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Richmond Attractions
Walking Tours
Historic Richmond Tours, a service of the Valentine Richmond History Center, offers guided walking tours of the downtown area on Sunday afternoons April through October. The tour covers such historic areas as the Riverfront, Hollywood Cemetery, Shockoe Bottom, Church Hill, the Court End, Jackson Ward and Richmond's Wall Street. Year-round specialty bus tours also are offered; phone (804) 649-0711.
Richmond Discoveries offers guided walking tours of Hollywood Cemetery on the last Sunday of each month March through October. Tours are $7; phone (804) 222-8595.
Visitors can view remnants of the James River and Kanawha Canal that once flowed westward 197 miles to the Allegheny Mountains. Highlights along the 1.5-mile walk, which runs between 7th and 12th streets, include views of Belle Isle, Brown's Island, Tredegar Iron Works, and the James River and Kanawha Tidewater Connection Locks.
Belle Isle, once home to a Civil War prison camp, can be reached by the pedestrian bridge under the Lee Bridge at 7th and Tredegar streets. A 1-mile walking trail allows visitors to walk along the falls and view the historic earthworks. Brown's Island is the former site of the Confederate Laboratory that exploded in 1863, killing some 50 workers.
Visitors can view remnants of the buildings of Tredegar Iron Works, the most important iron works in the South during the Civil War. The armor used for the CSS Virginia, formerly the USS Merrimac, was manufactured at this plant. Historical markers along the river recall the area's history.
Running along the James River, the Richmond Floodwall is a 1-mile-long concrete levee that varies in height from 7 feet to 30 feet. Self-guiding tour brochures are available for 50c from the Richmond Metropolitan Convention & Visitors Bureau Information Center at 405 N. Third St. Highlights of the walk atop the levee include views of the river where walkers can spot various wildlife, including blue herons, Canada geese and turtles.
Sports and Recreation
Centrally located, Richmond offers a wealth of recreational opportunities. To the west are the Blue Ridge and Shenandoah mountains and the chance for such winter sports as skiing and sledding. To the east are Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic Ocean where anglers and water sports enthusiasts alike can revel in the miles of shoreline.
The James River is a great place to lure in smallmouth bass; catfish, bream, largemouth bass and muskie also can be caught. Saltwater fishing can be found nearby in the Hampton Roads area and in Chesapeake Bay. For information about fishing licenses contact the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries; phone (804) 367-1000.
White-water rafting, kayaking, tubing and canoeing also are available on the James River. White-water canoe trips depart from James River Park, 22nd Street and Riverside Drive. The Richmond Raft Co., 4400 E. Main St., offers guided rafting trips on the James; phone (804) 222-7238. Adventure Challenge offers kayaking and tubing trips; phone (804) 276-7600.
Some 60 parks can be found throughout the greater Richmond area. Some of the activities available at the parks include tennis, bicycling, hiking, picnicking, swimming, boating and horseback riding. For information contact the Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities; phone (804) 780-5733 in Richmond, (804) 748-1623 in Chesterfield County, (804) 501-7275 in Henrico County or (804) 365-4695 in Hanover County.
James River Park, at 22nd Street and Riverside Drive, is a good place to fish or hike. As part of the park, Belle Isle is reached via a footbridge on Tredegar Street or from the parking lot on 22nd Street. The island has walking trails with interpretive signs, a floating fishing pier and the opportunity for kayaking, canoeing, bicycling and rock climbing.
Pocahontas State Park, in nearby Chesterfield, offers more than 7,000 acres of outdoor opportunities for camping, swimming, hiking, boating and fishing.
More than 20 public and private golf courses can be found within the Richmond area. Some of the public and semi-private courses are Birkdale, (804) 739-8800, 8511 Royal Birkdale Dr. in Chesterfield; The Crossings, (804) 261-0000, 800 Virginia Center Pkwy. in Glen Allen; Glenwood, (804) 226-1793, 3100 Creighton Rd.; The Hollows, (804) 798-2949, 14501 Greenwood Church Rd. in Montpelier; River's Bend, (804) 530-1000, 11700 Hogan's Alley Dr.; and Sycamore Creek, (804) 784-3544, 1991 Manakin Rd. in Manakin-Sabot.
Spectator sports abound in Richmond. Baseball fans can cheer on the Richmond Braves, a minor league team of the Atlanta Braves. The Braves play ball from April through September at The Diamond on the Boulevard; phone (804) 359-4444 for ticket information.
Ice hockey fans can be found downtown at the Richmond Coliseum where the Richmond RiverDogs play in the United Hockey League; phone (804) 225-7825 for ticket information.
The Richmond Kickers play soccer in the United States Interregional Soccer League at the University of Richmond Stadium at Douglas Avenue and McCloy Street; phone (804) 644-5425 for schedule and tickets.
With four major colleges and universities in the area, Richmond is home to many rivalrous collegiate games. Basketball and football are popular at the University of Richmond where the Spiders play ball in Robins Center and UR Stadium, respectively; phone (804) 289-8363. The Virginia Commonwealth University Rams play baseball and basketball; phone (804) 828-1726. The Panthers at Virginia Union University play football on campus at Hovey Field and basketball at the Arthur Ashe Center near The Diamond; phone (804) 342-1484. A variety of sports is offered at Randolph-Macon College in Ashland, including basketball, football and both men's and women's soccer, baseball, lacrosse and field hockey; phone (804) 752-7223.
Richmond is home to the Richmond International Raceway (RIR), which hosts several NASCAR automobile racing events throughout the year. Located at the Richmond Raceway Complex, the raceway houses some 105,000 reserved seats; phone (804) 345-7223 for tickets and information.
Shopping
From Americana antiques to trendy boutiques, Richmond offers a wealth of shopping experiences. For those searching for a taste of the past, Shockoe Slip is a three-block area on Cary Street where cobblestone streets and brick buildings house boutiques, shops and eateries in renovated tobacco buildings and warehouses. This area near the river once was the city's commercial center. Just a few blocks east is another rejuvenated area, Shockoe Bottom. Dating to 1737, the 17th Street Farmers' Market at Main Street is one of the oldest public marketplaces in the country. Local produce is offered during the summer months.
West of Shockoe Slip is the Sixth Street Marketplace, stretching from Grace Street to the Richmond Coliseum. This emporium blends historic buildings and modern specialty shops as well as restaurants and food booths. Another noteworthy shopping area is Carytown, a nine-block area of Cary Street between Nansemond and Boulevard known for its eclectic shops and sidewalk cafes.
Some 45 specialty shops are available on Libbie and Grove Avenues in the West End. Sycamore Square, off Midlothian Turnpike in Chesterfield County, offers Colonial-style buildings housing boutiques and galleries. Numerous antiques shops are located throughout the area, including several downtown off Broad Street.
Area malls include Chesterfield Towne Center, US 60 and Huguenot Road; Cloverleaf, Chippenham Parkway and US 60; Regency Square, Parham and Quioccasin roads; Shops at Willow Lawn, Willow Lawn Drive and Broad Street; Stony Point Fashion Park, off I-95 at Chippenham Pkwy.; and Virginia Center Commons, I-95 and I-295 exit 43C (US 1).
Performing Arts
Built upon a rich history, Richmond's cultural scene began in 1786 with the opening of the city's first theater. The Landmark Theater, 6 N. Laurel St., was formerly known as the Mosque because of its resemblance to a Moslem Temple. Built in 1926 by the Shriners, the 3,500-seat theater today offers performances by national touring companies; phone (804) 646-4213. The 2,040-seat Loew's Theatre, later re-named the Carpenter Center for the Performing Arts, will reopen in fall 2007 after a $25 million renovation; phone (804) 225-9000 for ticket and event information.
The Theatre IV building at 114 W. Broad St. originally was founded in 1911 as the Empire Theatre and underwent restoration in the early 1990s. It is now home to a children's theater; phone (804) 344-8040. The historic Barksdale Theatre was founded as Richmond's first dinner theater. The theater is now in The Shops at Willow Lawn and presents classical and contemporary performances; phone (804) 282-2620. Another historic theater, the Byrd Theatre, 2908 W. Cary St., was built in 1928 and offers contemporary movies; phone (804) 353-9911.
Offering five major concerts and several smaller venues, the Richmond Symphony is for classical music lovers; phone (804) 788-1212. The Richmond Philharmonic also presents four concerts a year throughout town; phone (804) 673-7400 for information. Concerts by top-name performers regularly take place at the Richmond Coliseum, 601 E. Leigh St.; phone (804) 780-4956 for event information.
The Richmond Ballet, the commonwealth's only professional troupe, performs year-round and travels throughout Virginia presenting its repertoire of both classical and contemporary works; phone (804) 344-0906.
Special Events
February is a busy month in Richmond with the Camping/RV Show early in the month, the Boat Show mid-month and the Home and Garden Show rounding out February; all three events take place at the Richmond Raceway Complex. The Maymont Flower and Garden Show is held in the middle of the month at the Greater Richmond Convention Center.
The Strawberry Hill Races are held in early April and feature a steeplechase race. Historic Garden Week takes place throughout the state at various times in April. During this special event, special homes and gardens are opened up to the public for viewing.
The Virginia State Horse Shows take place in mid-April, late June and August. In early May Byrd Park is home to Arts in the Park, one of the largest outdoor craft shows on the East Coast.
Mid-July brings the Big Gig music festival held at various locations downtown and the World Gardenfest for Children in Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden.
Confederate sailors and Marine troops portray life at Fort Darling at the height of the Civil War during the Living History Encampment at Drewry's Bluff in mid-October. In November the Richmond Centre presents the Hand Workshop's Craft and Design Show where more than 200 craftspeople display their wares.
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