Rich in history, Sky Meadows State Park preserves a historic Piedmont farm with structures dating from the late 18th century. The self-guided Historic Grounds Walking Tour Brochure is now available with an accompanying audio tour, allowing you to further immerse yourself in the history of the park and the stories of the people who called this place home.

What was this place and who lived here?

The landscape that is now known as Sky Meadows State Park has a long and complicated history. The land has been used as a working farm since the 1840s, has structures dating from the late 1790s, and the park continues the tradition of agricultural use today. This has been a place where many people have lived and worked over the centuries, including a period of time when people were enslaved and worked here against their will.

Historic Mount Bleak House was named after a 19th-century term for exposed, barren and windy. It is stop number one on the Historic Grounds Walking Tour.

The Historic Grounds Walking Tour Brochure is a newly revised self-guided program to give you an introductory glimpse into the park’s past and the people whose lives remain a part of the ongoing story. The new brochure is intended to make these stories more accessible through the addition of an audio tour with 11 stops corresponding to the 11 points of interest listed in the brochure. The brochure also includes a QR code for a YouTube video of an American Sign Language tour of Mount Bleak.

The iconic dairy barn is stop number 10 on the Historic Grounds Walking Tour.

Where can I learn more?

The brochure is available online and as a free handout from the park’s visitor center and the information pavilion located in the park’s Historic Area. For further reading on the historic farm, the park gift shop sells a pamphlet entitled Sky Meadows State Park: A Timeline History of Its Resources and the People who Shaped the Landscape and a book called Society of Rebels: Diary of Amanda Edmonds, whose diary entries give the perspective of a teenage girl living through the Civil War.

Historic hearth cooking demonstrations in the log cabin connect modern visitors to the past.

The park also offers guided educational programs such as guided tours of Mount Bleak and historic demonstrations such as hearth cooking in the log cabin and blacksmith demonstrations. These are offered as part of our regular First Saturday programming and during special events like Virginia State Parks History and Culture Day. For up-to-date programs and events, visit our online events listing.

How does the park continue to operate as a working farm today?

The cattle on the park property are managed by the Virginia Department of Corrections. This partnership helps the park maintain agricultural use of the land.

After centuries of agricultural history, part of the reason this property became a Virginia State Park was to protect and preserve the agricultural use of the land. Today, the park continues to work as a cattle farm through a partnership with the Virginia Department of Corrections’ Agribusiness Program, which manages the cattle you might see grazing the pastures when you visit the park.

The Friends of Sky Meadows sell fresh produce to support the park and this is one of the ways the park remains a working farm.

Another way the park continues to uphold its farming practices is through the Friends of Sky Meadows’ historic kitchen garden and flock of laying hens. Seasonally and while supplies last, you can even purchase fresh produce and farm-fresh eggs from the visitor center or from the Friends of Sky Meadows farm market stand during select weekends and special events.

Feeding the chickens is a favorite chore on the farm. Bring quarters for the chicken feed dispenser and your quarters help support the Friends of Sky Meadows.

History continues with you.

Why stop at just visiting and learning about the history of Sky Meadows? If you agree that this park is a special place, you can become involved by volunteering or by becoming a member of the Friends of Sky Meadows. Membership includes invitations to special events such as the upcoming Friends of Sky Meadows Member Farm Picnic where you can meet other Friends and learn more about how you can be a part of the ongoing legacy of preserving this park and its history.