsports and entertainment facility. With 160 acres and four distinct tracks in one location, the attraction is a one-of-a-kind destination unique to the East Coast. Included in this venue is a two-mile, paved road course; a four-tenths of a mile, paved oval track; a one-eighth mile-long concrete drag strip; a karting track; a 36,600-square-foot entertainment center; a 10-acre retail center; and a 33-acre commercial center. Plan a trip here to experience fantastic NASCAR-sanctioned racing and tons of amazing motorsports events. In addition, Dominion Raceway hosts live concerts at the Groove Music Hall, drive-in movies, car shows and other fun events. They are also home to a restaurant, nightclub and a party deck.
