Metro Richmond Convention and Visitor Bureau 550 E. Marshall Richmond, VA 23219 (804) 783-7450 (804) 780-2577 (fax) Population 203056 Time Zone Eastern Latitude/Longitude 37.55° /-77.45° Today's Forecast HIGH: 70 LOW: 40

• Virginia • Richmond Nightlife • Getting Around Richmond • Richmond Map • Richmond Weather • Richmond Road Construction • Things to Do in Richmond • Places to Stay in Richmond • Start planning your road trip to Richmond now! • Add this city to My Road Trip Ideas.

Attractions

Central to both the Civil and Revolutionary war periods, Richmond presents a treasure trove for anyone of historical curiosity.

As the southern states' capital, Richmond is the site of the White House of the Confederacy. This national historic landmark has many of the building's original furnishings. It is found next door to the Museum of the Confederacy, repository of the most comprehensive collection of Confederate military and political artifacts, personal memorabilia, and art to be found anywhere in the United States.

Numerous sites relating to two major Civil War engagements are commemorated at Richmond National Battlefield Park. Begin your tour at the historic Tredegar Iron Works where the visitor center has three floors of exhibits, a short film and brochures. The park also has visitors centers at the Chimborazo Medical Museum and at Cold Harbor.

In the cool sanctuary of St. John's Church you can almost hear echoes of Patrick Henry's impassioned "Give me liberty or give me death" speech. His home, Scotchtown, some 20 miles northwest of the city center, is an architectural gem. Other historic homes are closer to central Richmond. Maymont is an 1893 mansion surrounded by 100 acres of formal gardens and park land. Agecroft Hall, built in the late 15th century in England, was dismantled, brought here, and rebuilt in 1928 in a spacious setting of formal gardens and broad lawns overlooking the James River. The 1812 Wickham House is one of the central features of the Valentine Richmond History Center. More history is on tap at the museum of the Virginia Historical Society. Edgar Allan Poe's residency in Richmond is recalled in the Poe Museum, at the 18th-century Old Stone House. The museum focuses on the life of the American author and poet, documenting his career with pictures, relics, and excerpts from his writing. Also visit the Maggie L. Walker National Historic Site to learn more about the former slave who founded a bank.

Visit the State Capitol, designed by Thomas Jefferson along classical lines, and almost the first thing you will see is Houdon's life-size statue of George Washington. What you won't see until you are inside the building is its exquisite hidden dome. Here, too, are busts of seven other U.S. presidents from Virginia. Tours of the building are given throughout the day. The Governor's Mansion on Capitol Square has been the residence of Virginia's governors since 1813. Guided tours of the first floor of the mansion are available.

The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts boasts the largest collection of Faberge jeweled objects to be found outside Russia. Those treasures sit alongside an impressive collection of European and American art by Monet, Renoir, Degas, Picasso, Warhol and others. A planetarium and IMAX theater are part of the Science Museum of Virginia, where hundreds of hands-on exhibits explore the environment, aerospace, astronomy, chemistry, computers and more. A branch near the airport, the Virginia Aviation Museum, offers an extensive collection of vintage flying machines, including a WWI SPAD VII with working machine gun.

Ice hockey fans can watch the Renegades of the SPHL who play at Richmond Coliseum. The Braves of the International League play baseball at The Diamond, a 12,000-seat stadium that opened in 1985. Racing fans flock to Richmond International Raceway for NASCAR-sanctioned motorsports.

For summertime thrills, head north of Richmond, where Paramount's Kings Dominion has high-speed, high-tech machines for the brave, rides and amusements for the little ones, and live performances for one and all.

Southeast of the city, strung out along VA 5 heading towards Williamsburg, are several historic James River plantations, including Shirley, Westover, Evelynton, Sherwood Forest, and Berkeley, site of America's first official Thanksgiving.

Explore another city in Virginia