City: Richmond, VA

Category: Tours & Attractions

Telephone: (804) 786-2060

Address: 621 S. Belvidere St.

Description: Most people in Richmond have driven past this moving memorial to Virginians who have died in battle that commands a hill near the James River. Engraved on walls of stone and glass are the more than 11,000 names of Virginians who made the ultimate sacrifice. It’s a solemn and sobering place, with the haunting 23-foot-high statue, Memory, standing by. Inside, touch-screen computers help people access information about thousands of Virginia veterans, and artifacts and exhibits about Virginians’ roles in various wars are on display. The Paul and Phyllis Galanti Education Center, opened in mid-2010, is an 18,000-square-foot addition that includes exhibit space, visitor services, and an 850-seat amphitheater. Special programs of remembrance are held on Veterans Day and Memorial Day. The memorial is open every day, and free parking is available.