Visit Amherst County

Visit Amherst County The Amherst County Visitor Center welcomes you to beautiful Amherst County, Virginia....the Perfect Passenger service would end in the 1960s. Mr.

The Amherst Depot is the home of the county's official Visitor Center. The Amherst Depot was built in 1913 by the Southern Railway when it took over the O&A and expanded its operation in Amherst County. Southern Railway contracted with Pettyjohn Company in nearby Lynchburg to construct a new passenger station, costing $4,712. The depot’s construction of longleaf pine siding and a red tile roof was

the typical architectural style of the early railroad stations. A ticket booth extended outward from the center facing the tracks with waiting rooms on each. Until the 1940s three passenger trains a day stopped at this depot. Freight pick up and drop off ended in the mid-1970s. Mail exchange was still available by train at Amherst– called mail on-the-fly by tossing out the outgoing mail and at the same time grabbing the catcher pouch on the mail crane. Train mail service would end in 1977. The depot then saw no action until 1985 when it passed into the private ownership of Marshall Mays, owner of Mays Farmers Service Co. in Amherst, for storage purposes. Mays’ agreement with Norfolk Southern (in whom Southern Railway merged in 1982) was that once he stopped using the depot, it had to be moved or torn down since he did not own the land it sat upon. In the spring of 1995 Mr. Mays, offered the depot to the Amherst County Chamber of Commerce as well as this .62 acre it now rests upon, approximately one quarter mile from its original location on Depot Street to the current address on Richmond Hwy in 2008. Fortune has smiled upon the depot, restored by the County of Amherst and, most fittingly, still standing near the train tracks. The depot is alive once again with activity and a renewed purpose to serve visitors and area residents.

Thanks for understanding! We’ll reopen Saturday.
03/13/2026

Thanks for understanding! We’ll reopen Saturday.

03/11/2026
Missy is a great asset to both the Amherst County Chamber of Commerce and the residents of the county and surrounding ar...
02/07/2026

Missy is a great asset to both the Amherst County Chamber of Commerce and the residents of the county and surrounding areas.

Serving families close to home matters.

Our Madison Heights location is more than just a place we serve from...it’s a community we’re actively part of.

One of our directors, Missy Hardenburg, proudly serves as Vice President of the Amherst County Chamber of Commerce, working alongside other local leaders to support the families and businesses that make this area home.

To us, funeral service isn’t separate from community involvement — it’s an extension of it. Being present, invested, and connected matters, especially in moments when families need familiarity and trust. Because when you’re caring for families during life’s hardest moments, being part of the community you serve isn’t optional, it’s essential.

We appreciate your understanding!
01/30/2026

We appreciate your understanding!

01/25/2026

All Amherst County Recreation Department programs and activities scheduled for Monday January 26th are cancelled because of the winter weather

09/13/2025

We’ll be closed the 17th, but look forward to seeing you for normal hours on the 18th.

08/28/2025
Great fun this Saturday!
07/24/2025

Great fun this Saturday!

𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐈𝐌𝐌𝐄𝐃𝐈𝐀𝐓𝐄 𝐑𝐄𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐄:
𝐀𝐦𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐲 𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐀 𝐃𝐚𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐤 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭

Amherst County is pleased to introduce a new event for 2025. A Day in the Park will be held on the last Saturday in July, from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm. This year’s event is scheduled for July 26th at Mill Creek Lake Park. The event planning has been a collaborative effort among multiple departments, including Recreation and Parks, Finance, Public Works, and County Administration, as well as Amherst County 4-H and the Amherst County Arts Society.

Activities at this year’s event include kids’ fishing lessons provided by Amherst County 4-H, a bounce house obstacle course, a paint the lake session led by the Amherst Arts Society, and a sensory play tent by the Happy Hippocampus. The lake will be open for swimming, fishing, and boating. The community is invited to bring out their picnic blankets or beach chairs and pack a picnic or purchase food from Doc’s Kitchen, The Hot Dog Girl, or Kona Ice. Music will be provided by DJ Breakfast.

Come out and meet our first responders. They are always here for us.
06/23/2025

Come out and meet our first responders. They are always here for us.

2025 TOWN OF AMHERST FIRST RESPONDERS CELEBRATION

On June 28, 2025, South Main Street will be closed to traffic from Second Street to Star Street beginning at 5:30 p.m. to approximately 10:00 p.m. in celebration of all first responders

INCLUDED IN THE CELEBRATION:

Bands – (Located in Town Hall Parking Lot):
• Deanie Blues Band at 6:00 -7:30 PM
• Southland 8:00 - 9:30 PM

Vendors (Located in Town Hall Parking Lot):
• Bonfire
• Hangout on Main
• Loose Shoe
• El Chilango Mexican Grill
• Bahama Snow Shack
• Rays Burgers and Grill

For the Kids (Located in empty lot behind the car wash)
• Inflatable slide and obstacle course
• Foam Party- 7pm to 9pm
• Transformations Face Painting
• Balloon Dude Travis

FIREWORKS AT 9:30
Will be set off behind CVS

06/15/2025

The Visitor Center will be closed today due to staff emergency.

Address

328 Richmond Highway, Suite A
Amherst, VA
24521

Opening Hours

Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm
Saturday 9am - 5pm
Sunday 1pm - 5pm

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