Charlottesville (and urban areas of Albemarle County) has a rich collection of murals and large-scale sculptures that incorporate community perspectives, showcase the talents of regional and international artists, while contributing to the cultural and visual vibrancy of the city.
Charlottesville (and urban areas of Albemarle County) has a rich collection of murals and large-scale sculptures that incorporate community perspectives, showcase the talents of regional and international artists, while contributing to the cultural and visual vibrancy of the city.
The Public Art Bike Ride is an April tradition that brings people together to explore these wonderful pieces of art on their bikes.
Although the 2020 group ride had to be canceled due to Covid-19, you can still take the tour anytime on your own thanks to the new mobile mural map!
The full mural ride is a rich experience that you can expect to take several hours. The ride itself is seven miles and would take a casual cyclist about 40 minutes to complete without stopping. Feel free to do the ride in chunks. Note also that the map shows all the murals, not just those along the route. Be sure to visit the other sites, scattered around town. Some might be in your neighborhood!
Online Map
Use the new Google Mural Map to select which route you would like to take and click on the stops. You can choose among several possible bike routes or a 2-mile walk. The map includes information about each piece of art and links to learn more about the artist.
We are also working on a pdf version that you can print out.
How-to guide for using the Google Map on your phone:
If you would like to access the map on your mobile device, the easiest way to get to the map is to pull up the current page on your phone and then click on the Google Mural Map link. The short link is https://charlottesvillemuralproject.org/map/ if you need to type it in on your device.
STEP 1. Click this map link on your phone – your device will probably ask which ap should display the map. We have had the best experience with Google Maps, but it works in other apps too.
The route will display as a blue line; the mural locations will be indicated by stars in red circles. You can ignore the blue circles, which are pins we created to hold the route in place. If your Location Services/GPS is enabled your own location should display on the map as well.
STEP 2. Click ‘View Map Legend’ to check out the routes
STEP 3. In the legend view, you can toggle on/off the different routes by using the checkboxes
STEP 4. Click the back arrow on the top left to go back to the map
STEP 5. Click on the stars to obtain more information about each artwork, including the precise address, name of the artist, description and website.
STEP 6. If you accidentally turn the map off or want to go back to the main mural map, you should be able to access it again by click on the Google map app menu then on ‘My Places’:
There, you should see a list of maps you’ve previously viewed:
STEP 7. Enjoy your tour! Remember to keep your hands on your handlebars and your eyes on the road while riding.
*This Google map has some user limitations, but we hope it’s useful! It’s something we’re still testing out, so if you have any feedback, please reach out to Peter Krebs at [email protected].
Learn more about the art and the team behind it at charlottesvillemuralproject.org.
BikeCville is a program to promote safe, social biking in Charlottesville and Albemarle County, Virginia. It is a partnership between the Piedmont Environmental Council, the Charlottesville Bicycle Pedestrian Committee, Charlottesville Community Bikes and a host of local groups. It is made possible by a grant from the Bama Works Fund of Dave Matthews Band at the Charlottesville Area Community Foundation to encourage safe bicycling and create a stronger network of bicycle advocates. #bikecville