- Things to Do
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Things to Do
James River Cellars -
Kings Dominion
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- Events
- Where to Stay
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Where to Stay
Museum District B&B -
The Jefferson Hotel
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- Plan Your Trip
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Plan Your Trip
Gourmet Getaway Itinerary -
Mancation Itinerary
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- About the Area
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About the Area
African American Diversity Guide -
New Kent County
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African-American Trailblazers
Learn about the contributions of African-Americans to Richmond Region history, through walking tours and museums located in areas such as Jackson Ward, once celebrated as the "Harlem of the South."
Day 1
Morning
- Black History Museum and Cultural Center of Virginia - View artifacts and objects that illustrate the history of African Americans, with a focus on Virginia. Allow 1 hour.
- Maggie L. Walker National Historic Site - Visit this restored home in the Jackson Ward community. Learn about the life of a great African American woman, who was born during slavery and achieved success in the world of business and finance as the first woman in the United States to charter and serve as president of a bank. Allow 1 hour.
- Bojangles Statue - Located at the corner of Adams and West Leigh streets in Jackson Ward, this statue not only commemorates the Richmond-born dancing phenom, Bill "Bojangles" Robinson, but also marks the spot of the city's first traffic light, a gift from Bojangles to keep children safe in his native community. Allow 15 minutes.
Afternoon
- Sixth Mt. Zion Baptist Church - This Jackson Ward church was organized in 1867 by the Rev. John Jasper -- a former slave and nationally celebrated preacher best known for his 1878 sermon "De Sun Do Move." Allow 45 minutes.
- Reconciliation Statue - Learn about Richmond's role in the slave trade at this hallowed site - depicting two people melded in an embrace -- not far from Richmond's former slave market in Shockoe Bottom. Allow 15 minutes.
- Maymont House - "In Service and Beyond Exhibit." Learn more about life in this 100-acre, Gilded Age Mansion - showcasing the dynamics between the upper-class landowners and working-class staff, most of whom were African-American. Allow 1 hour.
Day 2
Morning
- Museum in Memory of Virginia E. Randolph - Visit the Virginia Randolph Home Economics Cottage -- dedicated as a museum in memory of Virginia Estelle Randolph, a pioneer educator, humanitarian, and a creative leader in the field of education. Allow 45 minutes.
- Virginia Civil Rights Memorial - Learn more about the heroic efforts of local Virginians in the struggle for Civil Rights. The memorial tells the story of students who led a protest of intolerable conditions in their high school in 1951. The protest led to the pivotal Brown v. Board of Education case that overturned segregation in schools. Allow 30 minutes; more time for remainder of Capitol Square.
Afternoon
- Valentine Richmond History Center - Relive more than 400 years of Richmond's economic, social, and political history. Enjoy vibrant exhibits and art collections, along with a tour of Wickham House, a fully restored 1812 neoclassical home. Allow 1 hour for center; 1 hour for tour of Wickham House.
- Canal Walk - Take a 1.25-mile walk along the banks of the Haxall Canal and the James River & Kanawha Canal, noting the people and events associated with the history of downtown Richmond. Don't forget to visit the "Box" Brown Memorial located on the Canal Walk. Brown, born into slavery, made a bold escape to freedom by having himself nailed into a box and shipped to Philadelphia. The memorial is a life-sized replica of the box. Allow 1 hour.
Day 3
Morning
- Arthur Ashe Jr. Statue - Visit the most recent addition to Monument Avenue since 1929. The statue, erected in 1996, commemorates Richmond native Arthur Ashe Jr., as humanitarian, scholar and champion tennis player. Allow 15 minutes.
- American Civil War Center at Historic Tredegar - Explore the war from three essential perspectives - Union, Confederate, and African-American. Allow 1 hour.
- Elegba Folklore Society - Enjoy continuing exhibits of photography and art - along with special programs such as festivals, classes, cultural history tours and performances in dance, theater, and music. Allow 45 minutes.
Afternoon
- Richmond Slave Trail - Trace the route of trade of enslaved Africans along the James River into downtown Richmond. The evening torch-lit tour is especially moving. Allow 2 to 3 hours.
Blaze your own trail through the Richmond Region as you learn about early African-American historical sites and key figures in the struggle for freedom and equality. Start planning your trip now!
