Best Things To Do In Richmond, Virginia

Samantha
Contributing Writer
Updated
| 4 min read
things to do in richmond virginia

Richmond, Virginia is full of history and fun things to do, but separating those things can be difficult, especially if there are people in your group that can be pretty picky. With a little help, though, finding the right places to visit when traveling always makes things a little less stressful. Here are a few places that everyone in the family or group can enjoy.

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1. Virginia Museum of Fine Arts

Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (5393974101)
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user Jim used under CC BY-SA 2.0

This is an art museum that will capture any artist’s attention. The exhibits are often changing, which means you could see something awesome and totally unexpected when you visit. They do have specific exhibitions for kids, which means it’s more easily understandable and fun for them to enjoy. There are paintings from all over the world, amazingly carved sculptures of people that lived so long ago, and even the drawings and sketches are fun to see. It’s a great way to pass an afternoon.

Virginia Museum of Fine Arts

Address: 200 N. Boulevard, Richmond, VA 23220

Website: Virginia Museum of Fine Arts

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2. Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden

Flowers of all shapes, sizes, and colors can be enjoyed in these botanical gardens
Source: Pixabay

This is one of the nation’s most beautiful botanical gardens. There are 50 acres (20 hectares) filled with flowers and other plants that grow all year long here. There is so much to look at and enjoy in this place. While it may not be the best place for kids, there is plenty of space for them to run and have fun while the older people can enjoy the scenery. A great aspect of this particular place is that they hold different events there all year long, like weddings and other such gatherings. They also hold events such as Wild Art: A Journey Off Canvas where they actually use the natural world around them to make spectacular art pieces.

Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens

Address: 1800 Lakeside Avenue, Richmond, Virginia 23228

Website: Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden

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3. Monument Avenue

Monument avenue richmond virginia
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user user:Mentes used under PUBLIC DOMAIN

This is a tree lined area where monuments from the Civil War stand. The statues of men include Robert E. Lee on a horse, J.E.B. Stuart also depicted on a horse, Jefferson Davis, Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson, and Matthew Fontaine Maury, all great men that served during the Civil War time period. There are also a lot of architecturally appreciated homes and churches along this path that are beautifully created. This area is where quite a few events take place, especially in the warmer months. If you’re into 10K walks, this is where the Monument Avenue 10K takes place every year in the spring. The avenue stretches through several blocks, so there is not an address for the whole strip. This is more like a light stroll through a park, but it’s extremely relaxing and you get to enjoy the fresh air and scenery of Richmond, Virginia.

Monument Avenue

Address: Between Stuart Circle in the east and Roseneath Rd. in the west, plus the adjoining 1200 block and 3100-3300 blocks of West Franklin St., and the 1500 block of West Ave. 

Website: Monument Avenue

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4. Tredegar Iron Works

Cannons are inside and outside this museum to show that they were an item of production
Source: Pixabay

Another historical treasure in Richmond, the Tredegar Iron Works was originally a factory in 1837. Joseph R Anderson bought the plant even when it was sure to fail. With some of his business techniques however, the factory became a large enterprise. They produced cannons, auto-motives and even equipment for sugar mills. The building withstood the effects of the Civil War and continued to thrive long into the 1950s, when iron was replaced with steel. While there has been some restoration to the building, it still has the majority of its parts since it was constructed. It is now a museum that shares the history of the building and time period.

Tredegar Iron Works

Address: 490 Tredegar Street, Richmond, Virginia 23228

Website: Tredegar Iron Works

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5. Edgar Allan Poe Museum

Posted by The Poe Museum on Wednesday, 19 April 2017

This building may look small on the outside, but on the inside is all about the author and poet, Edgar Allen Poe. Poe is most often recognized for his short stories and lovely poems about the women in his life. The museum started out in 1906 when a group of literary enthusiasts wanted to create a space for a particular author. The building was originally going to be demolished, but the group was able to deter that and made the building out to be a nice little museum for literary lovers of all kind to enjoy. From the beginning of his life to the end of it and everything in between, the museum shares what it was like to be Mr. Poe. And of course there is a gift shop for those that love to take home little trinkets!

Edgar Allan Poe Museum

Address: 1914-16 East Main Street, Richmond, VA 23223

Website: Edgar Allan Poe Museum

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6. American Civil War Museum

Outside the museum, reenactments of the war take place
Source: Pixabay

Tredegar is a big area in Richmond, Virginia, and there is a lot of history there. This museum actually contains real artifacts and photos from the Civil War and they do war reenactments on a daily basis. This museum is one of three museums that reside in the area, and they are all fascinating for those that love to learn about different historical happenings.

American Civil War Museum

Address: 500 Tredegar Street, Richmond, VA 23219

Website: American Civil War Museum

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7. Wilton House

Snow Day: Wilton House Museum will be closed today and over the weekend due to The severe winter weather warning. Hope you are home with a great history book! Any snow day readings recommendations?

Posted by Wilton House Museum on Friday, 22 January 2016

Another museum in Richmond that contains the history of the area, this one is so fascinating because it used to be an actual house to William Randolph III, who lived in the 18th-century. After building the house, he named it “Wilton,” and it is a copy of Wilton House in the UK. Due to foreclosure reasons, the house was bought by the National Society of the Colonial Dames of America, and they dismantled the house and moved it to where it is located today, by the James River. The building contains different furnishings, textiles, glass artifacts, different ceramics and silver from the 18th-century.

Wilton House

Address: 215 S Wilton Rd, Richmond, VA 23226

Website: Wilton House

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8. The White House and Museum of the Confederacy

The White House of the Confederacy
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user Alana Iesu used under CC BY-SA 3.0

Located in the same area as the American Civil War Museum, this was the residence of the President of the Confederate States of America, Jefferson Davis. During that time, it was meant to be a counterpart to the White House in Washington DC.

The White House and Museum of the Confederacy

Address: 1201 East Clay Street, Richmond, VA 23219

Website: The White House and Museum of the Confederacy

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Having fun and learning in Richmond

There is a lot of historical venues to visit in Richmond, VA but one can’t expect to visit them all in a short amount of time. Keep the above list in mind if traveling to the Richmond, VA area!

Any must-sees we missed? Tell us about them in the comments section or write a post here to help out fellow travelers!
Disclosure: Trip101 selects the listings in our articles independently. Some of the listings in this article contain affiliate links.

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Samantha Kern, holding a Bachelor's Degree in English, is passionately dedicated to her writing career. Her love for travel has been ingrained since her early years, with cherished memories of...Read more

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