A ribbon cutting for the Brunswick County Byways Visitor Center was held on June 28, 2018. With the assistance of the Southside Planning District Commission, the County of Brunswick received a $458,375 grant from the Virginia Tobacco Commission and a $638,479 National Scenic Byways grant from the Department of Transportation to plan and construct a comprehensive tourist welcome center with interpretive displays, maps, brochures and restrooms.  The Southside PDC staff provided the County with grant administration services throughout construction and completion of the project.

Brunswick County purchased the once regional office building of the International Paper Company situated on 1.7 acres for use as the Brunswick Byways Visitor Center.  The Center is located on two Virginia Byways – Christanna Highway (Highway 46) and Lake Gaston Byway (Highways 903/626) and is located on a prominent hilltop location within one mile of the Fort Christanna Historical Park and future canoe trail access on the Meherrin River, a State Scenic River.

The Brunswick Byways Visitor Center, a staging area and orientation resource, is pivotal to the implementation of the County’s multifaceted tourism development plan.  The Center will not only inform the traveling public on the County’s two Virginia Byways, it serves to inform visitors about local Native American heritage, Colonial American “frontier” history, Civil War history, early American religious history, natural resources and assets, and agricultural economy.  Visitors will find two and three-dimensional exhibits, graphics, artifact cases, hands-on interactive exhibits, a short informational film, and brochures and maps to help direct travelers to the County’s many attractions.  One of the more popular displays at the Center is a replica of a stew pot, which depicts how the County’s famous “Brunswick Stew” is made. 

Numerous state and local officials were in attendance for the ceremony including Senator Frank Ruff and Virginia Tourism Corporation Director and CEO, Rita McClenny.