Richmond, Virginia, USA

Richmond, founded in 1607, is the capital of Virginia. It was named after Richmond, England. Patrick Henry made his “Give me liberty or give me death” speech here in 1775. The first successful commercial electric streetcar system operated here in 1888.

Today, history buffs come to tour the historic homes, visit the museums, and enjoy the architecture. The oldest part of the city is called Shackoe Bottom. I-95 passes over this area on a high bridge.

Jackson Ward is a residential area downtown that is being revitalized. European craftspeople lived here originally, and many of the townhouses still have cast-iron porches. The ward was later called "The Wall Street of Black America" because of its many banks. Maggie Walker was the nation's first woman bank president here. The ward also had clubs where Bill "Bojangles" Robinson danced and Duke Ellington and his band played.

(Photos coming soon)

Location

I-85 and I-95
Map

Population of Richmond

About 197,000

Downtown

Brown's Island (paths, views of city)
Cafes and restaurants
Canal Walk (canal boat rides, Haxall Millrace)

Canal boat tours 804-649-2800

Carpenter Center (performances)

Richmond Ballet, Richmond Symphony, Virginia Opera, etc.

Federal Reserve Money Museum
Greater Richmond Convention Center
Hotels (and vacation rentals in the area)

Advantage rate

HotelDiscount

Family Vacation Rentals

Library of Virginia (free parking)
Old City Hall (Victorian Gothic architecture)

Church Hill, Shackoe Bottom, and Capitol Square
(The oldest part of the city)

Edgar Allen Poe Museum (1914-16 E. Main St.)

In The Old Stone House, Richmond's oldest dwelling

www.PoeMuseum.org 1-888-21E-APOE

Governor's Mansion (1813) (near the capital building)

The oldest continuously occupied governor's residence in
the USA. A National Historic Landmark.
Tours 804-371-2642

Saint John's Episcopal Church (1741) on Church Hill

In 1775, Patrick Henry delivered his famous “Give me liberty or give me death” speech here at the 2nd Virginia Convention.

Shackoe Slip

(Upscale shops and restaurants in 19th Century buildings)

State Capitol (designed by Thomas Jefferson)

Life-size statue of George Washington in the rotunda

Court End (north and west of Capitol Square)

Early fashionable residential neighborhood.
Historic architecture
John Marshall House (1790) (818 East Marshall Street)

Former home of the Supreme Court Chief Justice
Tour house/museum and gardens
804-648-7998 www.apva.org/apva/marshall.html

Valentine Richmond History Center (Clay Street)

Includes Wickham House (1812) and garden cafe

White House and Museum of the Confederacy

(East Clay Street)

Fan District (100-block historic district)

Possibly the largest remaining Victorian housing

development in the USA. About 2,000
townhouses, pubs, and restaurants in a
variety of architectural styles.

Cathedral of the Sacred Heart (1903)

Landmark Theater (North Laurel Street)

Shows, concerts, lectures

Monroe Park
Monument Avenue (National Historic Landmark)

One mile of statues (from west to east): Arthur Ashe,

Matthew Maury, Stonewall Jackson, Jefferson Davis,
Robert E. Lee, and J.E.B. Stuart

Early 20th Century homes and apartments line the avenue.

Jackson Ward (historic district) 804-782-2777

Black History Museum and Cultural Center

5,000 artifacts and documents, art, and photography.
(Clay Street) www.blackhistorymuseum.org
804-780-9093 or 804-780-9107

Maggie L. Walker House (National Historic Site)

www.NPS.gov/MaLW

Bill "Bojangles" Robinson Statue

(Adams Street at West Leigh Street)

Richmond Fire & Police Museum

(200 West Marshall Street)
Firehouse (1849) is oldest in Virginia
www.VAfire.org 804-644-1849

Walking tour

Bon Air

A wealthy neighborhood in the 19th Century.
Victorian homes and mansions along winding

tree-lined roads.

Carytown

A colorful strip of old shops near Virginia

Commonwealth University

Book shops, Byrd Theatre, cafes, eclectic shops,

ice cream parlor, record shops, wine shops, etc.

Museum District (between Monument Avenue, Carytown, and Boulevard)

Children's Museum of Richmond

Science Museum of Virginia and IMAX Theater

Virginia Historical Society Museum

Virginia Holocaust Museum

Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (2800 Grove Avenue)

Galleries, cafe, museum shop
www.VMFA.state.VA.US 804-340-1400

Other mansions and museums

Agecroft Hall (4305 Sulgrave Road) (tours)

Built in pre-Elizabethan England and brought here in 1926.
Mansion and gardens on 23 acres overlooking the James River.
www.agecrofthall.com 804-353-4241

Bolling Haxall House (1853) (211 East Franklin Street)

Tours by appointment 804-643-2847

Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (2800 Grove Avenue)

Galleries, cafe, museum shop

www.VMFA.state.VA.US 804-340-1400

Other features

Campgrounds and RV parks in the region

Check Woodall's guide

East End

Cemeteries, Dabbs House and other Civil War sites
Richmond International Airport

Golf courses
Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden (25 acres, non-profit)

1800 Lakeside Avenue www.LewisGinter.org 804-262-9887

Hours

Festivals

May-June:

Wednesdays on the Waterfront (Downtown)

May-August:

Friday Cheers (concerts) (Brown's Island)

June:

The Big Gig (two-week music festival)

(Brown's Island and other parks around the city)

Second Street Festival (Jackson Ward)

Recommended stay

1-2 days (summer), History buffs longer

Tourist information

Richmond Metropolitan Convention & Visitors Bureau

Web pages 1-888-RICHMOND

Richmond city government

www.ci.richmond.va.us

Commercial

www.Richmond.com www.FunForKids.Virginia.cc

Commonwealth of Virginia (tourism)

www.Virginia.org

One-stop reservations (Airlines, hotels, resorts, car rentals, cruises, last-minute deals, etc.)

Car rentals

Budget

Enterprise

Thrifty

Maps, trip planning, driving directions, etc.

Printed travel maps or download
and print. Rand McNally and others.
Driving directions, wall maps,
globes, nautical charts, atlases

Download high-res hiking and mountain
biking trail maps, topographic maps,
guidebooks, etc. Free trial subscription

National Geographic travel
guides, maps, atlases, etc.

Amusement park tickets

Discount theme and water park tickets

Southern California theme parks

Orlando theme parks and many more

Discounts for U.S. veterans and active duty

Join Veterans Advantage and get discounts on Amtrak, Greyhound, hotels, car rentals, etc. Save up to 70%. Magazine. Many benefits.

Spas and other experiences

Spas, balloon rides, wine tasting, hang
gliding, rafting, adventures in and near
major US cities. Packages make good gifts.

Luggage and gear (Click buttons)

More travel accessories (Click to see separate page)

Virginia calendars, books, etc. (see ads in blue to the right)

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The information above may not be up-to-date.
Please check local sources for the latest official times, costs, availability, etc.
This page was last updated on 01/20/2006 .

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