Tours & Attractions - Richmond, Virginia



Tours & Attractions - Area Overview

Richmond sits in central Virginia, at the fall line of the James River, which means Class IV (and sometimes V) white-water rushes right through downtown. But the vibe of the area is anything but rushed. It’s sophisticated yet friendly, and an uncomplicated place to navigate.

The city of Richmond, the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, is 62.5 square miles and has a population just over 200,000—small for a big city (and part of our charm, no doubt)—because Virginia’s peculiar laws mandate that cities are separate entities from the counties that surround them. So there’s Richmond, the actual city, and then there’s Richmond the region, which is much larger—2,000 square miles with 975,000 people—and includes the big three counties of Chesterfield, Henrico, and Hanover and the much less populated rural counties of Goochland, Powhatan, and New Kent. The even larger (5,700 square miles) Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), which contains several other localities, including the city of Petersburg to the south, bumps the population to 1.2 million. The region’s population surged 12.3 percent from the year 2000 through the first half of June 2009. That growth will likely continue as, among other factors, the expansion of the U.S. Army’s Fort Lee base near Petersburg brings in new residents to the southern part of the Richmond region.

Richmond, Chesterfield, and Henrico are among the most populous localities in Virginia, with both counties outnumbering the city’s population. The region’s ethnic diversity continues to grow as rising numbers of Asians, Hispanics, and Latinos move to the area. The area as a whole is approximately 65 percent white, 30 percent black, and 5 percent Hispanic, Asian, and Native American. Richmond’s population is more balanced with 44 percent white, 52 percent black, and 6 percent Hispanic, Native American, Asian-American, and Pacific Islander. The median age of residents is 37.

Tours & Attractions - Architecture

Despite sustaining devastating floods in 1771 and every century since, and suffering war-related fires in 1781 and 1865, more damage was done to Richmond’s architectural fabric during peacetime by men than nature and war combined. Between the end of World War II and 1968, flawed attempts at urban renewal accounted for the loss of more than 1,500 of the city’s pre-1850 buildings. Sumptuous Old City Hall was threatened with demolition twice, in 1915 and the late 1970s. We’re slow learners. Luckily, committed citizens have stepped up when needed. Mary Wingfield Scott became alarmed in 1935 about plans to demolish the 18th-century Adam Craig House, so she formed a group that purchased and saved it. So began the William Byrd Branch of what is now Preservation Virginia.

After World War II, the decline of the neighborhood around St. John’s Church led citizens to form the Historic Richmond Foundation, which encouraged the city council to create the St. John’s Church Old and Historic District in 1957, the first of its kind in Richmond, establishing architectural controls on exteriors within the district. Fourteen additional local historic districts have followed, preserving the character of neighborhoods while encouraging investment and adaptive reuse.

The Historic Richmond Foundation, Preservation Virginia, the Alliance to Conserve Old Richmond Neighborhoods (ACORN), and hundreds of dedicated private citizens and businesses have committed to the renovation and reuse of historic structures and saved hundreds of buildings, protecting much of what is unique to Richmond, safekeeping the stories that buildings tell about a city and its people, and advocating a responsible, green approach before it was trendy. ACORN recently became involved in saving Emily Winfree’s cottage in Manchester, a rare urban example of a former slave’s house. Saved from destruction, the house was moved in hopes that it will become a part of the Richmond Slave Trail.

Tours & Attractions - Museums And Art Galleries

With the reopening of the stellar Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond will ascend to new heights, going beyond its place as the arts capital of Virginia to become an arts destination. It’s a creative cauldron here, fueled by the best public arts graduate school in the country, the renowned VCU School of the Arts with 3,000 students in 16 programs. VCU Arts grads have received three MacArthur Fellow “Genius” Awards in the past five years, three Guggenheim fellowships and numerous other accolades, so it’s clear VCU attracts and develops major talent. And then there’s the faculty who teach, create, and start galleries. We residents and tourists just get to reap the rewards. People know how to do things with their hands here in Richmond, and not just text and tweet. In addition to art, what they make often includes community-building events such as First Fridays Art Walk and InLight.

Of course museums don’t always mean art, and Richmond has been known to make a bit of history as well, and hold onto it in its many museums. Some museums are clustered, like the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts and next-door neighbor the Virginia Historical Society, and just around the bend on Broad Street, the Science Museum of Virginia sits right next to the Children’s Museum of Richmond. Two Civil War museums have banded together downtown at the Tredegar site, and Richmond history and Confederate history intertwine in historic Court End. Art galleries are similarly clustered along Broad Street and W. Main Street, and then there’s the whole Manchester art explosion just south of downtown that includes Art Works and Artspace at Plant Zero, art centers with studios for working artists. You could spend days wandering through museums and galleries here and never see it all. Then they go and change the exhibits, so you have to start over. Which reminds me—the expanded Virginia Museum of Fine Arts is scheduled to bring in some blockbuster shows, some of them making their only U.S. stop in Richmond, so check www.vmfa.state.va.us regularly so you don’t miss a thing.

Tours & Attractions - Attractions

The destinations spotlighted in this chapter are a mix of indoor and outdoor attractions, some free and some with admission fees. Within this chapter are the classic stops that visitors (and residents, let’s be honest) ought to put on their lists to get a sense of what the city and surrounding areas have to offer. A separate section lists several historic houses that are often destinations unto themselves. It won’t surprise you to know that while in the Richmond region you can tour wonderful specimens of homes from the 17th to the 20th century, but it might bewilder you to realize that you can also tour two buildings from the 15th century, right in Richmond’s West End. Keep reading to find out how that’s possible.

If you are looking for the famous James River plantations, you’ll find them mentioned in the “Day Trips” chapter, since they are a bit farther afield in Charles City County. Kings Dominion amusement park gets two write-ups in the “Kidstuff” chapter, for its water park and its drier options, so flip to that if you’re interested in thrills and chills.

For the attractions that don’t provide visitor parking, don’t fret. Parking garages and lots are numerous downtown; hourly rates are in the $3 range, and daily rates run between $10 and $15. In many cases, on-street parking is available, and meters in Richmond do not need to be fed on weekends, except during special events.

Tours & Attractions - Commemorating The Civil War And Emancipation

With the 150th anniversary of the Civil War and Emancipation upon us, I fear that many people remember that Richmond was the capital of the Confederacy and think that sums up Richmond—then and now. Well, shoot—pardon the pun—but somewhere between ignorance and mythology lies a mature understanding of what the years and legacies of the Civil War mean to our nation and to our city, one that includes all sides of the complex and continuing story. In the 1860s it wasn’t as simple as North and South, black and white, and it still isn’t. In April 1861 the Virginia Secession Convention held in Richmond first voted against secession, but flip-flopped after Fort Sumter and then voted to secede. After Stonewall Jackson’s death, his body lay in state before grieving crowds in the Executive Mansion. The next beloved Virginian to get that treatment was Arthur Ashe Jr. upon his death in 1993. Statues of both men stand on Monument Avenue now.

If Richmond had a middle name, it would be Contradiction. At the top of Church Hill, Patrick Henry gave his famous “Give me liberty or give me death” speech in a city where the slave trade powered the economy down the hill in Shockoe Bottom. Twenty-five years after Henry’s rallying cry for freedom, a slave named Gabriel was executed near East Broad Street for daring to fight for his and other slaves’ liberty as leader of a foiled slave rebellion.

The sesquicentennial of the Civil War, 2011–15, presents Richmond with an important opportunity. Earlier commemorations idolized Confederate warriors and white survivors of the Confederacy while ignoring every other perspective, especially that of the black citizenry still scarred by slavery and Jim Crow policies. That was then. Now it’s Richmond’s chance to be an example of how to tell the whole truth, incorporating a sometimes painful past and Richmond’s robust African-American history into the story of our city and nation.

Richmond is well suited to the task, finally. As if Richmond’s iron-making capacity didn’t make Richmond enough of a target, becoming the Confederate capital made the city the object of Union assaults for four years, which explains why one quarter of Civil War battles were fought within a 75-mile radius of the Richmond-Petersburg region and 60 percent of the war’s casualties occurred here as well. As an important player in colonial and Revolutionary history, the center of the East Coast slave trade, capital of Virginia and the Confederacy, and much later, the site where the first elected African-American governor in the U.S. was sworn in to office, Richmond should be considered hallowed ground by all Americans, for many, often conflicting, reasons.

Overview

This time around, Richmond is poised to make the multiyear commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the Civil War transformative by combining it with a commemoration of the end of slavery as well—to tell it whole and tell it true. It’s an intuitive yet long-elusive link proposed by University of Richmond president and historian Edward L. Ayers, and it has people talking and engaged, which is exactly the point.

As the years come and go, expect to see special events and tie-ins emphasizing the twin sesquicentennials at numerous sites all over the region. There will be living-history events, lectures, guided tours, musical offerings, archaeology, panel discussions, and art exhibits, all designed to explore Richmond’s role in the central and deadliest conflict in American history and its multifaceted reaction to emancipation.

Tours & Attractions - Kidstuff

Whether the children in your lives want to be inside or out, Richmond is an easy sell as a kid-friendly destination. This chapter brings together the classic childhood experiences of Richmond, such as Maymont, with some unexpected directions, as in up—climbing trees with Riverside Outfitters. The chapter is divided into themed lists: Animal Adventures, Massive Machinery, Fit and Fun, etc., and is not geographically arranged. Sure, there are lists of skating rinks and sports centers here, but I don’t waste words on what’s pretty standard and self-explanatory. The Richmond area has city experiences such as museums and theater, but we also have old-timey country fun like berry picking and animal interactions.

Besides what’s listed below, there are so many beautiful parks in and around Richmond where kids love to roam the paths, all but one of which is free, and some get their due in the “Parks” chapter. And don’t forget that beautiful river out there that gets a chapter of its own, too. The “Recreation” and “Annual Events” chapters also have good tips for family-friendly activities and events. And of course, the “Museums” and “Attractions” chapters feature many entertaining options as well.

Tours & Attractions - Day Trips

You just got here. Why would you want to leave? Oh, all right, so you have a hankering for the mountains or wine or James River plantations or Williamsburg. I aim to please, so here’s some friendly advice on roaming the region beyond Richmond. Just make sure you know the way back. I could have steered you toward Mount Vernon, Alexandria, or D.C., all fabulous destinations, but I didn’t want you to get stuck in traffic up there.

Within an hour or two of Richmond are all sorts of worthy destinations whether you’re in the mood for outdoor adventure, historic sites, or leisurely wine-tasting. With both the Blue Ridge Parkway and Skyline Drive less than two hours away, it’s easy to heed the call of the mountains. Virginia’s plantations haven’t been around quite as long as the mountains, but the James River plantations east of Richmond have played an important role in the region’s history since the 17th century. Williamsburg has staying power, too, as the esteemed College of William & Mary, founded in 1693, can attest. Williamsburg doesn’t just cater to the life of the mind though; it caters to 21st-century foodies, too. With more than 150 wineries, Virginia is renowned for its winemaking industry, which has spread across the state. I’ve highlighted several area wineries, but the sky, or the road, is the only limit.

1. American Civil War Center At Historic Tredegar

City: Richmond, VA
Category: Tours & Attractions
Address: 500 Tredegar St.


2. Black History Museum And Cultural Center Of Virginia

City: Richmond, VA
Category: Tours & Attractions
Address: 00 Clay St.

3. Edgar Allan Poe Museum

City: Richmond, VA
Category: Tours & Attractions

4. Museum And White House Of The Confederacy

City: Richmond, VA
Category: Tours & Attractions
Address: 1201 E. Clay St.

5. Old Dominion Railway Museum

City: Richmond, VA
Category: Tours & Attractions
Address: 102 Hull St.

Description: Just across the Mayo Bridge in Manchester, and on schedule to open in the summer of 2010, this museum renovated the Southern Railway station that served Richmond from 1914 to 1957. Besides being able to tour the station and see how things, including telegraph machines worked back in the day, visitors will be able to hop aboard several actual railcars.

6. Richmond National Battlefield Park Visitor Center At Tredegar

City: Richmond, VA
Category: Tours & Attractions
Address: 470 Tredegar St.

7. Science Museum Of Virginia

City: Richmond, VA
Category: Tours & Attractions
Address: 2500 W. Broad St.

8. Valentine Richmond History Center

City: Richmond, VA
Category: Tours & Attractions
Address: 1015 E. Clay St.

9. Virginia Aviation Museum

City: Richmond, VA
Category: Tours & Attractions
Address: 5701 Huntsman Rd.

10. Virginia Center For Architecture

City: Richmond, VA
Category: Tours & Attractions
Address: 2501 Monument Ave.

11. Virginia Historical Society

City: Richmond, VA
Category: Tours & Attractions
Address: 428 N. Blvd.

12. Virginia Holocaust Museum

City: Richmond, VA
Category: Tours & Attractions
Address: 2000 E. Cary St.

13. Art6

City: Richmond, VA
Category: Tours & Attractions
Telephone: (804) 343-1406
Address: 6 E. Broad St.

Description: A member-run nonprofit organization devoted to the visual and performing arts, Art6 produces exhibits such as Shoot the James, a photographic look at the area’s greatest natural treasure. Its annual Think Small exhibit features small works by local, national, and international artists. Contemporary reactions to the Holocaust, elections, and Juneteenth are all part of Art6’s purview.

14. Ada Gallery

City: Richmond, VA
Category: Tours & Attractions
Telephone: (804) 644-0100
Address: 1829 W. Main St. (mailing address)

Description: ADA has been showing contemporary fine art since 2003 on Broad Street but was considering a move to its other space at 1829 W. Main St. when this went to press, so give the gallery a call before you go. Taking advantage of the plethora of talent from VCU School of the Arts, and with a roster of emerging and nationally known artists, this gallery features mixed media and works on paper. The gallery is open Wed through Sat and by appointment.

15. Art Works

City: Richmond, VA
Category: Tours & Attractions
Telephone: (804) 291-1400
Address: 320 Hull St.

Description: Open Tues through Sun, and a major player in Manchester’s free monthly Fourth Fridays event among art galleries, running from 7 to 10 p.m., Art Works is home to dozens of artists who have studio space here. Five galleries on two levels host a jam-packed mix of juried local mixed-media shows, traveling international exhibits, and special exhibits designed to bring all kinds of art to all.
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