For history enthusiasts, it doesn’t get much better than Richmond! Richmond has been pivotal in many of America’s most important historical events, from the first permanent English settlement in nearby Jamestown to serving as the Capital of the Confederacy during the Civil War. Richmond is very family-friendly and is a great place to pack in a lot of historical sightseeing!
General Tips on a Richmond Trip with Kids:
- Transportation: Richmond is best seen by car. Parking is usually not a problem at any of the historical sites.
- Public Transportation: Richmond does have a bus system, the GRTC PULSE, that can take you to most of the sites within the city limits.
- Food: Richmond has become a foodie town, and most restaurants are family-friendly. Some of our kids’ favorites around town are: Station 2, Bottoms Up Pizza, Casa Del Barco, Mama J’s, Tarrant’s, Bar Solita, Sally Bell’s Kitchen, and Can Can Brasserie. Don’t forget dessert at Shyndigz or Cameo Cakery!
- Lodging: Richmond has several convenient hotels to the historic sites. The grande dame of Richmond hotels is The Jefferson. Even if you don’t stay here, you have to visit the lobby! To stay in the heart of downtown, the Hilton Richmond Downtown is located in the building that housed the famous Miller and Rhoads department store. For a more economical stay, check out the Homewood Suites in downtown Richmond with its fabulous rooftop restaurant (Kabana).
- Websites to help you plan your trip:
Don’t Miss Attractions with Kids: Richmond is extremely family-friendly, with a playground, park, or fun place to visit around every corner.
- Children’s Museum of Richmond
- Science Museum of Virginia
- Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (look for the kids scavenger hunt booklet!)
- Don’t miss the Richmond Region Tourism Center at the Robinson House
- Maymont
- Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens
- Park365
- James River Park
- Metro Richmond Zoo (45 minute drive southwest of Richmond)
Historical sites: Check back often for more of these sites to be reviewed by The History Mom! Note that only sites reviewed by The History Mom are marked with *. Other links are external links to the museum’s own website.
- *Agecroft Hall and Gardens
- *American Civil War Museum
- *Black History Museum and Cultural Center of Virginia
- *English Homes in America (Agecroft and Virginia House)
- *Henricus
- *Historic Polegreen Church
- *Historic St. John’s Church
- *Hollywood Cemetery
- James River Plantations
- John Marshall House
- *Last week of the Civil War Historical Sites
- *Library of Virginia
- *Maggie L. Walker National Historic Site
- *Maymont Mansion
- *Patrick Henry’s Scotchtown
- *Richmond National Battlefield Park
- *The Poe Museum
- *The Valentine
- *Tuckahoe Plantation
- *Virginia Black History sites
- *Virginia Capital Trail
- *Virginia Holocaust Museum
- *Virginia Museum of History and Culture
- *Virginia State Capitol
- *Virginia War Memorial
- *Wilton House Museum
Books to Read:
All links are Amazon affiliate links.
- Guidebooks:
- 14 and up:
- 10 and up:
- 6 and up:
Other Resources:
- How We Got Here podcast
- John Smith Trail
- Road to Revolution Trail
- Virginia History Trails app
- Richmond Slave Trail
This page is continually updated.