Richmond

In the middle of a state capital, Class IV whitewater rushes over granite boulders – you can go rafting on the James River while the skyline rises behind you. A city trip to Richmond combines the story of America's founding, an honest reckoning with the legacy of the Confederacy, and one of the liveliest beer and restaurant scenes on the East Coast.

Liberty or Death

In St. John's Church on Church Hill, Patrick Henry cried out "Give me liberty, or give me death!" in 1775 – a scene that is reenacted there in summer. In 1780, Richmond became the capital of Virginia, and Thomas Jefferson designed the Capitol modeled on a Roman temple in Nîmes. During the Civil War, the city was the capital of the Confederacy and at the same time one of the largest slave markets in the South. After the protests of 2020, the equestrian statues on Monument Avenue were removed. In the Jackson Ward neighborhood, a center of Black entrepreneurship emerged in the early 20th century; Maggie L. Walker founded a bank here, becoming the first African American woman to do so.

Sights in Richmond

You can tour the Virginia State Capitol for free. The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, with its Fabergé eggs and a large collection of American art, offers free admission and is considered one of the best museums in the South. The American Civil War Museum on the riverfront tells the story of the war from multiple perspectives. Hollywood Cemetery, on the hills above the James River, is the final resting place of two U.S. presidents. In the river lies Belle Isle, reached by a pedestrian bridge beneath a highway bridge, with rocks for sunbathing. The Fan District and Carytown are neighborhoods of row houses, shops, and cafés, and murals adorn many facades.

Eating and Going Out in Richmond

Scott's Addition, a former warehouse district, is Virginia's beer capital, with numerous breweries, cideries, and distilleries. The restaurant scene ranges from Southern cooking with Virginia ham and Brunswick stew to Ethiopian, Vietnamese, and modern American eateries. The 17th Street Market in historic Shockoe Bottom is one of the oldest markets in the U.S. In summer there are concerts on the riverfront, and the Richmond Folk Festival in October is one of the largest free festivals in the country.

Active on the James River

The James River is the city's great recreational playground. The James River Park System includes riverside trails, rocks, and islands in the middle of the city; rafting outfitters launch trips here through the rapids. On the Canal Walk along old canals, signs tell the city's history, and boats cruise the water. On Belle Isle, remains of a Civil War prison camp and an ironworks have been preserved. Mountain bikers will find challenging routes on the Buttermilk Trail that you would hardly expect in a big city.

Getting Around Richmond and Best Time to Visit

Richmond International Airport is located east of the city. Amtrak trains run from Main Street Station to Washington and New York, the GRTC Pulse bus rapid transit line crosses the city along Broad Street, and the city buses are free. The best times to visit are spring and fall; summer is hot and humid. Day trips lead to Williamsburg and Jamestown, to the battlefields around Petersburg, to Thomas Jefferson's Monticello near Charlottesville, or to the Blue Ridge Mountains.