Virginia General Assembly formed in 1619, now the United States’ oldest legislative body. Richmond is the third city to serve as Virginia's capital and when the Union captured the city, the Civil War ended five days later. In the capital gardens stand monuments to Virginia natives Stonewall Jackson, Governor William Smith, and Senator Harry Byrd. George Washington’s monument is surrounded by other American heroes and Virginia’s powerful Civil Rights Memorial commemorates Barbara Rose Johns and leaders who helped desegregate Virginia schools.

James River flows 350 miles from the Appalachian Mountains to Chesapeake Bay. In pre-colonial times, Native Americans called it Powhatan River. English colonists named it after King James the First when founding Jamestown in 1607. It served as a major highway in Virginia’s infancy and facilitated the tobacco boom that further drove America’s immigration. Today, the river is home to a booming industry of paddle boating, kayaking, and white water rafters looking to ride rapids. It envelops Belle Isle, which houses an abandoned hydroelectric power plant. This power plant now in ruins opened in 1904 and powered the United States’ first trolley system in Richmond. It closed in 1967 and has since fallen back to nature; but like the many daredevil graffiti artists that jumped the boulders before you, you can see it yourself after a short climb. Explore both buildings during the day for the street art and then stick around till midnight to see what happens. Just don’t get caught.

These hundreds of acres which make up Hollywood Cemetery were purchased for just $4,000 in 1846 and led to the creation of one of America's most historic memorial grounds. These lands are the final resting place to more Confederate soldiers than any other site, numbering more than 18,000. The President of the Confederacy, Jefferson Davis, is buried here beneath a life-size statue. A monument to John Tyler, the 10th US President is the nation’s only official memorial, due to his betrayal for the Confederacy. The 5th US President, James Monroe, rests in a birdcage-shaped granite sarcophagus at the center of the cemetery's President's Circle.

Built in 1893 by James and Sallie Dooley, this 100-acre Gilded Age estate was left to the City of Richmond upon the couple’s death. It features an arboretum, stable and carriage collection. Tours inside the mansion are available during the week and the opulence is truly unmatched by estates of the period. The Italian Garden features a pergola, fountains, urns and rose arrangements. The Japanese Garden is home to huge Koi fish and a 35-foot waterfall.

During the Civil War, Petersburg was the main base of supply for Richmond, the capitol of the Confederate States of America. Ulysses S. Grant knew that if he took Petersburg, he could cut off the three railroads which led to Richmond. Before a nine-month siege, Union troops dug a tunnel behind Confederate lines and packed it with gun powder. The explosion killed 278 troops and led to the Battle of the Crater.

Check out our Petersburg Battlefield video for the full version of this incredible story. Here it is: https://youtu.be/DzLKpBUgH8w