DISCOVER RICHMOND
Richmond, the capital city of the Commonwealth of Virginia, offers a unique and immersive experience of Black and Indigenous history and culture. Visit Historic Jackson Ward, one of America's most historic Black communities, known as the "Birthplace of Black Capitalism" and “Harlem of the South.” Explore the fertile area near the upper waters of the James River where historians believe Native American tribes, such as the Monacan, Powhatan, and Nottoway (who spoke the Siouan, Algonquian, and Iroquoian languages, respectively), converged to gather food and trade with other tribes. As you discover Richmond, you will encounter a landscape filled with America’s Black and Indigenous peoples’ remarkable stories of tragedy and triumph.
The following recommendations for your explorations are categorized by quick trips (approximately 2 hours or less), outside Richmond, and tours (self-guided and specialty). Quick trips’ subcategories are listed by neighborhoods, allowing for short bus transit or walkable distances between sites. Please be advised hilly terrain, historic brick walkways, and summer weather may impact walkability. As you plan your destinations, visit the location links for hours, ticket prices, transportation information, and accessibility provisions. One last recommendation is to visit some of Richmond’s spectacular Black and Indigenous-owned restaurants and shops along the way (see links below). There are award-winning chefs throughout the area, with some regularly appearing on the Food Network. You will not want to miss out on a chance to taste the culture of Richmond, the city Food & Wine magazine called a “culinary powerhouse.”
Quick Trips (approximately 2 hours or less)
Location: Jackson Ward, Richmond
Black History Museum & Cultural Center of Virginia
With interactive, educational, permanent, and traveling exhibitions, The Black History Museum & Cultural Center of Virginia celebrates the rich culture and moving histories of African Americans in Virginia and their contributions to our country.
Maggie Walker House and Historical Marker
(Accessibility details: https://www.nps.gov/mawa/planyourvisit/accessibility.htm)
Maggie Walker founded the St. Luke Penny Savings Bank in 1903, becoming the first Black woman in the U.S. to establish and serve as president of a bank. She was an African American entrepreneur and civil rights activist who promoted economic empowerment for the Black community.
Sixth Mount Zion Baptist Church
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, this active place of worship was organized by Rev. John Jasper in 1867. Born into slavery in 1812, Rev. Jasper gained freedom and became a nationally celebrated preacher.
Location: Museum District, Richmond
Virginia Museum of History & Culture
This major museum features exhibits on the civil rights movement of the 1950s-1970s and the long struggle for Black freedom.
Rumors of War (on Virginia Museum of Fine Arts grounds)
Artist Kehinde Wiley’s direct response to the statues on Monument Avenue – a 27-foot tall modern-day hero cast in bronze and sporting contemporary clothing. Modeled after the confederate J.E.B. Stuart monument, Rumors is located on the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts grounds.
Location: Downtown Richmond
The Virginia State Capitol is a National Historic Landmark and has been nominated for inclusion on the World Heritage List. It is also on the Virginia Landmarks Register and the National Register of Historic Places. Virginia State Capitol and Capitol Square Map.
Civil Rights Memorial (on Virginia State Capitol grounds)
Part of the Civil Rights Trail, this thought-provoking memorial commemorates protests that contributed to school desegregation in the state.
Elegba Folklore Society’s Cultural Center
Elegba Folklore Society has created a warm and eclectic gallery of fine art, imports, and crafts.
Virginia Women’s Monument (on Virginia State Capitol grounds)
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.
John Mitchell, Jr., "Fighting Editor" Historical Marker
In 1883, he launched a daring journalism career, becoming editor and publisher of the black-owned Richmond Planet. Known as the "Fighting Editor," Mitchell crusaded against lynching, served on the Richmond City Council (1888–1896), and founded the Mechanics Savings Bank in 1902. In 1904, he led a boycott of Richmond’s segregated streetcars.
Location: Shockoe Bottom
The Valentine First Freedom Center
This museum houses exhibitions that delve into America’s experience of religious liberty. It is located on the same corner where Virginia’s General Assembly met secretly during the American Revolution.
Lumpkin’s Jail in Shockoe Bottom
Lumpkin's Jail, also known as "the Devil's half acre," was a holding facility, or slave jail, located just three blocks from the state capitol building. Digging Up the Past at a Richmond Jail by Smithsonian Magazine (2009).
Location: Richmond City (outer perimeter locations)
The tour provides an in-depth look at the dynamics between this Gilded Age Mansion's upper-class landowners and working-class staff. In-house tours require separate tickets. Visitation of the grounds is free, and donations are accepted.
The Virginia Union University Museum Galleries
Located in the L. Douglas Wilder Library at Virginia Union University, the galleries include collections of masks, sculptures, and paintings from Africa and the South Pacific and African American folk art.
A major center for military activity during the Civil War, Richmond’s Chimborazo Hospital opened in October 1861 on Chimborazo Hill as one of the largest military hospitals in the Confederacy. After the Civil War, the hospital buildings were reused to create a Freedmen’s community or torn down for firewood; no structures from this period remain.
Outside Richmond City
Pamunkey Indian Museum & Cultural Center: Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historical Trail
The Pamunkey Indian Museum is the museum of the Pamunkey Indian Tribe and is located on the tribe's reservation in coastal Virginia. The exhibits showcase the tribe's history, artistic traditions, and role in historical events.
Henricus Historical Park: A Yehakin House: Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historical Trail
A yehakin house at the Henricus American Indian Village. The town of Henricus was built by the English a few years after the establishment of Jamestown. The area was formerly occupied by the Arrohateck people, who were displaced by English arrival. At Henricus Historical Park, tour a recreated Arrohateck village and learn about the well-known indigenous people, such as Pocahontas, who came to Henricus.
Self-Guided and Specialty Tours
A self-guided walking trail that chronicles the history of the trade of enslaved Africans from Africa to Virginia until 1775 and then away from Virginia, especially Richmond, to other locations in the Americas until 1865. Elegba Folklore Society offers additional tours and resources. Slave Trail Brochure and Map
Valentine Museum Self-Guided Tours
Each tour includes a downloadable PDF with directions, historical sites, and a Google Map. The tours include Capital Square, Court End, The Fan, Figures of Freedom, Murals of Jackson Ward, Oregon Hill, and Richmond Parks.
Virginia State Capitol Self-Guided and Guided Tours
Self-guided tours are available during operating hours each day. Capitol Visitors Brochure will help you get started. For guided tours, the Capitol Tour Guides are located in the Capitol’s underground extension, just beyond the Bank Street entrance lobby and security screening area.
Dutch Gap Conservation Area: Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historical Trail
Activity: Front-Country Hiking
This self-guided tour is along a boardwalk above a green, grassy marsh area. Dutch Gap Conservation Area is a wooded area in Chesterfield County, Virginia, surrounding Henricus, the second successful English settlement in Virginia. Today, the conservation area offers activities and opportunities for visitors looking for a way to enjoy the James River.
Tours of Richmond’s historic neighborhoods and landmarks are offered on a Segway, Trolley, Electric bike, and Gemcar.
A tuk-tuk is a three-wheeled, 100% electric, open-air limo. RVA TukTuk is committed to providing environmentally responsible transportation services and tours throughout Richmond’s historic neighborhoods.
Explore Richmond and surrounding areas, including Jamestown, by bike or on walking tours with Basket & Bike. Bike Rentals and picnic bike excursions are also available.
Richmond has one of the largest collections of public art in the country, and taking a tour of “Mending Walls,” a public art project spearheaded by artist Hamilton Glass, is a great way to see many of the murals that color the city landscape. Glass launched Mending Walls to “Bring about healing through public art while adding something meaningful to the conversation of Black Lives Matter.”
Links to Black and Indigenous-Owned Restaurants, Shops, and Services
80+ Black-Owned Businesses to Check Out in Downtown Richmond
Richmond Black Restaurant Experience
Pamunkey Museum and Cultural Center - The museum hosts a gift shop with items made/designed by Pamunkey Tribal Citizens. Inventory is updated regularly with items corresponding to varying price points to allow all visitors a chance to shop.
