With summer fast on its way, it’s time to get outside, enjoy the sun, and work up a sweat! Why not take an invigorating trek with your family and learn a little? Richmond, Virginia is an excellent walking city, but with 63 square miles to cover, it can be hard to decide where to go. Don’t worry; we’re prepared to help! Richmond, VA is one of America’s most historically rich cities and there are few locations in which kids and adults can experience more of our country’s past than Richmond.

Our Tour Of Richmond, VA’s “Rich” History

Before the arrival of English colonialists, the site of Richmond, VA was an important village and meeting place for the Powhatan Confederacy, a large consortium of Native American tribes living in the area we now know as Virginia.  But to experience the history of Virginia, we need to go further back into American history – to Jamestown, VA.

Jamestown, VA Original SettlementBegin In Jamestown, VA

The first permanent English settlement in North America, Jamestown, VA, was colonized around 1607. If you have a day to spare, start your journey through Virginia’s history in Jamestown. Today, Jamestown is home to the Jamestown Settlement, a living-history park and museum where children can explore historically-accurate buildings and meet real-life “settlers.”

Follow The Journey To Richmond

Although the English made numerous attempts to colonize areas further north along the James River, it took more than 65 years for the land that would become Richmond, VA to be transferred from indigenous to English hands.

These years were filled with war and multiple massacres of America’s indigenous population, a time we can only look back on with humility, regret, and horror. Settlers had been drawn upriver to Richmond by the area’s rich soil, which produced increasingly profitable crops including wheat, beans, and tobacco.

Beauty & Hardship In Richmond’s Capitol Square

Richmond VA Capitol SquareStart your trip through Richmond in Capitol Square.

You’ll find Virginia’s Capitol building, designed by Thomas Jefferson, a monumental structure now open to the public. Beside beautiful grounds perfect for a picnic, under a clear blue sky, children will feel transported to another time. Although there is not yet a memorial to the Native Americans who first inhabited this area, Virginia’s General Assembly has instituted the Virginia Indian Commemorative Commission, which plans to unveil a spectacular monument north of Bell Tower in 2015. This monument, “The Mantle,” will provide witness to the fact that

“despite hardships brought about by the loss of their land, language, and civil rights, many Virginia tribes persisted and their members have contributed to the Commonwealth through agriculture, land stewardship, teaching, military and civic service, the arts, and other avenues.”

James River Richmond VirginiaHead To The James River

After your picnic in Capitol Square, take the short walk south to the James River, early America’s most important trade route. You can take a guided cruise down the James or simply stroll down the river’s beautiful banks.

Richmond was named that because the English settlers found their view of the James River remarkably similar to that of the Thames from London’s Richmond Hill.

The Battle For Independence Begins At St. John’s Church

Next, walk up to St. John’s Church at 2401 East Broad Street in Richmond, VA. It was here that patriot Patrick Henry uttered those famous words “give me liberty, or give me death!” that sparked Virginia’s involvement in the Continental Congress. George Washington and Thomas Jefferson were in attendance, and Henry’s speech is largely credited for “setting the course for revolution and independence.”

Fascinatingly, the traitor Benedict Arnold quartered his British troops at St. John’s, and ordered the burning of Richmond from this location.

Richmond’s Role In The Civil War

Richmond VA battlefieldRichmond was the seat of Confederate power during the Civil War. Finish your day at Richmond National Battlefield Park. Beginning at the Main Visitor Center at 490 Tredegar Street, you’ll have your pick of historical sites within walking distance.

From battlefields to memorials of the slave trade’s ravages, your family will experience first hand the divide from which our nation was reunified.

As a child, this was my favorite part of Richmond, walking peacefully along the battlements with my family, gazing out at the hills. I hope that your family will remember Richmond, VA as I do: beautiful and rich.