Albemarle County, Virginia
Location: Central Virginia
Access: Charlottesville-Albemarle Airport; Interstate 64 and U.S. 29; Amtrak
Major Meeting Spaces: Boar’s Head Resort, DoubleTree by Hilton, Kimpton The Forum, Omni Charlottesville
Hotel Rooms: 4,100
Off-Site Venues: Monticello, numerous wineries, the Downtown Mall
Contact Info:
Charlottesville Albemarle Convention and Visitors Bureau
434-293-6789
visitcharlottesville.org
Thomas Jefferson would be pleased with today’s Charlottesville, Virginia. The university he started (the University of Virginia) is highly regarded, the American wine industry he dreamed about has become reality, and Charlottesville remains modest in size and quite welcoming.
Although Jefferson probably never imagined the modern meetings and conventions business, a portion of an 1800 letter he wrote to a British scientist has a ring of foreshadowing for meetings: “We wish to establish… a University on a plan so broad and liberal and modern, as to be worth patronizing with the public support, and be a temptation to the youth of other States to come and drink of the cup of knowledge and fraternize with us.”
Charlottesville is strategically located in the mid-Atlantic region. It is 100 miles southwest of Washington, D.C., and 70 miles from Richmond in Virginia’s rolling Piedmont Plateau region. It is alongside Interstate 64, has Amtrak service and its own airport, despite its modest population of less than 50,000.
“We work well with meeting groups. Meetings of up to 500 attendees are our sweet spot. Weekend demand is through the roof here, so we have big opportunities midweek for meetings,” said Brantley Ussery, director of marketing and public relations for the Charlottesville Albemarle Convention and Visitors Bureau. University events, weddings and outdoor recreation drive weekends.
Monticello, Jefferson’s ever-fascinating home, plus buildings he designed at UVA and the nearby home of President James Monroe, generate an aura of history for Charlottesville. Monroe’s home, Highland, is modest compared with Monticello, but the two destinations combine to tell stories of key figures at the heart of America’s formation.
Charlottesville’s modestly named Downtown Mall adds a contemporary touch to the community’s historic foundation. The Downtown Mall is a pedestrians-only mecca stretching for eight blocks in the heart of the city. It features more than 120 shops, 30 restaurants and the classic Paramount Theater (opened 1931). Street entertainers complement outdoor concerts at Ting Pavilion, the city’s top outdoor venue. Nationally touring entertainers appear at the Ting Pavilion and the Paramount Theater, and the seasonal Fridays After Five concerts at the Ting Pavilion are free to all.
Major Meeting Spaces
Charlottesville does not have a stand-alone convention center, so its major meetings are at four hotels with their own facilities. They are the Boar’s Head Resort (with 170 guest rooms and 22,000 square feet of total meeting space), DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel (239 guest rooms and 16,150 square feet of meeting space), Kimpton The Forum Hotel (198 guest rooms and 22,000 square feet of meeting space) and the Omni Charlottesville (205 guest rooms and 12,441 square feet of meeting space).
The Boar’s Head Resort is owned by the University of Virginia Foundation and includes the Birdwood Golf course. The DoubleTree is north of downtown, while the Kimpton is adjacent to UVA’s Darden School of Business and the Omni is adjacent to the Downtown Mall.
Coming in 2026 is another UVA Foundation property, the 217-room Virginia Guesthouse, a hotel and conference center with a 10,000-square-foot ballroom and 25,000 square feet of meeting space.
Distinctive Venues
Simply touring Monticello, described as Thomas Jefferson’s autobiographical masterpiece, would be a highlight of any meeting, but this architectural wonder also has extraordinary event opportunities. Montalto, which Jefferson called “the high mountain,” offers event space for up to 300 in a venue with views of Monticello, the Blue Ridge Mountains and Charlottesville. Another example is the Jefferson Library, which can accommodate 50 for seated events or 145 for indoor receptions.
Choosing a vineyard or winery for an off-site event can be challenging, but only because the Monticello Wine Trail features more than 40 wineries. A civic bragging point is that Wine Enthusiast named Charlottesville and the Monticello American Viticultural Area its Wine Region of the year in 2023. Charlottesville was the only North American nominee that year. Among vineyards popular with planners are the Eastwood Farm and Winery (south of town), King Family Vineyards (east of town), Barboursville Winery (north of town) and Jefferson Vineyards (just up the road from Monticello).
The Dairy Market is an in-town and low-key alternative to a winery excursion. Food and Wine described it as an “elevated food hall.” The building, which evolved from an early 1900s ice cream company, has been a Charlottesville gathering place for decades. Today, it houses local merchants and food outlets, including Chimm’s for Thai street food, Starr Hill Brewery for local craft beer and — keeping with tradition — Moo Thru for ice cream.
After the Meeting
Winery exploration and outdoor recreation are the two biggest activities after meetings adjourn. The Monticello Wine Trail provides guidance to more than 40 wineries spread through five counties. More than half of all Virginia wine grapes come from this region.
Farther afield, two of America’s most beautiful drives await. Barely 25 miles from Charlottesville are the northern terminus of the Blue Ridge Parkway and the southern terminus of the Shenandoah Skyline Drive. Both are National Park Service units. The Blue Ridge Parkway rolls 469 miles south to North Carolina, while Skyline Drive glides 105 miles north to Front Royal, Virginia. The Skyline Drive route delivers 75 overlooks — east to the Piedmont, and west into the Shenandoah Valley.
For those wanting more activity, outfitters offer canoeing, kayaking and paddleboarding on the Rivanna River, and hiking and biking trails are abundant. An example is the easy-to-sample Rivanna Trail, a 20-mile loop encircling Charlottesville.
Popular Attractions
Beyond Monticello, Highland and the UVA campus, Charlottesville’s Downtown Mall is a major attraction. An evening on the mall might start with a reception at a venue such as the Old Metropolitan Hall, followed by a free-ranging dine-around and activities night. Restaurants and wine bars are plentiful. Just a mile from the Downtown Mall, an escape room attraction called Unlocked History plays on local characters. One room’s story involves saving Thomas Jefferson from British soldiers in the Revolutionary War, and another involves Edgar Allan Poe, who was a student at UVA for a short time.
When a meeting schedule permits an outdoor break, the CVB’s Ussery recommends visiting Carter Mountain Orchard. This mountaintop attraction offers expansive views, fragrant orchards, freshly pressed apple cider, and pick-your-own peaches and apples in season.
