Until a number of years ago, Lexington seemed to be known only as a place for pre-and post-Civil War History. Having been home to Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson before the war and Robert E. Lee after. The town is also home to two universities, Washington and Lee University and Virginia Miliary Institue. In addition to the campuses of W&L and VMI being popular tourist attrations, the house where Stonewall Jackson lived gives visitors looking for history a reason to head downtown, and carriage rides through town and historical neighborhoods introduce them to the town's history and other lesser known sites.
Lexington has turned into so much more in the last several years. Art galleries, small boutiques, artisan food shops, and great places to eat now dot the main streets. Live music can be found practically every night and one of the two coffee shops in town stays open until 8:00 p.m.!