Things to Do in Downtown Richmond, VA

American Civil War Museum

Discover Richmond's History

Learn about Richmond's place in U.S. history when you visit the museums, landmarks and sites of Downtown

There is history along every block of historic Downtown Richmond and its growing list of attractions allows you to explore our city's past, present and future. Choose from Downtown RVA's museums, trails and tours, eight historic neighborhoods and nationally recognized historic sites to discover all there is to learn about the history of Richmond, Virginia.

Poe Museum

Museums in Downtown Richmond, VA

American Civil War Museum

The American Civil War Museum is more than a collection of artifacts and relics. In the battle against the all-too-human instinct to wish the past were simple, the newly renovated and updated museum uses education and storytelling to explore the unparalleled significance the Civil War holds to complexities we face today.

Hours: Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays, 10AM-4PM
Location: 480 Tredegar Street | Monroe Ward

Black History Museum and Cultural Center of Virginia

The Black History Museum and Cultural Center of Virginia celebrates the stories of the famous, forgotten and always inspiring African American history of Virginia.

Hours: Thursday-Saturday, 10AM-5PM
Location: 122 W. Leigh Street | Jackson Ward

First Freedom Center

First Freedom Center was founded in 1984 to celebrate the bicentennial of the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom, adopted in 1786 by the Virginia General Assembly. Free to visit, the First Freedom Center celebrates this important history by exploring the past, present and future of religious freedom in America.

Hours: Tuesday-Sunday, 10AM-5PM
Location: 1321 E. Main Street | Financial District

Edgar Allen Poe Museum

Edgar Allan Poe was one of the most important and influential American writers of the 19th century. The Poe Museum’s collection is the most comprehensive in the world and its programs reach thousands of scholars, students, teachers and literary enthusiasts every year.

Hours: Tuesday-Saturday 10AM-5:00PM; Sunday 11AM-5PM (Closed Mondays)
Location: 1914 E. Main Street | Shockoe Bottom

James A. Buzzard River Education Center

The James A. Buzzard River Education Center serves as an environmental education hub for the students of Greater Richmond, as well as providing improved river access for visitors to the region and the community at-large.

Location: 2825 Dock Street | Riverfront District

Richmond Slave Trail

The City of Richmond and the Slave Trail Commission unveiled markers for the Richmond Slave Trail in April 2011. Seventeen markers along the path display somber and illuminating information on the history of slavery in Richmond. This three-mile trail goes from the James River's Manchester Docks at Ancarrow’s Boat Landing to Lumpkin's Jail Site in Shockoe Bottom.

Location: 1200 Brander Street | Manchester

The Valentine

The Valentine has been collecting, preserving and interpreting Richmond’s 400-year history for over a century. Located in the heart of historic downtown Richmond in the Court End neighborhood, the Valentine is a place for residents and tourists to discover the diverse stories that tell the broader history of our city.

Hours: Tuesday-Sunday, 10AM-5PM
Location: 1015 E. Clay Street | Court End

Virginia Holocaust Museum

The Virginia Holocaust Museum preserves and documents the Holocaust in exhibits and its archival collections. Through the permanent exhibit, educational programming, and outreach, the museum employs the history of the Holocaust and other genocides to educate and inspire future generations of Virginians to fight prejudice and indifference.

Hours: Monday-Friday, 9AM-5PM; Saturday-Sunday, 11AM-5PM
Location: 2000 E. Cary Street | Shockoe Bottom

Virginia War Memorial

The Virginia War Memorial is the Commonwealth of Virginia’s premier monument, museum, and educational center dedicated to Virginians who served to defend the United States from World War II through today.

Hours: Monday-Saturday 9AM-4PM; Sunday, 12-4PM
Location: 621 S. Belvidere Street | Monroe Ward

Riverfront Canal Cruises

Tours in Richmond, VA

Basket & Bike

Basket & Bike offers three types of downtown bike tours: Downtown Sunset Bike Tour, Discover Downtown Bike Tour and the Richmond Art & Secret Garden Bike Tour, perfect for locals and out of town guests alike.

Bikes & Brunch Tours

Whether you are on a weekend getaway, local and looking for a new activity with friends, or just want to get out, Bike & Brunch tours will provide you with a fun-filled morning tasting Richmond's delicious food while reviewing years of history and happenings. Tours are available from April through October.

Haunt of Richmond Ghost Tours

Richmond has its share of ghostly and ghastly tales, and Haunts of Richmond can't wait to share them with you on one of their downtown-focused ghost tours: Shadows of Shockoe, Haunted Capitol Hill, Phantoms of Franklin and Haunted Pub Hops.

Let's Roam

Let's Roam offers tons of great scavenger hunts, street art walks, ghost hunts, bar crawls and other activities in the Richmond, VA area.

Mending Walls Project

Mending Walls is a public art project that brings together public artists from different cultures to create murals that address where we are now in society and how we can move forward through understanding and collaboration.

Riverfront Canal Cruises

The Riverfront Canal Cruise in downtown Richmond features a 40-minute, historically-narrated boat tour of the James River and Kanawha Canal, designed by George Washington. Hear about centuries of Richmond’s history, from Powhatan’s Chiefdom to the first commercially successful electric streetcar in the world, while traveling in authentic boats. Learn more about Riverfront Canal Cruises here!

Richmond Mural Project

The Richmond Mural Project is an annual event with the goal of creating over 100 murals by world-renown talent. The project has established Richmond as a landmark destination for internationally recognized murals, establishing it as a premier art destination with 100+ murals throughout the city. Explore 20 places to find street art in downtown Richmond here!

Richmond Food Tours

Discovering Richmond Food Tours means exploring the Arts District as an insider. You will sample delicious food and snacks from 6 different restaurants like: Wong Gonzalez, Lift Coffee Shop, Mama J's, Chez Foushee, Lillie Pearl, Bar Solita, NAMA and more.

Richmond Tour Guys

The Downtown Sampler, Shockoe Bottom and Capitol Square tours are acclaimed by locals and visitors who discover fun stories and ways to experience the city like they never have before; exploring and seeing Richmond through new eyes.

RVA Trolley

Historic tours, craft brewery tours, winery tours, food tours, street art tours, custom tours and more! Explore all Richmond has to offer on board one of these authentic, vintage trolleys!

RVA TukTuk

RVATukTuk offers tours and rides all around Richmond on their fleet of electric-powered, three-wheeled open-air vehicles.

Segway of Richmond

Segways are a perfect way to tour Richmond and super easy to use! Cover more ground than walking, and get up close to all the amazing things Richmond has to offer - history, street art and more!

The Valentine Walking Tours

Explore some of downtown Richmond's most historic neighborhoods, like Court End, Shockoe Bottom, Shockoe Slip and more, on these engaging and illuminating tours of Richmond's past by The Valentine.

Walking the Ward with Gary Flowers

Gary L. Flowers provides walking tours of Historic Jackson Ward featuring 20 stops in the downtown neighborhood of his hometown of Richmond, Virginia. Tours include historic, educational, economic, religious and social institutions that inspired the name "Black Wall Street" and "The Harlem of the South."

Check out more great Downtown Richmond tours here!