Getaway to Richmond History: Always in Season

Explore a variety of architectural styles on display in the Richmond Region’s beautifully preserved homes and gardens. Exquisitely landscaped gardens can be enjoyed year-round, but are especially stunning during the fall.

Day 1:

Visit Maymont, a Victorian estate surrounded by lush Italian and Japanese gardens and home to stately trees. The mansion is furnished with rare antiques, silver, porcelain and tapestries. A tram tour of the grounds can be arranged. Allow two hours.

Stop for lunch at Stella’s. Tucked away in a residential area in the near West End, Stella's is a rustic Greek spot with the cozy, lived-in feel of an ages-old neighborhood establishment.

After lunch, head to Agecroft Hall, a 15th-century English Tudor-style home rebuilt in Richmond in 1925. The grounds and gardens reflect the beautiful style of England’s Tudor and early Stuart periods. Allow two hours.

A visit to Richmond is incomplete without a walk or drive down Monument Avenue, a broad, residential tree-lined National Historic Landmark. Developed in 1890, it is accentuated with enormous mansions from the end of the Gilded Age and is nationally significant for its architecture and as an example of city planning. The street extends for some five miles from inner city Richmond westward into Henrico County.

Enjoy nine blocks of locally-owned restaurants, spas and one-of-a-kind boutique shops in Carytown, Richmond’s beloved “Mile of Style” shopping district.

By now you’ve certainly worked up an appetite after a day full of exploring Richmond. Savor the  traditional French specialties at Can Can Brasserie in the heart of Carytown.

Enjoy charming accommodations at the Linden Row Inn. The 70-room boutique hotel is comprised of seven row houses built in the mid-1800’s, and meticulously restored over the years. The guest rooms and parlour suites are furnished with antiques, and the property is featured on the National Register of Historic Places. Linden Row Inn captures all the romance of a by-gone era, while serving up the Southern hospitality for which Richmond is famous. Other equally delightful accommodation options are The Jefferson Hotel and Graduate Richmond.

Day 2:

Start your morning at Libby Hill Park and take in “The View That Named Richmond,” where you will witness a breathtaking view of the city, the James River, and neighboring regions. In 1737, local politician and noted founder of the city, William Byrd, II, stood upon the hill overlooking the river and noticed a striking comparison the unique landscape held with the view of Richmond on the Thames in England. Byrd named the city, Richmond, as a dedication to the comparable scenery.

A short drive down scenic Route 5 from the Richmond Region are eight beautiful plantation homes known as the James River Plantations. Belle AirBerkeleyEdgewoodNorth BendPiney Grove at Southall’s PlantationShirleySherwood Forest and Westover (grounds only) are open to the public, some regularly and some by appointment. Allow 90 minutes each.

Enjoy a nice lunch paired with fine Virginia wine at Upper Shirley Vineyards or pack a picnic to enjoy on the grounds of one of the plantations. After lunch, continue on with your drive through the plantations.

Head back to Richmond for dinner on the patio of The Boathouse at Rocketts Landing, where you will enjoy an excellent meal paired with scenic views of the James River.

Day 3:

Start your day off at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden. The 40-acre garden includes one of the largest and most diverse perennial gardens on the East Coast. The conservatory, which allows year-round garden exploration, houses exotic and unusual plants. Built in 1884, the Bloemendaal House (whose name means “valley of flowers”) boasts an elegant Victorian garden.

Enjoy lunch in the dining room at Lewis Ginter, and afterward, venture to Meadow Farm Museum, an 1860’s farm featuring a historic farmhouse and tobacco barn, as well as crop fields and farm animals. Costumed interpreters give demonstrations on select weekends throughout the year. Allow one to two hours.

Round out your day of sightseeing with a tour of Patrick Henry’s Scotchtown. It was here that Henry conceived his most influential revolutionary ideas. Scotchtown is the only original standing home of the Patriot and Orator of the American Revolution; Patrick Henry lived here from 1771-1778.

Wrap up your trip in the adorable town of Ashland with a memorable dinner at Iron Horse Restaurant. Grab a window seat to watch the trains pass by as you reminisce over your scenic Richmond getaway and start planning the next one!

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