Link to original article: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2026/04/23/travel/things-to-do-richmond.html

In Richmond, Va., the onetime Confederate capital, history is being told with newfound clarity. Since 2019, a new Civil War museum has been confronting a complex past, Confederate statues have come down, and the city is investing in sites that tell of its role in the slave trade. If history is one of Richmond’s highlights, nature is another. With its dramatic rapids, the James River is both the city’s centerpiece and a playground for kayakers, cyclists and hikers. As for less adrenaline-fueled leisure: The city’s minor league baseball team, the Flying Squirrels, is in the midst of its first season at a freshly minted stadium, and a new riverfront amphitheater will host acts like Bob Dylan, the Black Keys and Chris Stapleton this summer. Add to that greater Richmond’s 35 (or so) craft breweries, and it all makes for a perfect weekend destination as the weather warms.

Recommendations

• A mix of natural splendor and industrial ruins, Belle Isle is a perfect introduction to Richmond and its defining feature, the James River. Hike past remnants of an iron works and a quarry, or catch a sunset from the granite outcroppings known as the Belle Isle Dry Rocks.
• Richmond was an epicenter of the trans-Atlantic slave trade — and, eventually, the capital of the Confederacy. The city’s complex and painful past is on display at the American Civil War Museum.
• With its courtly blocks of well-preserved 19th-century homes and stunning views of the rest of the city, Church Hill is ideal for an extended afternoon stroll.

Attractions and outdoor activities

• Maymont is a 100-acre preserve that surrounds an 1893 mansion (now a museum). The well-maintained grounds include several gardens, a nature center, a petting zoo and plenty of paths for kid-friendly (short) hikes.
• The White House of the Confederacy, where the Confederate president Jefferson Davis lived between 1861 and 1865, is a reminder of Richmond’s role in the trans-Atlantic slave trade and the Civil War. Abraham Lincoln visited in 1865, after Southern troops retreated. You can tour, too.
• Did you come to Richmond to buy a taxidermied animal? Probably not. Still, browsing the stuffed and embalmed offerings at Rest in Pieces is a (dark) delight of its own.
• A Richmond classic, the 181-room Jefferson Hotel opened in 1895 in a Renaissance-style building designed by the influential New York firm Carrère and Hastings. The conservatively decorated lodgings run from about $300 a night. More expansive suites, with living areas, are also available. The hotel serves a Southern afternoon tea on Friday and Saturday.
• Comprising seven adjoined rowhouses, the Linden Row Inn has 70 rooms that start at about $150. The name of its restaurant, the Evermore Garden Bistro, alludes to a garden that once stood here, where a young Edgar Allan Poe is said to have frolicked (currently closed for renovations).
• For short-term rentals, consider booking a townhouse or rowhouse in the Fan District or Church Hill. If looking for lofts, older ones in the Shockoe Bottom neighborhood or newer ones in the Manchester area, on the south bank of the James, are your best bet.
• While Richmond is easily reachable by Amtrak trains from points north like Washington and New York, you will probably want to rent a car or rely on ride-hailing apps like Uber and Lyft once there. Buses are free and can be convenient to use downtown.

Belle Isle Dry Rocks

The James River is the heart of Richmond, serene for some stretches and churning through rapids for others. The south bank is rich with riverfront hiking trails that give some small sense of what this area must have been like centuries ago. Park at West 21st Street and take the Buttermilk Trail heading west, following the James. It’s about 2.5 miles to the Boulevard Bridge, which celebrated its centennial last year. Or, from West 21st, cross a footbridge (warning: there are stairs) and follow an eastbound path that parallels a rail line to reach the Belle Isle Dry Rocks, a section of river dominated by granite outcroppings. Another bridge will take you to Belle Isle, a 54-acre urban oasis where a Confederate prison once stood. Ruins dot the island, ghosts of Richmond’s industrial past.

From the trailhead, it’s just a five-minute drive to [Legend Brewing Co.](https://www.legendbrewing.com/index.asp?), in the formerly industrial Manchester neighborhood. If you can, grab a seat at the outdoor patio, which affords sweeping views of the river and Richmond’s skyline. The sophisticated and rotating draft offerings, which include a beloved brown ale and several I.P.A.s (about $7 for a pint) make clear why Richmond is a must-visit destination for beer lovers. If hiking left you hungry, snack on a Bavarian pretzel ($6) or fried Brussels sprouts ($15) in between games of darts or chess.

Amuse