Richmond, the capital city of the Commonwealth of Virginia, the third-largest city in the state, has been one of the most significant cities in the nation since it became the state capital. Richmond has a dark past riddled with racism, revolution, and progress, and its history is just as diverse as the population. With over 230 thousand residents in the city, Richmond has 62.57 square miles with a river cutting through the center. Much like the River Thames in London, the James River is one of the defining reasons the city was chosen as the capital. With solid defences, an army would have a more difficult time invading Richmond compared to Virginia’s former capital Williamsburg.

Over the break I stayed in Innsbrook, Henrico County, which is in the county that surrounds Richmond. I have spent a lot of time in the city, since I have lived around the city on and off over the years. During Spring Break, I spent time in the city alone, which is not a common occurrence for me. Some things are truly amazing, such as the city skyline in the downtown area, Church Hill with the historic St. John’s Episcopal Church, and Maymont among other places, while the traffic circles on Monument Avenue continue to baffle me. Why do you need a light in a traffic circle?

Monument Avenue is a beautiful road with amazing houses and churches along the avenue; it was, however, the location of the city’s most significant controversy this century. For years the avenue hosted monuments to various Confederate leaders and in 2020 the push to remove them began to gain national attention. They were removed and now the only statue left on Monument Avenue is of Arthur Ashe, a tennis player who was born in the city. Ashe was the first Black man to win Wimbledon, the American Open, and Australian Open singles titles. There is a rich African American culture in Richmond from the internationally recognized tennis player to Maggie Walker, who was the first African-American woman to serve as a bank president.

As a history nerd, I mostly look toward the historic sites in the city when looking for things to do. The state capital is a great place to start when visiting the city and I highly recommend it. The capital is surrounded by the Richmond skyline, St. Paul’s Church, as well as the statue of Washington and the historic Bell Tower. When it comes to churches, Richmond has a few historic ones. The Cathedral of the Sacred Heart is the Catholic cathedral for the Diocese of Richmond. St. John’s Episcopal Church was where Patrick Henry said, “Give me liberty or give me death.” As for the National Park Service, they have two sites in Richmond: Richmond National Battlefield Park and Maggie L. Walker National Historic Site, both of which are amazing sites in their own ways. Jackson Ward is where Maggie Walker lived and the historically Black neighborhood is a really nice place to visit.

Across the historic city, there are plenty of things to do, from the Museum District to Manchester, the city holds more than I can truly mention in a review. Richmond has had to deal with many controversies over the years, but this has built up to be better and now one of the best cities in the Commonwealth. I recommend to anyone visiting Richmond to visit the capital, Church Hill, the Virginia Museum of History and Culture, Jackson Ward and Maggie L. Walker National Historic Site, a drive down Monument Avenue, and the Edgar Allen Poe Museum.