This vibrant urban center warrants significantly more recognition

This dynamic metropolis

Richmond, VA, known locally as "RVA", is a city filled with fascinating history, top-notch museums, and vibrant neighborhoods. It's an ideal spot for dining, drinking, and outdoor activities, with a striking arts scene and an almost constant stream of festivals.

The city is acknowledging its intricate past, particularly its role as the Confederacy's capital during the Civil War and a significant slave trading hub, and is working on means to convey its complete story more accurately.

This is an excellent moment for tourists to witness the transformation of Virginia's capital city firsthand.

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Richmond's food scene is a key aspect of its vibrancy, offering a variety of flavors and a high concentration of black-owned restaurants.

In 2020, amidst the pandemic, Chef Michael Lindsey and his wife, Kimberly Love-Lindsey, opened Lillie Pearl, a restaurant that blends West African heirloom ingredients, Southern African-American cuisine, and global influences. Since then, the Lindsey Food Group has expanded, opening two locations of the fried chicken fast-casual spot Buttermilk and Honey, and additional restaurants like the modern Chophouse ML Steak downtown and in Chesterfield. California fusion concept Kali Love opened its doors in June.

The city's culinary landscape is diverse, from the spicy and delicious birria tacos at Maya Latin Kitchen to fine dining at The Mantu, an Afghan restaurant.

Discover Richmond Tours offers a range of food tours, enabling visitors to explore the city's neighborhoods while sampling a variety of cuisines.

The liquor scene is equally thriving. Scott Jones, co-owner of Triple Crossing Beer, has been instrumental in Richmond's rise as a beer destination, thanks to the city's extensive Beer Trail, which showcases more than 30 craft breweries. Since opening the first of three locations in 2014, Jones has witnessed the local culture evolve.

“The food scene, the arts scene, music, and beer – they have a symbiotic relationship, and over the years they have melded together and flourished to make Richmond an attractive destination,” he says.

“RVA has a high standard for breweries,” says beer columnist Annie Tobey, author of “100 Things to Do in Richmond Before You Die.” “There are so many quality breweries in Richmond that represent a wide range of styles.”

Scott’s Addition, a trendy neighborhood dubbed Richmond’s “craft beverage capital,” is home to a selection of breweries, including Väsen and The Veil. The surrounding area is also home to numerous wineries. For refined beverages without the intoxication, check out Floris in the stunning Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. The museum's highlights include the largest collection of Fabergé eggs outside of Russia.

For coffee lovers, Urban Hang Suite offers more than just your average latte. Opened six years ago as a community gathering and networking spot by Kelli Lemon, co-owner of the Richmond Black Restaurant Experience, the cafe is dedicated to supporting black-owned culinary brands.

Bustling Neighborhoods Rich in History

Richmond's lively neighborhoods make up its heart, each contributing to the city's character. Richmond is also home to over 150 murals, a testament to the explosion of dynamic street art around town.

Shockoe Slip, known for its cobblestone streets in southeastern downtown, offers contemporary restaurants, historic architecture, and a border along the south by the James River. To the east, one of Richmond's oldest neighborhoods, Shockoe Bottom, preserves centuries of history that the city is actively seeking to celebrate.

Today, these neighborhoods provide a mix of bars, entertainment venues, and historical sites, including a museum dedicated to Richmond resident Edgar Allan Poe and markers along the Richmond Slave Trail, a self-guided walking route that sheds light on the city's history of slavery.

The downtown core houses business and government buildings, including the Virginia State Capitol. The area is also home to the American Civil War Museum. One of the museum's three sites, the American Civil War Museum at Historic Tredegar, currently features “The Impending Crisis,” an exhibit that delves into the division of the United States on the brink of the Civil War. Guided tours are offered of the 1818 White House of the Confederacy, another unit of the museum located in the Court End neighborhood.

While Richmond's Civil War history is widely recognized, the city also played a role in the American Revolutionary War. Patrick Henry, a Founding Father and Virginia's first post-colonial governor, delivered his famous "Give me liberty... or give me death" speech in 1775 at Historic St. John’s Church in Church Hill.

North of the city center lies the lively cultural hub of Jackson Ward, once nicknamed the "Harlem of the South". This area is home to the Black History Museum & Cultural Center of Virginia. A recent addition to the museum is the exhibit "Virginia's Black Excellence in Music: A History of Music Lovers".

West of downtown, the chic Fan District, bordering Virginia Commonwealth University, is famous for its Victorian architecture, tree-lined streets, hip cafes, and upscale stores. Art enthusiasts will appreciate the four galleries and rotating common spaces at the Institute for Contemporary Art at VCU, which is free and open to all.

Richmond is home to more than 30 breweries.

Moving westward, the Museum District showcases the region's major museums, including the renowned Virginia Museum of Fine Arts and the Virginia Museum of History & Culture.

Just south of the Museum District, Carytown - Richmond's "style mile" - is known for its unique shops, restaurants, and the historic Byrd Theatre, a "grand movie palace" dating back to 1928 and still showing a variety of films.

Across the James River from downtown, Manchester is an up-and-coming area with an industrial-chic vibe, art studios, and picturesque river and city skyline views. The Richmond Slave Trail starts here at the Manchester Docks.

A Raw Look at the Past

In northeast Richmond, the statues of various Confederate leaders that once adorned Monument Avenue have been taken down. With over twice as many Confederate statues as any other US city, their removal during protests against racial injustice since 2020 forms part of Richmond's ongoing struggle to come to terms with the deep and intricate shadow that the Civil War and slavery have cast over its reputation. As Carla Murray, marketing communications director for Richmond Region Tourism explains, "Their removal is part of a broader effort to engage with the city’s complex history. The history is contentious, but we are committed to presenting the whole story."

The monuments now rest in the care of the Black History Museum & Cultural Center of Virginia, under the stewardship of the Valentine Museum. One of the statues can be found on display at the Valentine Museum. The Jefferson Davis statue, created by sculptor Edward Valentine, the museum's founding president, was erected on Monument Avenue in 1907. This statue, covered in paint and displayed on its side as it was when it fell during protests in June 2020, is part of a new exhibit focusing on the "Lost Cause" myth that the Valentine family championed.

The Shockoe neighborhood downtown is the focus of The Shockoe Project, a City of Richmond initiative to give more emphasis to the story of enslavement through multiple planned sites, including a National Slavery Museum.

Despite ongoing efforts to share a new narrative with visitors, Richmond still has work to do, according to Lemon, of the Richmond Black Restaurant Experience, who serves on the board of Virginia Tourism Corporation.

ESSENTIAL RICHMOND

EAT: Indulge in French fare at L’Opposum or savor Greek cuisine at Stella’s.
DRINK: Enjoy cocktails at Lemaire at The Jefferson Hotel or sample beer at Hardywood Park Craft Brewery.
STAY: rested at historic The Commonwealth or Shenandoah Mansions (opening this fall).
PLAY: Outdoors at James River Park.

As Lemon, referring to the RVA rebranding effort launched more than a dozen years ago, states, "If you want to enjoy this city, you'll have to let go of the old way of thinking. Since RVA became an official brand, the community has worked to change the narrative."

Richmond's Fan District is one of the city's vibrant neighborhoods.

Lemon hopes that while visiting Richmond's history, tourists will also come to know the city as a diverse, entrepreneurial, and creative hub.

Outdoor Fun

Richmond's human creativity is complemented by its natural assets and its knack for having a good time.

Outdoor enthusiasts will be captivated by Maymont, a sprawling 100-acre Victorian estate and public park located along the James River. Maymont plans to unveil its Virginia Wildlife Trail in fall 2024, providing a more unified and accessible network of trails through the habitats of over 300 native and domestic animals. To enhance educational experiences, the trail will feature additional facilities.

Nearby, the beautiful Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden is soon to celebrate its 40th anniversary with a major renovation.

Richmond's diverse festival schedule doesn't begin and end with the seasons. The 20Richmond Folk Festival, one of Virginia's biggest events, takes place from September 27-29. The Carytown Watermelon Festival, Virginia's largest single-day event, attracts nearly 100,000 attendees on August 11 for music, a festive summer atmosphere, and, of course, watermelon.

Richmond's beloved Minor League baseball team, the Flying Squirrels, is preparing for a new 10,000-seat stadium expected to open in 2026. For now, games are played at The Diamond, the city's baseball home since 1985.

On the horizon for summer 2025 is the 7,500-seat Riverfront Amphitheater, a four-acre, open-air venue offering stunning views of the downtown skyline and James River.

The river itself presents numerous opportunities for recreation. The 600-acre James River Park system offers over 20 miles (32 kilometers) of trails and a variety of water activities, including rare urban Class IV white water rapids.

"Wow, it's truly fantastic," Tobey remarks. "You can be navigating trails or battling the whitewater, and in just a jiffy, you're at a top-notch eatery."

This quick switch from one captivating location to another simply adds to the appeal of making a trip to Richmond.

The James River offers beautiful scenery and outdoor recreation.

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Exploring Richmond further, travelers can join guided food tours that showcase its diverse culinary scene, including Black-owned restaurants like Lillie Pearl and Buttermilk and Honey.

In the spirit of supporting local businesses, consider savoring a glass of craft beer at Triple Crossing Beer, a key player in Richmond's thriving beer scene.