400 years of Richmond history comes alive here at the Richmond History Center!

As Richmond’s history center, the Valentine Richmond History Center expands children’s understanding of Richmond’s past through a variety of innovative and exciting programs. Children explore the past through artifacts, exhibitions, and hands-on activities. Program curricula are designed around Virginia’s Standards of Learning, and trained History Center instructors conduct all programs.

Historic Richmond Tours for Students
Historic Richmond Tours Guided bus and walking tours are available for grades three through high school. All tours are designed to support the Virginia Department of Education’s Standards of Learning and all Historic Richmond Tour Guides are well-trained and extremely comfortable working with diverse student populations. Many tours include visits to historic sites such as the State Capitol, St. John’s Church, the Museum of the Confederacy, the Maggie Walker House and Hollywood Cemetery. Tour offerings include The Nation’s Beginnings, Richmond’s African-American Heritage, Ancients in our Neighborhood and Richmond and the Civil War. Custom tours may also be arranged.
Visit our Tours Section for more information.

Special Summer Programs 2006

All programs are designed for groups of 13 or more children, ages 5 - 12 and are one hour in length. Don't see a program that fits your theme? Ask about a custom history program. For pricing information and to make a reservation, contact the education department.

Recycled Sculpture
Children visit the studio of Edward V. Valentine where they see how his art was made. They will be able to look at some of his sculptures, and view photos of his most prominent public art, such as the Jefferson Davis monument on Monument Avenue. The children will then have an opportunity to make their own sculptures using recycled materials.

Picture the Past
Nothing shows what the past was like in quite the same way as old photographs. The children will look at, touch, and "investigate" pictures that show the past. Learning to find the historical facts in the photos is like being a history sleuth. Children will put on gloves and help us find out just what some people from long ago were busy doing.

Whatchamacallits & Thingamajigs
What might this have been used for? Who would have used it? How would they have used it? What do we have that is similar today? These are just some of the questions that the children will attempt to answer when they work with the reproduction artifacts in this hands-on program.

The Three Sisters
Who were the "Three Sisters" that grew in the gardens of the Eastern Woodlands Indians of Virginia? The children will take part in a hands-on exploration of the agriculture practices of those Indians. Through discussion of reproduction artifacts, photographs, and drawings, participants will learn about the Powhatan's reliance on natural and human resources. They will also start their own small crop in a growing pouch to take home.

Hoops & Hopscotch
What did children do for fun in Richmond in the 1800s? How is it different or similar to the games children play today? This program explores the life of those children through photographs, artifacts, and by playing some of the same games children used to play. Children will also have the opportunity to tour the Wickham House, which was once home to 17 children!

Marble, Metal and...Wire?
How many different materials can be used to make sculpture? The children will visit the Edward V. Valentine Sculpture Studio where they will see both his castings and pictures of several types of public sculpture found in Richmond. They will be exposed to the multi-medium world of sculpture. A trip through the museum galleries will show them other examples of sculpture and hopefully give them inspiration for the creation of their own artistic wire sculpture.

Recent Education Programs

On November 3-4, 2005, J.B. Watkins Elementary School's 2nd grade visited the History Center to participate in the “Powhatan Indians ” program. They learned how the Indians used items in their surroundings to make clothing, houses and tools as well as how they grew their food. Students were able to dress in a deer skin disguise like a Powhatan hunter may have. They were also able to touch an apron made of deer skin and necklace of copper and shells. Their tour of the Settlement to Streetcar Suburbs Gallery helped them further investigate Richmond’s past through a discussion of the artifacts there.

Annual Events

Holidays at the History Center Entertaining activities at the History Center provide families with holiday enjoyment. The popular Court End Christmas returns each December in collaboration with the Museum of the Confederacy, John Marshall House, St. John's Church, Monumental Church and The Beers House (MCV Foundation). The day’s activities include carriage and sleigh rides, Court End walking tours and children's crafts.