Maymont is a 100-acre Gilded Age estate that was built by Major James Dooley and his wife Sallie May in 1893. The 12,000 square-foot, 33 room mansion is surrounded by numerous gardens, ponds, bridges, gates, gazebos, a nature and visitor center, various wildlife exhibits, an arboretum, and meandering walking paths. It has been open to the public since 1926 and has remained largely intact since that time. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1971. The grounds and gardens are open daily and the mansion offers guided tours every half-hour during normal operating hours.

Located on the bluffs of the James River in Richmond, VA, Hollywood Cemetery is second only to Arlington National Cemetery in numbers of visitors each year. Hollywood Cemetery is 135-acres and features an unusual artistry in its design. It is often called “garden cemetery” and was designed by notable architect John Notman of Philadelphia in 1847. There are approximately 18,000 Confederate soldiers interred at the cemetery. Other Civil War notables buried here are General George Pickett and Confederate President Jefferson Davis. President James Monroe and President John Tyler are also buried at Hollywood. Admission is free and historic walking tours are available April through October, Monday-Saturday.

The Carillon, Virginia's War Memorial for World War I, was erected by the Commonwealth of Virginia to commemorate those who served. Designed by noted Boston architect Ralph Adams Cram, it is an interpretation of the Italian campanile in Georgian classicism. A commission was formed about 1922 to study a design and a site but public campaigns altered the initial proposal and delayed construction until 1931. The tower was completed and dedicated on 15 October 1932. The Carillon reaches a height of 240 feet and its bells were originally intended to ring out patriotic concerts.

Belle Isle was originally known as Broad Rock Island. It was first explored by Captain John Smith in 1607. The island has served several purposes over time. In the 18th century, it was a fishery. In 1814, it was utilized as a nail factory ran by the Old Dominion Iron and Nail Company. During the 1860s, the island was home to a small a village with its own school, church, and general store. During the Civil War, the island served as a prison for Union soldiers. Between 1904 and the 1963, the island was home to the Virginia Electric Power Company. Today, Belle Isle is a 540-acre historic site and park for the city of Richmond, reachable by foot or bicycle via a suspension bridge that runs under the Robert E. Lee Bridge. Belle Isle has several bike trails and offers historic markers, walking trails, and attractions such as rock climbing.

Designed by Thomas Jefferson and in operation since 1788, this is the oldest state capitol in the United States and even predates the United States Capitol in Washington. The capitol building is the 8th home of Virginia's government which began in the colonial era with the establishment of the House of Burgesses in 1619. This building also served as the Capitol of the Confederacy during the Civil War. Capitol Square includes monuments and statues honoring Virginians such as George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Patrick Henry, John Marshall, Stonewall Jackson. Newer statues honor leaders of the Civil Rights Movement such as Barbara Johns.

Constructed between 1886 and 1894, this High Victorian Gothic building served as Richmond's City Hall from 1894-1971. It replaced the earlier City Hall and Courthouse buildings on the same site (1816-1875) after the original hall's gallery collapsed. After an architectural competition, internationally noted Detroit architect Elijah Myers' design was chosen for the building. Today, the first floor is open to visitors, while the upper floors house offices leased by Historic Richmond.

The Valentine, Richmond’s oldest private museum, was created in 1898 with funding, art, and artifacts donated by Mann Valentine II after his death in 1892. In addition to exhibition spaces, a Federal period mansion known as the Wickham House can be found at the museum. This house gives a glimpse into what life was like for a wealthy 19th century Richmond family. The Valentine also manages the First Freedom Center at the corner of S 14th Street and E Cary Street, the same location where Virginia's General Assembly met in the American Revolution. The First Freedom Center includes a monument and exhibits dedicated to the history of religious freedom.

Egyptian Revival architecture is quite uncommon in the US, but Richmond’s Medical College of Virginia boasts its own Egyptian Building. Although the style chosen for this structure may seem bizarre at first, there is a perfectly logical reason behind it. When the Medical Department at Virginia Commonwealth University decided that they needed a space created for the specific purpose of medical education, architecture Thomas Somerville Stewart proposed using the Egyptian architectural style, arguing that the origins of medicine could be traced back to ancient Egypt. Specifically, he was referring to the famous Egyptian physician Imhotep, the first healer recorded in written History.

Virginia House was assembled here from 1925 to 1928 using materials salvaged from a sixteenth-century manor house, the Thomas Hawkins Priory, in England, along with materials from other historic English homes. Dismantling the historic estate and its removal to the states was controversial in England. The new owners, Alexander and Virginia Weddell, lived in the mansion from 1929 until their deaths in a train accident on New Year's Day 1948. Mr. Weddell served as the U.S. Ambassador to Spain and Argentina from 1933 to 1942. Mr. Weddell served as president of the Virginia Historical Society (VHS) for years; the couple bequeathed the property to the group. Virginia House became a National Register of Historic Places listing in 1990 and has been preserved largely as the Weddell family left it. Virginia House is not open to the public but is used for VHS events and special event rentals.

This Elizabethan home, built during the latter portion of the 15th century, once stood on the banks of the River Irwell in Lancashire, England. For hundreds of years it belonged to the Langley and Dauntesey families, until it was bought, dismantled, and shipped to the United States in the mid-1920s by businessman T.C. Williams Jr. Once in the States, the home was relocated to the banks of the James River, named after one of England's many medieval rulers. It is now a house museum that reveals what daily life was like for a wealthy, landed gentry living in Tudor England.

Designed as a radio station by world-renowned, American architect Philip Johnson in the late 1960s, the WRVA Building is now the home of ChildSavers Memorial Child Guidance Clinic. WVRA was one of the first radio stations in Virginia and this building is considered among many of the city's important mid-20th-century architectural landmarks. The building was completed in 1968 featuring a modern construction aesthetic and windows architect Johnson called “punched holes” because they appeared like rounded-corner rectangles in the otherwise solid concrete of the building. The free-standing concrete tower stands above the one-story building which was designed to match the scale of neighboring homes and buildings while the modern style and lines of this building stood out significantly. ChildSavers is a non-profit dedicated to guiding local children through critical moments with trauma-informed mental health and child development services.

Being the center of Henrico Parish, St. John’s Episcopal Church and its congregation stretches back to the very beginnings of Virginia in 1611, being an offshoot of the first church in Jamestown. William Byrd II is credited with establishing Richmond with land he donated in 1733, and in 1740 he donated land for the construction of a church for Henrico Parish. Completed in 1741, St. John’s Episcopal Church is not only the oldest church in Richmond, it is the oldest wooden church in Virginia. In March 1775, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Richard Henry Lee, Peyton Randolph, and over 100 other prominent Virginians met in St. John’s Church to hold the Second Virginia Convention. It was during this meeting in the church that Patrick Henry delivered his famous “Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death” speech, cementing the church in American history. St. John’s Church continued to thrive, surviving two domestic wars and the financial fluctuations of the 19th-Century. However, the urban flight and racial segregation of the mid-20th-Century greatly reduced the number of church members and residents within the Church Hill neighborhood. In the recent decades, St. John’s Church and its surrounding neighborhood have experienced a resurgence in prominence. St. John’s Episcopal Church was designated a National Historic Landmark on January 20, 1961, designated a Virginia Landmark on June 2, 1970, and added to the National Register of Historic Places as a contributing member of the St. John’s Church Historic District on September 15, 1970.

The Great Shiplock Park is as small riverfront park that provides a quiet place to watch the tidal James River as well as a place to learn a little about Richmond’s transportation history. The park, which serves as the western trailhead to the 52-mile Virginia Capital Trail, is part of the James River Park system. It contains an operational canal lock that was built from 1850-1854. It also is home to the remnants of the Trigg Shipyard that was in operation from 1898 through 1903. A small lift bridge, owned by the Norfolk Southern Railroad, is also contained within the park.

This school was built around 1895, and at that time, it served the town of Fairmount in Henrico County. In 1906, Fairmount was annexed into the City of Richmond, and the school had an enrollment over 500 students at that time along with 15 teachers. Until 1958, school enrollment was restricted to white students. The building was enlarged several times between 1908 and 1950. The school was renamed Helen Dickinson in 1925 to honor a former principal. In 1958, the school was converted into a school for African Americans, and at that time, the Fairmount name was reinstated. The school closed in 1979, and the city later sold the building to Churchill-Fairmount Limited Partnership. Fairmount School was renovated in 1994 into apartments known as Fairmount House to house the handicapped or the elderly. In 2005, the Empire/ Gothic Revival style Fairmount School was added to the National Register of Historic Places; it is in the center of the 99-acre Fairmount Historic District, listed in 2008.

Chimborazo Hospital served as a very important Confederate hospital during the Civil War. Although the hospital no longer stands, a museum stands in its place to commemorate the Confederate hospital and its superior work for its time. While in operation, the hospital was often referred to as, "The Hospital on the Hill." The museum in its stead serves as part of the Richmond National Battlefield Park.

Built in 1753 for William Randolph III and moved and reconstructed during the Great Depression, the Wilton House Museum is now Richmond’s only 18th century plantation manor house and home to the area’s premier decorative arts collection. The museum, which opened in 1952, now displays over 1,400 historical items to include furniture, paintings, silvers, ceramics, textiles and documents and was added to the National Register of Historical Places in 1976.

Established in the 1890s, Spring Park is the oldest park in Henrico County, Virginia. Formerly known as Young's Springs, it was the site of a slave rebellion in 1800, also known as Gabriel's Rebellion. This rebellion was organized by a slave named Gabriel that belonged to owner Thomas Prosser. On August 10, 1800, slaves from neighboring towns and cities like Richmond, Chesterfield, Hanover, and Caroline met to plan an organized slave revolt to escape from their statuses. At this meeting, the enslaved men voted Gabriel Prosser as the “General of the Rebel Army.” Gabriel was a literate Blacksmith slave on the Brookfield Plantation in Henrico County, Virginia. History of the slave revolt can be found on memorial stones around the park.

Dating back to 1910, this well-preserved complex serves as a reminder of the efforts to treat tuberculosis during the early-to-mid-twentieth-century. The remnants of Pine Camp Tuberculosis Hospital consist of a group of three buildings that survive from a larger historic tuberculosis hospital complex. The three structures are the Central Building, the Administration Building, and a laundry and garage building.

The Dabbs House has served as both a historic home, a police station, a home for the poor, and a headquarters for Confederate General Robert E. Lee during two critical months of the Civil War. Today, the home is a house museum with exhibit galleries and a research library. The museum and home are open to the public, with daily tours of the home and the museums exhibits and gift shop. Visitors can start their tour with a video on the history of the Dabbs House. For those interested in a more in-depth study of the history of the area, the Research Library houses books and many other resources related to the the Civil War in Henrico County.

The Virginia Aviation museum was established in 1986 in Richmond, Virginia. This museum has exhibits that are dated to WWII and earlier. It features an exhibit to the Wright Brothers, WWI, WWII, and the golden age of aviation(1920s and early 30s). Included in the exhibits, is a local Virginia Hall of Fame. The museum currently has 32 exhibits, some are owned, while others are on lease. The museum features an interactive center, as well as displays. The museum has a fee to view exhibits, but active military can access the museum free of charge.

­­After the Army of the James captured Fort Harrison and Richmond’s outer defenses following the Battles of Chaffins Farm and New Market Heights, Confederate General Robert E. Lee ordered multiple failing counterattacks. In a failed attempt to recapture their former fortifications near Fort Harrison, The Battle of Darbytown Road would be the last offensive action by Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia north of the James River. This battle, a series of skirmishes, occurred between October 7 – 13, a part of the Richmond-Petersburg campaign. This Battle ended with the Confederate force’s briefly recapturing but failing to hold their former position as they ultimately fell back to fortify closer to Richmond.

Part of the National Park Service’s Richmond National Battlefield Park system, Drewry’s Bluff sits 90 feet above the James River just south of Richmond. Named after landowner, Augustus Drewry, the bluff, Ft. Darling and the Confederate soldiers who occupied it played a significant role in protecting Richmond from Union attempts to capture the Confederate capital in 1862 and again in 1864. Occupying 42 wooded acres, the park now boasts walking trails, an artillery piece, interpretive signs and visitors can stand on defensive earthen works that provide a stunning view of the James.

This was the home of two key slaves, named Tom and Pharaoh. On the year 1800, they were part of a rebellious plan known as Gabriel's Conspiracy. However, they fled to Meadow Farm shortly before the rebellion would take place to inform their owner named Mosby Sheppard. Sheppard was able to notify government officials about the planned rebellion in order to quickly shut it down.

This historic home was used by Union General Fitz John Porter as his headquarters during the Battle of Gaines's Mill. Hugh Watt's family farm was located two miles away from the field in which the battle took place, but the battle quickly spread to this farmstead. A visitor wrote that in the aftermath of the battle “the walls and roof [of the Watt home] were torn with shot and shell.” The home was surrounded by freshly-dug graves as well as damaged and abandoned artillery pieces and hastily-built defensive fortifications. Today, the Watt House serves as a reminder of the destructive nature of the Civil War. The home is part of the Gaines' Mill Battlefield Park.

This newest edition to the Richmond National Battlefield Park first opened to the public in 2011. The organization acquired this 124-acre Civil War battlefield and historic Shelton House (sometimes referred to as Rural Plains) in 2006. The battle took place from May 28-30, 1864 and was part of the Union Army’s Overland Campaign. The battlefield now includes a two-mile walking trail, complete with a footbridge across Totopotomoy Creek, that takes visitors through original Union breastworks and along Confederate defensive positions. It also includes numerous interpretive signs and artillery pieces.

Known simply as 'The Ghost Church' by many, this simple monument of white steel beams marks the location- and former structure- of what was possibly the first non-Anglican church in Virginia. The Polegreen Church was built here in 1743 as one of four licensed "reading houses" for the religious dissenters in Hanover County. Led by Reverend Samuel Davies, a congregation met regularly at the Polegreen Church until Davies left Virginia in 1759. The church building stood for over a century until it was destroyed by Confederate artillery in May of 1864 during the Battle of Totopotomoy Creek. A stone monument marker was placed near the site in 1929, and the Historic Polegreen Church was then added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1991. Ten years later, the steel beams mirroring the exact dimensions of the once-standing Polgreen Church were erected as a public monument to religious freedom.

Magnolia Grange, named after the magnolia trees that used to surround the property, was constructed in 1823 by William Winfree in the Federal Style and would remain in the family until 1845. After passing through several hands, the house would be acquired by Stephen DuVal in 1861. Two more people would own it before it came into the possession of Emma Cogbill in 1881. The Cogbill family would retain ownership of the house until 1969. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.

The Henricus settlement is located on the border between both Chesterfield and Henrico County, Virginia near the city of Dutch Gap. Virginians come here to learn more about their state’s early history, and are given a hands-on look at what life was like during the early days of English colonization in the New World. The settlement itself was founded by Sir Thomas Dale in September of 1611 as a second seat of the Virginia Colony, after the failure of nearby Jamestown. Henricus is also famous for having the first constructed hospital in what is now the United States.

This modest visitor center, located within Glendale Cemetery, provides historical information and orientation for two major Civil War battles that took place in 1862 just to the southeast of Richmond, Virginia. The Center and Park interpret the final battles of the Seven Days Battle, which concluded the Peninsula Campaign. The latter was the Union's attempt, under George B. McClellan, to capture the Confederate capitol of Richmond. The former was the South's counterattack which started at the gates of the capitol city and drove the Union back to the Virginia coast to their base of operations. The Confederate victory was due to the Army of Northern Virginia's leadership under Robert E. Lee, who had replaced Joseph Johnston. Johnston was severely wounded during an assault against Union lines outside Richmond. Lee then commenced massive, brilliant, yet costly assaults to drive the Union out. The Center also includes a five-minute electronic battlefield map display that traces the progress of each battle. Additionally, interpretive displays and historical artifacts to include artillery shells and other weapons. Park rangers are present to answer questions while the center is open during the months of June, July and August.

This is the Henry Clay Inn of Ashland, Virginia. The Henry Clay Inn sits on the edge of Center St in the Town of Ashland. The yellow, colonial style inn is directly located behind the Ashland Train Station. A peaceful, historical residence that celebrates it's small, local community.

Located just north of Richmond, the Hanover Tavern is one of the oldest taverns in the nation. Once part of a larger complex, a license for the first tavern was issued in 1733. The original tavern was built sometime around 1750 and its fate is unknown, but fire is probably the most likely culprit. The current 12,000 square feet, 27-room tavern was built in stages with the oldest section dating back to 1791. The Hanover Tavern is now home to a pub, restaurant and the intimate Barksdale Theatre.

A marker on Route 301 just north of Richmond, VA in Henrico County marks the spot of Gabriel's Rebellion, one of the largest and most far-reaching rebellions in American history. The rebellion occurred in 1800 and put down by violent force and factors such as inclement weather and saboteurs inside the insurrection. Gabriel (sometimes attributed with the surname Prosser), was born in slavery in 1776 at Thomas Prosser's tobacco plantation. He organized and led a massive slave rebellion at the age of 24, including both white works and free African Americans in addition to enslaved people to kidnap then-Governor of Virginia James Monroe. The group planned on holding Monroe to negotiate with Richmond officials for a more equitable society. The rebellion ended in the trial and hanging of at least 25 members of the rebellion.

Shirley Plantation is the site of colonial property on the shore of Eastern Virginia. The property dates back to the 17th century. It was remained in the same family for several generations that had remained even after the American Civil War. Today, the house has been converted into a museum that gives a glimpse to both a prominent Virginia family as well as life in Colonial and Antebellum Virginia. Shirley is one of Virginia’s most well-known plantations on its Eastern side.

The Old Brick House, also known as the Kennon House, is one of the oldest standing brick homes in the state of Virginia. Archeologists have discovered many artifacts that date back to the Middle and Late Woodland periods, indicating a long standing presence of Native Americans. One of the oldest homes in the state, the Old Brick House has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 2003. Today the property is owned and preserved by the Old Brick House Foundation.

City Point was a town in Prince George County, Virginia that was annexed by the independent city of Hopewell in 1923. The city is famous for serving as the headquarters of the Union Army during the Siege of Petersburg during the American Civil War.

Home to Patrick Henry and the place where he conceived his most influential revolutionary ideas, Scotchtown is maintained by Preservation Virginia and open for tours. Henry lived here from 1771-1778, and it was here that he formulated his ideas in support of the revolution that led to the separation of the colonies and the creation of the United States. At this location, Henry formulated the ideas of his famous speech where he declared “Give me Liberty or Give me Death” in this home and rode to St. John’s Church in Richmond on March 23, 1775 where he delivered what would become one of the most famous and influential speeches in the history of the country he helped create.

Built in 1909-1910, the structure replaced an earlier structure that was damaged by a flood. During its time as a train station, it was a central hub in Virginia up until 1971. Located along the northeastern edge of the Petersburg Old Towne Historic District, Union Station is now owned by the City of Petersburg and serves as a venue for meetings and events.

The Petersburg National Battlefield commemorates the Richmond-Petersburg Campaign of the Civil War. This nine month siege cut the Confederate Army off from their supplies by creating a 30 mile trench and forced General Robert E. Lee to fall back to Appomattox. It is estimated that there were 28,000 Confederate and 42,000 Union casualties during the period of the siege. The National Battlefield now includes restored buildings and a small museum. The park is best viewed in a 33 mile, 16 stop driving tour.

Appomattox Iron Works is a complex of nine structures that produced agricultural and industrial products in downtown Petersburg, Virginia. The foundry business opened in 1872 and moved to the current location in 1899. The foundry operated until 1946, the machine shop until 1952, and the mill and supply store until 1972. In 1976, the Appomattox Iron Works complex was listed on the National Register of Historic Places and the Virginia Landmarks Register.

The Berkeley Plantation holds over 1,000 acres along the banks of the James River. The Georgian manor that sits on the estate was built by the Harrison family in 1726. The home is currently filled with period furniture and antiques. Also found on the grounds are elaborate gardens and paths available to visitors. Tours are conducted by guides in period costumes to give visitors a better feel for the history of the building and grounds.

St. Paul's Church was constructed between 1855-57 in the Gothic style after the plans and supervision of the Baltimore architects Niernsee and Neilson. Modifications were made to the building in 1903 when the chancel was enlarged and in 1922 when a Parish House was built adjacent to the structure. The Rectory, built in ca. 1860, stands to the north of the church. One of the most famous communicants of St. Paul's was General Robert E. Lee who worshiped at the church during the Siege of Petersburg in 1864-65. Lee's son, W.H.F. Lee was married in the church in 1867.

The Westover Church is located approximately five miles west of Charles City, Virginia, off Virginia State Route 5. The church was built in 1731 and encompasses forty acres of surrounding land. Westover Church is significant not only for its historical associations, but also because it is an excellent example of the rectilinear form of colonial Virginia church architecture. The structure is quite picturesque and has long been a familiar landmark along Virginia's historic Route 5.

This is the headquarters of Historic Petersburg Foundation, Inc. (HPF), an organization whose mission is "to lead the preservation and restoration of Petersburg's historic architecture and neighborhoods and to tell their story." HPF purchased the building in 2000 and has overseen extensive renovation to the structure.

Eppington is a Georgian-style plantation home that was built in 1768 by Frances Eppes and is situated along the Appomattox River in Chesterfield County. Eppington is historically significant because Francis Eppes, was a cousin of Martha Wayles Skelton Jefferson, Wife of Thomas Jefferson. Eppes grandson John Wayles Eppes married his cousin Mary Jefferson Eppes in 1797. The plantation then became their home and the holding place for slaves that Wayles was selling South (Virginia Foundation for the Humanities,2010). Following Martha Jefferson’s death in 1782, two of Thomas Jefferson's daughters, Maria (Polly) and Lucy, lived at Eppington with the Eppes family while Jefferson served as minister to France. Jefferson visited Eppington on several occasions and was at this location when he received a letter from George Washington offering him the position of secretary of state. He was also there when George Washington sent word for him to come to France during the French Revolution. While Jefferson was away, tragically, Lucy died at age two in 1784 and was buried at Eppington.

One of the highlights of Pamplin Historical Park is the the National Museum of the Civil War Soldier, which contains 25,000-square-feet of exhibits. The highlight of the museum is a seven-gallery exhibit called "Duty Called Me Here" that shows the war from the perspective of numerous individual soldiers and includes a battlefield simulation. The museum sits in Pamplin Park and is some times referred to by the park's name.