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Walking tours with The Valentine around Richmond, VA

Two tour participants look over Libbie Park.

See the sights and get the history on a seasonal walking tour.

Photo by The Valentine

The Valentine is back with its first walking tours of the season. If you haven’t yet experienced Richmond’s history on foot, here’s a brief overview of what this organization does + its upcoming adventures.

Front lawn of The Valentine museum in Richmond, VA

Check out The Valentine’s “This Is Richmond, Virginia” exhibit. | Photo by @billrva

The Valentine

The Valentine is a small museum near city center + VCU that is packed with local history. It’s also the first private museum in Richmond (it opened in 1898). It was founded by Mann S. Valentine, Jr., a businessman who made his fortune off of Valentine’s Meat Juice, a health drink made of pure beef juice. We can’t make this stuff up.

A favorite offering from The Valentine is guided tours around the city, offered to the public each spring through October. Be sure to reserve tickets in advance. Bonus: children under 18 get free admission.

President's Circle of Hollywood Cemetery in the spring, pink cherry blossoms.

Did you know Hollywood Cemetery is also a dedicated arboretum? | Photo via @thevalentinerva

Upcoming tours

Highlights of Hollywood Cemetery

  • 1.5-2 miles
  • $10 for members, $20 for non-members
  • Tomorrow, April 23 at 10:00 a.m. + Sun., May 8 at 2 p.m.
  • Learn about the 18,000 Civil War dead, famous dead folk, and the cemetary’s complicated legacy.

History of Church Hill

  • 1-2 miles
  • $10 for members, $20 for non-members
  • Sun., April 24 at 2 p.m. + Sun., May 22 at 2 p.m.
  • Tour one of Richmond’s oldest neighborhoods + learn about its history and modern-day renovations.

Monument Avenue: Origins and Reverberations Augmented Reality

  • 1-2 miles
  • $10 for members, $25 for non-members
  • Sun., May 1 at 2 p.m. + Thurs., May 5 at 6 p.m.
  • Slip on augmented reality glasses for this innovative tour that explores the past + present of this evolving street.

Figures of Freedom Downtown

  • 1 mile
  • $10 for members, $20 for non-members
  • Thurs., April 28 at 6 p.m. + Sat., May 21 at 10 a.m.
  • This Shockoe Bottom tour includes the legacy of Richmond’s indigenous inhabitants, enslaved people fighting to be free, and Dr. Mary Walker. Bonus: This tour is family-friendly with a kid’s scavenger hunt.

Ballot Battle: Richmond Suffrage

  • 1-2 miles
  • $10 for members, $20 for non-members
  • Thurs., May 12 at 6 p.m. + Thurs., June 9 at 6 p.m.
  • Explore the famous sites connected to the pro-suffrage activists and anti-suffrage opposition of the early 1900s.

Murals of Jackson Ward

  • 1-2 miles
  • $10 for members, $20 for non-members
  • Sat., May 14 at 10 a.m. + Thurs., May 19 at 6 p.m.
  • Learn how the art of Jackson Ward tells the story of its past, from the “Harlem of the South” to today’s community.

Pro tip: You might want to consider a membership — you get free museum admission, perks like free parking complimentary guest passes, plus discounted prices on tours.

Check the Valentine’s events calendar for walking tour dates through October.

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