SoSi Safari Booklet

Wildlife is everywhere in Danville’s River District!

SOSI SAFARI Welcome to the SOSI Safari, a walkable adventure through Danville’s River District!

Keep your eyes open for animals frozen in time� snap photos� and discover the stories that make this place special.

Each stop gives snippets of information about architecture, art, or local history.

How the Safari Works Statues and pictures of wildlife abound in Danville�s River District. On the SoSi Safari� please shoot each animal but only with your camera. Once you have completed the safari� show your pictures at either location listed below to receive your prize and bragging rights forever! The route is about one mile long; roundtrip is two miles.

Danville Museum of Fine Arts & History | 975 Main Street Thursday–Saturday: 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

12 Sunday: 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

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Crema & Vine | 1009 Main Street Open daily; hours vary

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Bonus Wildlife Watch

Enjoy seeing live wildlife near or on the Dan River: mourning doves� chimney swifts� ruby-throated hummingbirds� red-bellied and downy woodpeckers� eastern wood pewees� eastern bluebirds� cedar waxwings� red-eyed vireos� indigo buntings� and song sparrows. Great blue herons and green herons stalk the shallows. Purple martins, tree swallows and barn swallows catch flies overhead. The rocks on the river are a landing spot for a variety of damselflies. Check the large boulders for skinks.

Butterflies you may see are: hackberry emperor, pearl crescent� eastern tiger� and spicebush swallowtail. Of course, there are geese, ducks, turtles, and fish!

CLUE 1: THE LIONS OF MAIN STREET Two large lions guard the wealth on Millionaires Row at 926 Main Street. Next� walk toward downtown and the River District.

FOUND? YES

NO

Clue 2: Canopy Keepers These lions use their teeth to hold a heavy canopy at a historic hotel now the Danville House Apartments at 600 Main Street. (10-minute walk)

FOUND? YES

NO

Clue 3: The Elk with a Club This large Elk has its own Club at 560 Main Street.

FOUND? YES

NO

Clue 4: Bull’s Eye Look up to locate the bull�s head at 125 North Floyd Street between Main and Spring Streets. It�s a reminder of the meat market that once operated here.

FOUND? YES

NO

Clue 5: Eagle Eye Walk one block on Main Street to South Union Street. Turn right. An eagle has landed at the entrance to the 1921 Masonic Temple� Danville�s tallest building in the historic district.

(18-minute walk from start)

FOUND? YES

NO

Clue 6: Busy as a Bee Continue on South Union Street.

Although you won’t find a bee here� you will see a hotel in the former Register & Bee building at 420 Patton Street. The newspaper� Danville Daily Bee� began in 1899 and the staff was busy as bees.

FOUND? YES

NO

Clue 7: The Mayor Stands Tall At the intersection of South Union and Patton Streets� look across the street to see Mayor Harry Wooding. He has been standing at attention outside city hall at 427 Patton Street since 1942. He was mayor for 46 years and at his death he held the record for the longest continuous term as a U.S. mayor.

People are animals, too!

(Optional: At 511 Patton Street� a block away from the Mayor Wooding statue is a young girl at the side entrance to the Ruby Archie Public Library.

She has been reading the same book for decades!)

FOUND? YES

NO

Clue 8: Meet Eldridge Walk two blocks on Patton Street towards the traffic light at the intersection with Craghead Street. Turn right. Walk three blocks to 548 Craghead Street. Eldridge� the seven-foot-tall orange elephant on Craghead Street� is named for the historic drug store that once occupied this space. (30-minute walk from the start. You are at the half-way point.)

FOUND? YES

NO

Clue 9: Snail Mail Stand beside Eldridge� the elephant� and look up to locate two blue snails crawling up the wall.

FOUND? YES

NO

Clue 10: Fish Out of Water Retrace your steps to the intersection of Craghead and Patton Streets. Walk to your right one block to Main Street. Find the fish in the Main Street Plaza JTI Fountain.

FOUND? YES

NO

Clue 11: Birds of History Look for the large mural at the intersection of Memorial Drive/Craghead/Main Street. Find three birds. They survived the Wreck of the Old 97!

FOUND? YES

NO

Clue 12: Otterly Delightful Continue on Memorial Drive.

This otter loves to play in the Riverfront Park at the intersection of Spring Street and Memorial Drive.

FOUND? YES

NO

Clue 13: THE CRANES ARE WAITING Return to Main Street and walk uphill to the plaza at 341 Main on your left. The cranes are waiting for you. Continue to the Danville Museum of Fine Arts & History� 975 Main Street� or Crema & Vine� 1009 Main Street to claim your prize.

FOUND? YES

NO

YOU DID IT!

You�ve reached the end of the SoSi Safari.

THANK YOU FOR VISITING SOSI

We hope this adventure added a little fun to your time in SoSi. Share your experience and tag us so we can see what you discover! #visitsosi

DANVILLE VISITOR CENTER

645 River Park Dr | Danville VA 24540

WWW.VISITSOSI.COM