As the capital of the Confederacy during the Civil War, it’s not surprising that several top attractions in Richmond relate to that history. But there are also a lot more other attractions in this lively southern city. You will need one full day to cover all the sites on this page.
- Capitol Building
- Capitol Square
- Canal Walk
- Church Hill Historic District
- Carytown
Capitol Building – Designed in 1785 by Thomas Jefferson while he was serving as US Minister to France, the building was completed in 1788. In 2004-2007 the Capitol was restored, renovated, and expanded. We went on a guided tour of the Capitol which is available for free every day of the week on the hour from 9am – 4pm.
Rotunda – The rotunda has a statue of George Washington in the center. The rotunda dome was added in 1794 although there is no reference to the dome in Jefferson’s first written description. It is still a mystery who made the decision to add the dome.
Senate Chamber and House of Delegates chambers
Capitol Square – Area around the Capitol contains several monuments. Washington Monument with statues of Patrick Henry, Thomas Jefferson, Andrew Lewis, John Marshall, George Madon, and Thomas Nelson encircling the base. The Virginia Civil Rights Memorial opened in 2008, commemorates protests that helped bring about school desegregation in the state. It features 18 statues of leaders involved in civil rights movement on 4 sides of the rectangular granite stone block.
Another monument on the capitol square is The Virginia Women’s Monument, Voices from the Garden, acknowledges the brave, creative and wise contributions of Virginian women. The monument features seven, life-sized bronze statues of women from throughout the Commonwealth’s history: Cockacoeske, Pamunkey chieftain; Anne Burras Laydon, Jamestown colonist; Mary Draper Ingles, frontierswoman; Elizabeth Keckly, seamstress and confidante to Mary Todd Lincoln; Laura Copenhaver, entrepreneur in the textile industry; Virginia Randolph, educator; Adèle Clark, suffragist and artist.
There are some important buildings around Capitol square like the Governor’s mansion, St. Paul’s Episcopal church and the beautiful old city hall which is now used as office space.
Canal Walk – Located in the heart of Richmond’s downtown, James River-Kanawha Canal is 1.25 miles of paved promenades interspersed with historic sights, statues, murals, and markers telling Richmond’s four-century story.
The Headman Statue – depicts a 19th century boatman, also known as a headman — and commemorates the early contributions of African Americans to commerce in Richmond. Boatmen were essential to Richmond’s canal system, which provided faster transport of raw materials and finished goods around the falls of the James River.
Canal walk murals – The city of Richmond thinks itself as a canvas of creativity.
Walking or biking along the riverfront in Richmond is a great was to spend a couple of hours and learn about Richmond’s history. The 1.25 miles of Canal Walk can be accessed at many places between 5th and 17th street in downtown Richmond.
Church Hill Historic District – This area gives you an idea of what Richmond was like before the Civil War. The St. John’s Episcopal Church, built in 1741 was where patriot Patrick Henry made his famous speech, which coined the slogan, “Give me liberty or give me death” during the Second Virginia Convention. This is the oldest church in the city, and you can take a guided tour of its highlights.
The oldest building in Richmond is The Old Stone House at 1914 East Main Street, built in 1737. It now houses the Edgar Allan Poe Museum remembering the poet and author who lived in Richmond for several years and worked on a local newspaper. Some of his original manuscripts, documents, and personal items are displayed in the museum.
Carytown – This is Richmond’s liveliest neighborhood where you can spend an afternoon shopping or snacking at one of the many cafes and bakeries. There are a variety of restaurants to choose from : Indian, Thai, Vietnamese, Italian, Japanese, or vegan cuisine. We met up with my friend Rabin and his mom (who drove down from Norfolk) and had lunch at the Indian restaurant.
Opposite the Indian Restaurant is the historic Byrd Theater. This National Historic Landmark opened in 1928 and had survived unaltered.
