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The Roanoke Star
Rating Details »
5 reviews for The Roanoke Star
I have been in Roanoke every Memorial Day Weekend for the last 15 years and have ventured to the Star every year for the last 10.
In fact, this past May we took 2 trips up there, once during the day and a second time in the evening to catch the sunset and the night view.
The Roanoke Valley and the Blue Ridge Mountains can have issues with haze but if you are in the area on a clear day, Mill Mountain is well worth the trip. The views from the overlook of the valley are quite nice and the sunsets over the mountains can be breathtaking.
To check what the view is like before going up teh mountain you can visit the "StarCam" website at:
http://tinyurl.com/5q4d3h
It can be a bit tricky to find on the winding roads but you can plug:
1300 Prospect Rd SE, Roanoke, VA 24014
into your GPS and it should take you right to the parking lot.
There are rest rooms at the site however I'm unsure of their hours of operation.
There are no vendors at the Star itself so if you are planning a picnic or just want to have something to drink while you are up there, take a stocked cooler along with you.
Still live at home? Looking for a private place to make nookie? Sorry, you're a few years too late. This USED to be the spot where everyone came to canoodle with their sweetie, but not anymore. They have installed big ass'd light poles and ever since the news reporters got ahold of information that homosexual couples were using areas around the Star to get it on, they have ample police trolling the area.
In all honesty - those changes have made the area much safer - especially at night. It's a beautiful view of the Roanoke Valley that shouldn't be missed. This is a great (FREE) activity to do if you are passing through the area, even locals make special trips up there every now and then to bask in the glory of the small city they live in.
Personally, I would rather go up there at dusk and watch the sun set behind the old Blue Ridge Mountains - especially in the fall when all of the gorgeous deciduous trees are changing colors on the mountains. It compliments the sunsets beautifully. Plus, less people go during the colder months, and even less go at night, so you have the area to yourself.
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Well. You have to go five starts here "as good as it gets" because that's a tautology - show me another (let alone better) one!! Like it or not, there just aren't two of these babies. This is taking the idea of "local color" to a new height. But if you live here and come wandering down I-581 after 10-12 hours on the road some misty evening, this is the beacon to remind you that, be it ever so ____ (adjective of your choosing), there's no place like home.
Erected by merchants circa 1950 to promote shopping downtown for the Christmas season and as a testament to the burgeoning commercial spirit of the "magic" city.
Best of all - prior to about 1974, this was normally all white. UNLESS there had been a traffic fatality in the Roanoke Valley during the prior 24 hours, in which case it was illuminated in RED. Straight up. At that time, the star needed major refurbishment, and In honor of the 1976 Bicentennial it's rehab enabled a tri-color display reflecting our nation's flag; red, white and blue.
This Star and surrounding viewing area is a joy amongst the hell of Roanoke and it's rude, drunken inhabitants...all dressed in their Sunday Bests!
My family bought the literature that claimed Roanoke to be one of the great small towns in America....wish I had burned that book! It was not just wrong...it was pure hog wash!
This star was the one bright light to our stay in this stepford wives type city.
My family 'escaped' the natives by driving to the top of the mountain to breath some air....I would say fresh air, but it wasn't even close! The funnel of the Shenandoah mountains ends here...ground 0! A fog that is comparable to LA...SMOG...envelopes this city on most days....until the sun rises and burns some of it off. If you have allergies or asthma...for the love of God and all that is good...stay away! Though the natives will never tell you...they may never even speak to you at all. ...no seriously! They are about as welcoming and friendly as a skunk trapped in a drain pipe! Mostly keeping to themselves and their kind.
I am sorry...the truth does hurt sometimes! But...others must be warned before they make the mistake of moving here too.
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Roanoke star is the symbol of the City. The city is known as the Star City.
Location: On top of Mill Mountain
Star Facts
Height of star 88.5 feet
Weight of star 10,000 lbs
Height above sea level 1,847 feet
Height above city 1,045 feet
Visibility from air 60 miles
Cost to build $28,000