Big Stone Gap, Virginia
Big Stone Gap is a town of 5,162 people in Wise County, Virginia.
Why visit Big Stone Gap
Townapedia lists 10 museums and landmarks, 9 parks and trails, 22 places to eat, 3 places to stay and 1 attraction in and around town.
Highlights include Southwest Virginia Museum, June Tolliver House and Bullitt Park.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 84°F; January lows average 24°F.
Weather in Big Stone Gap
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Big Stone Gap
Big Stone Gap is a town in Wise County, Virginia, United States. The town was economically centered around the coal industry for much of its early development. The population was 5,254 at the 2020 census.
From the Wikipedia article Big Stone Gap, Virginia (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do1
Barbara Polly Theatre
Cinema and theater · 0.4 mi
526 Clinton Avenue East, Big Stone Gap
Museums and landmarks10
Southwest Virginia Museum
Museum
10 West 1st Street North, Big Stone Gap
Mar 01-Dec 01 Tu-Fr 10:00-16:00; Mar 01-Dec 01 Sa 10:00-17:00; Mar...
June Tolliver House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.4 mi
Historic house in Virginia, United States
526 Clinton Avenue East, Big Stone Gap
John Fox, Jr. House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Big Stone Gap, Virginia, listed on the NRHP in Wise County, Virginia
Southwest Virginia Museum Historical State Park
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Big Stone Gap, VA, listed on the NRHP in Virginia
Terrace Park Girl Scout Cabin
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Building in Big Stone Gap, United States of America
United States Post Office and Courthouse
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Historic building in Big Stone Gap, Virginia, United States
Barbara C. Polly Center for the Arts
Museum · 0.4 mi
22 East Jerome Street South, Big Stone Gap
Lonesome Pine School & Heritage Center
Museum · 0.4 mi
511 Clinton Avenue East, Big Stone Gap
Parks, trails and playgrounds9
Restaurants and cafes22
GoodTimes
Bar and pub
215 Wood Avenue East, Big Stone Gap
Mo 16:00-21:00; We-Th 12:00-21:00; Fr-Sa 12:00-22:00; Su 12:00-20:00
404 Cafe & Creamery
Cafe · Coffee Shop, Ice Cream, Pastry, Tea, Juice
404 Shawnee Avenue East, Big Stone Gap
Moon Dog Brick Oven Pizza
Restaurant · Pizza · 0.4 mi
513 Wood Avenue East, Big Stone Gap
Red Flower Chinese Restaurant
Restaurant · Chinese
323 Wood Avenue East, Big Stone Gap
Southwest Firehouse Cafe
Diner · American
231 East 5th Street South, Big Stone Gap
10 more on the map.
History
The community was formerly known as "Mineral City" and "Three Forks" before officially taking its name in 1888. The "Big Stone Gap" refers to the valley created on the Appalachia Straight, located between the town and Appalachia, Virginia. The town served as an important center for coal and iron development in the 1880s and 1890s and residents hoped its coal and iron ore deposits would make it "the Pittsburgh of the South", although that nickname would later be used by the significantly larger city of Birmingham, Alabama.
The Big Stone Gap post office was established in 1856. The Christ Episcopal Church, John Fox, Jr. House, Southwest Virginia Museum Historical State Park, Terrace Park Girl Scout Cabin, June Tolliver House, and C. Bascom Slemp Federal Building are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
In October 1978, John W. Warner, then the Republican candidate for U.S. Senate from Virginia, and his wife, British-American actress Elizabeth Taylor, stopped in Big Stone Gap to campaign for his upcoming election. At Fraley's Coach House, a local diner where they were each meeting with voters, Taylor choked on a chicken bone in her esophagus and was transported to the nearby Lonesome Pine Regional Hospital. Taylor recovered from the event and later sent a donation to the hospital as a thank you.
From the History section of Big Stone Gap, Virginia on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay3
Churches and places of worship13
Christ Episcopal Church
Church · National Register of Historic Places
East Stone Gap Baptist Church
Church · Baptist · 1.8 mi
8904 East Stone Gap Road, East Stone Gap
East Stone Gap Methodist Church
Church · Methodist · 1.9 mi
3926 East Stone Gap Road, East Stone Gap
Shopping8
Allens Flooring & Paint
Hardware store · 0.4 mi
512 Shawnee Avenue East, Big Stone Gap
Gas and EV charging5
Schools, colleges and libraries5
Healthcare1
Map of Big Stone Gap
77 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 44°F | 24°F | 4.9 in | 3.1 in |
| Feb | 48°F | 26°F | 5.0 in | 2.9 in |
| Mar | 57°F | 33°F | 5.4 in | 1.3 in |
| Apr | 67°F | 41°F | 5.0 in | 0.0 in |
| May | 75°F | 51°F | 5.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 81°F | 59°F | 4.6 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 84°F | 63°F | 5.5 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 83°F | 62°F | 4.5 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 79°F | 56°F | 3.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 69°F | 43°F | 3.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Nov | 57°F | 32°F | 3.7 in | 0.1 in |
| Dec | 48°F | 27°F | 5.5 in | 1.8 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Big Stone Gap (1 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Wise County has had 15 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for severe storms.
- 2026-01-23: Severe Winter Storm (Winter Storm)
- 2025-04-04: Severe Winter Storms And Flooding (Severe Storm)
- 2024-10-01: Tropical Storm Helene (Tropical Storm)
- 2024-09-29: Post-Tropical Cyclone Helene (Tropical Storm)
- 2020-04-02: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Lonesome Pine Airport (LNP) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 16 miles away.
- Appalachia 4 mi north, about 6 min by car
- Cumberland 15 mi northwest, about 24 min by car
- Whitesburg 18 mi north, about 29 min by car
- Mount Carmel 21 mi south, about 34 min by car
- Jenkins 23 mi north, about 37 min by car
- Church Hill 24 mi south, about 39 min by car
- Bloomingdale 24 mi southeast, about 39 min by car
- Kingsport 27 mi southeast, about 43 min by car
- Surgoinsville 27 mi south, about 44 min by car
- Colonial Heights 30 mi southeast, about 48 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- BSG Main, KJPurscell, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Christ Episcopal Church facade distant, Blackoffee, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Christ Episcopal Church crosses and sky, Blackoffee, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Christ Episcopal Church 1892, Betcantrell, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Christ Episcopal Church facade with crosses, Blackoffee, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Christ Episcopal Church facade detail, Blackoffee, CC BY-SA 3.0
- A day at the Southwest VA Museum (9522192327), Virginia State Parks staff, CC BY 2.0
- A day at the Southwest VA Museum (9524977630), Virginia State Parks staff, CC BY 2.0
- A day at the Southwest VA Museum (9524976570), Virginia State Parks staff, CC BY 2.0
- Southwest VA Museum through iron gate, Blackoffee, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Southwest VA Museum, Blackoffee, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Southwest VA Museum Frontside, Blackoffee, CC BY-SA 3.0
- A day at the Southwest VA Museum (9522196763), Virginia State Parks staff, CC BY 2.0
- Gathering in the Gap 2015 (17975167628), vastateparksstaff, CC BY 2.0
- A day at the Southwest VA Museum (9524978284), Virginia State Parks staff, CC BY 2.0
- A day at the Southwest VA Museum (9524977112), Virginia State Parks staff, CC BY 2.0
- A day at the Southwest VA Museum (9522199763), Virginia State Parks staff, CC BY 2.0
- A day at the Southwest VA Museum (9522197901), Virginia State Parks staff, CC BY 2.0
- John Fox Jr. House front porch, Blackoffee, CC BY-SA 3.0
- John Fox Jr. House back side, Blackoffee, CC BY-SA 3.0
- John Fox Jr. Home, Betcantrell, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Gathering in the Gap 2015 (17542466843), vastateparksstaff, CC BY 2.0
- Terrace Park Girl Scout Cabin back side, Blackoffee, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Terrace Park Girl Scout Cabin corner shot, Blackoffee, CC BY-SA 3.0
- BSG Streamline Moderne building, Nyttend, Public domain
- June Tolliver House, Betcantrell, CC BY-SA 3.0
- June Tolliver House facade distant, Blackoffee, CC BY-SA 3.0
- June Tolliver House facade, Blackoffee, CC BY-SA 3.0
- June Tolliver House with signage, Blackoffee, CC BY-SA 3.0
- NT at Home Craft Days (29788502204), vastateparksstaff, CC BY 2.0
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