Richmond, the capital of Virginia, is among America’s oldest major cities. Patrick Henry, a U.S. Founding Father, famously declared “Give me liberty or give me death” at its St. John's Church in 1775, leading to the Revolutionary War. The White House of the Confederacy, home of Confederate President Jefferson Davis during the Civil War, is now a museum in Court End, a neighborhood known for Federal-style mansions.

Richmond has woken up from a very long nap . The capital of the commonwealth of Virginia since 1780, and the capital of the Confederacy during the Civil War, it's long been an old-fashioned city clinging too tightly to its Southern roots. But an influx of new and creative young residents is energizing and modernizing the community.

Today the 'River City' shares a buzzing food-and-drink scene and an active arts community. The rough-and-tumble James River has also grabbed more of the spotlight, drawing outdoor adventurers to its rapids and trails. Richmond is also an undeniably handsome town that is easy to stroll, full of redbrick row houses, stately drives and leafy parks.

Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) is a public research university in Richmond, Virginia. MCV was founded in 1838 as the medical department of Hampden–Sydney College, becoming the Medical College of Virginia in 1854. In 1968, the Virginia General Assembly merged MCV with the Richmond Professional Institute, founded in 1917, to create Virginia Commonwealth University. In 2018, more than 31,000 students pursue 217 degree and certificate programs through VCU's 11 schools and three colleges, The VCU Health System supports the university's health care education, research and patient care mission.

Best Things to Do in Richmond (VA):
Metro Richmond Zoo: .
American Civil War Museum, White House & Museum of the Confederacy:
The Science Museum of Virginia:
Hollywood Cemetery:
Belle Isle:
Hardywood Park Craft Brewery: .
Maymont Children's Barn & Nature Center: maymont.
Maymont Italian Garden
Maymont Japanese Garden
Bush Gardens, Williamsburg, close to Richmond