Attractions
Capitol Square
Richmond's Capitol Square is a glorious oasis of old trees and green lawns in the heart of the downtown area, perched on a hilltop. The magnificent centerpiece is the neo-classical State Capitol building, designed by Thomas Jefferson, which has been in continuous use since 1788. In the Capitol's Rotunda stands Virginia's most treasured artwork, the life-sized statue of George Washington sculpted by Jean Antoine Houdon, for whom Washington posed. Another highlight of the square is the Governor's Mansion, home of Virginia governors since 1813. The mansion, which has been restored, but boasts its original woodwork, plaster cornices and ornamental ceilings, is open for tours on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays (first floor only). Another historic building in the square is the old Bell Tower, dating from 1824, which houses a visitor center providing tourist information about Virginia.
Telephone: (804) 698 1788 (tour information)
Web site: legis.state.va.us
Opening time: State Capitol is open for tours Monday to Saturday 8.30am to 5pm, Sunday 1pm to 4pm
Admission: State Capitol tours are free
The Museum and White House of the Confederacy
Civil War buffs flock to the Museum of the Confederacy, which houses the most comprehensive collection of Confederate artifacts, personal memorabilia and art to be found anywhere in the United States. The exhibits include 550 battle flags, 215 uniforms, including those of well-known officers, and 1,000 military buttons. Art works include E.B.D. Julio’s heroic painting, ‘The Last Meeting of Lee and Jackson’. Beside the museum is the White House of the Confederacy, the 1818 mansion in which Confederate President Jefferson Davis and his family lived during the Civil War. It is still furnished with original items. Visitors have to join a tour to see the White House. These depart regularly throughout the day.
Address: 1201 East Clay Street
Telephone: (804) 649 1861
E-mail: info@moc.org
Web site: www.moc.org
Opening time: Monday to Saturday 10am to 5pm; Sunday 12pm to 5pm. Closed Wednesdays in winter
Admission: Museum: $8 (adults), $4 (children 7-18); White House: $8 (adults), $4 (children). Combo ticket: $11 (adults), $6 (children). Other concessions available
Richmond National Battlefield Park
Between 1861 and 1865, Union armies repeatedly set out to capture Richmond, strategic capital of the Confederacy, and end the Civil War. Three of those campaigns came within a few miles of the city. The park commemorates 11 different sites associated with those campaigns, including the battlefields at Gaines' Mill, Malvern Hill, and Cold Harbor. Established in 1936, the park protects 763 acres of historic ground. There is a visitor center in the Tredegar Irons Works on Richmond Riverfront Canal Walk at the corner of Tredegar and 5th Streets. Here, a film depicting the battles around the city is shown and information about self-guided tours of the battlefields is available.
Telephone: (804) 226 1981
Web site: www.nps.gov/rich
Openingtime: Battlefields are open from sunrise to sunset. Visitor center open 9am to 5pm
Admission: Free
Virginia Museum of Fine Arts
Richmond boasts an exceptional Fine Arts Museum, which presents a panorama of world art from ancient to modern, including the largest public Fabergé imperial Easter egg collection outside of Russia, consisting of 150-odd jewel-encrusted creations made for Tsars Alexander III and Nicholas II. The Museum also boasts a collection of English silver, one of the world's leading collections of the art of India, Nepal and Tibet, and six Gobelin Don Quixote tapestries.
Address: 200 N. Boulevard
Telephone: (804) 340 1400
E-mail: webmaster@vmfa.state.va.us
Web site: www.vmfa.state.va.us
Openingtime: Wednesday to Sunday 11am to 5pm
Admission: Free, but a donation of $5 is suggested. Admission fees are charged for temporary exhibitions
St John’s Episcopal Church
St John’s Church has stood on Richmond Hill above the James River since 1741, and is known for having been the venue for the second Virginia Convention in 1775, attended by George Washington and other historic personalities. The church is also where legendary Pocahontas was baptized and married to John Rolfe. The wooden building still boasts its original pulpit and some exquisite stained-glass windows. Between May and September living history performances are given every Sunday recreating the historic Second Virginia Convention. Informative tours explore the historic significance of the church building and grounds.
Address: 2401 East Broad Street
Telephone: (804) 648 5015 (Tour operations)
E-mail: stjohns-church@inetmail.att.net
Web site: www.historicstjohnschurch.org
Openingtime: Guided tours Monday to Saturday 10am to 3.30pm; Sunday 1pm to 3.30pm. Sunday services at 8.30am, 9.30am and 11am
Admission: $6 (adults), $4 (scholars)
Virginia Science Museum
The hands-on Virginia Science Museum allows visitors to touch, feel, observe and explore the impact of science on their lives, covering everything from astronomy to computers, and crystals to flight engineering. The museum is housed in a soaring historic building, the former Broad Street Station designed in 1919 by John Russell Pope. The fascinating and fun museum is complemented by a 275-seat Ethyl Universe Planetarium/Space Theatre that screens Omnimax films as well as providing multimedia planetarium shows.
Address: 2500 West Broad Street
Telephone: (804) 864 1400
E-mail: info@smv.or
Web site: www.smv.org
Openingtime: Exhibits: Monday to Saturday 9.30am to 5pm, Sunday 11.30am to 5pm. The IMAX and Planetarium have various screening schedules
Admission: Exhibits: $10 (adults), $9 (children 4-12). Big Screen: $8.50. Combination ticket: $17.50 (adults), $16.50 (children)
