Bus Tours 2010

Tours are listed by topic and may be offered on multiple dates. Buses are not wheelchair accessible. Unless otherwise noted, bus tours are $23 adults; $20 members and children 6-18; children under 6 are free. Includes admission to the History Center day of tour.

All bus tours require reservations: (804) 649-0711 x301.

For information about custom group tours and step-on guides, contact our tour director.

I Know Richmond: The Bus Tour An overview of the history of Richmond, including Court End, the James River and the Fall Line, Church Hill, Jackson Ward, the Fan and Monument Avenue. Tour drives by St. John's Church, Hollywood Cemetery, Main Street Station, the Jefferson Hotel and the Museum and White House of the Confederacy. Tour the State Capitol, walk Capitol Square and see the new Civil Rights Memorial. Meet at the History Center.

DATE/TIME: Saturday, March 20th, 2010; 1:00 - 4:00 p.m.

Civil War Sampler A comprehensive look at the unique role Richmond played as the Capital of the Confederacy. Includes Church Hill, Shockoe Bottom, Court End, the canal area, Hollywood Cemetery and Monument Avenue, with stops at Tredegar Iron Works and the battlefields at Gaines Mill and Cold Harbor. Meet at the History Center.

DATE/TIME: Saturday, April 17th, 2010; 1:00 - 5:00 p.m.

Richmond’s Lesbian and Gay History Beth Marschak, co-author of Images of America: Lesbian and Gay Richmond, explores the people and events that have shaped Richmond’s gay and lesbian community, such as women who passed as men to serve in the military, the literary and café society of the 1920’s-40’s, and the rise of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) rights movement. Meet at the History Center.

DATE/TIME: Saturday, May 1, 2010; 1:00 - 4:00 p.m.

Chesterfield Does Richmond A daylong tour beginning at the Chesterfield County Museum Complex with a tour of the historic grounds, the 1917 Historic Courthouse and the 1750 replica of the County Jail, followed by a trip through Chesterfield to Manchester, which for three years served as Chesterfield’s county seat. After crossing the river, the tour passes through Court End, Church Hill, the Fan, Monument Ave, Carytown and Byrd Park. Participants will have the opportunity to tour the State Capitol. Includes a box lunch. Meet at the Chesterfield County Museum Complex, 6813 Mimms Loop Road.

DATE/TIME: Saturday, May 22nd, 2010; 10:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

COST: $30. Includes lunch and admission to the History Center day of tour. Reservations: (804) 649-0711 x301.

Historic Cemeteries Tour Commemorate Memorial Day with a tour of Richmond’s historic cemeteries, including St. John’s Church, Shockoe Cemetery, the Hebrew Cemetery and Hollywood Cemetery. Learn about their layout, evolution as parks, artwork and notable tenants. Meet at the History Center.

DATE/TIME: Monday, May 31, 2010; 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Free for all veterans.

NEW! Selden Richardson's Built By Blacks In partnership with the Alliance to Conserve Old Richmond Neighborhoods, author Selden Richardson leads a tour of the monuments, urban landscapes and architecture that emerged from Richmond's African American community. From the First Battalion Armory and Maggie Walker's Italianate townhouse in Jackson Ward to Shockoe Bottom's slave auction warehouses, this tour reveals the complex history of a city built in large part by African Americans. Meet at the History Center.

DATE/TIME: Saturday, June 19, 2010; 1:00 - 4:00 p.m.

let Freedom Ring When Patrick Henry cried, “Give me liberty, or give me death,” he set in motion the movement toward American independence. Over the years, freedom, liberty and equal rights have helped define the nation. On this July 4th weekend, explore Richmond’s connection to America’s birth. Includes stops at St. John’s Church and Capitol Square. Meet at the History Center.

DATE/TIME: Saturday, July 3, 2010; 1:00 - 4:00 p.m.

COST: $27 adults; $24members and children 6-18; children under 6 free. Includes admission to the History Center day of tour. Reservations: (804) 649-0711 x301.

The Beauty of Tiffany Glass Richmond is home to a number of Lewis Comfort Tiffany’s stained glass windows, commissioned during the early 20th century as both public and religious art. Stops include the Ginter Mausoleum at Hollywood Cemetery, as well as St. Paul’s and St. James’s Episcopal churches. Meet your guide at the History Center.

DATE/TIME: Saturday, July 17th, 2010; 1:00 - 4:00 p.m

COST: $30. Includes lunch and admission to the History Center day of tour. Reservations: (804) 649-0711 x301.

Jewish History in Richmond Visit the neighborhoods and commercial districts that figure prominently in the history of Richmond’s Jewish population. Includes Shockoe Bottom, Shockoe Cemetery, the East End and a tour of the Beth Ahabah Museum and Archives. Meet at the History Center.

DATE/TIME: Sunday, September 12, 2010; 1:00 - 4:00 p.m.

COST: $27 adults; $24 members and children 6-18; children under 6 free. Includes admission to the History Center day of tour and $4 donation to Beth Ahabah. Reservations: (804) 649-0711 x301

New! songlines of Richmond Brooks Smith and Wayne Dementi draw upon their new book Songlines of Richmond (2009) to pay homage to Richmond’s performing arts, artists and stages through the centuries, from the first fine arts academy in America to the jazz greats of Jackson Ward. Some still resonate today, while others are shadows of the past. Meet at the History Center.

DATE/TIME: Saturday, September 25th, 2010; 1:00 - 4:00 p.m.

New! Hanover Does Richmond A daylong bus tour beginning at historic Hanover Courthouse, followed by a trip to Scotchtown before traveling into the city, with discussion of Court End, the James River and the Fall Line, Church Hill, the Fan, Monument Ave, Carytown and Byrd Park, plus an opportunity to tour St. John’s Church before returning to Hanover Courthouse. Meet at Hanover County Courthouse, 7497 County Complex Road.

DATE/TIME: Saturday, October 2nd, 2010; 10:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

COST: $30. Includes lunch and admission to the History Center day of tour. Reservations: (804) 649-0711 x301. Reservations:(804) 649-0711 x301.

Civil War Sampler Tour A comprehensive look at the unique role Richmond played as the Capital of the Confederacy. Includes Church Hill, Shockoe Bottom, Court End, the canal area, Hollywood Cemetery and Monument Avenue, with stops at Tredegar Iron Works and the battlefields at Gaines Mill and Cold Harbor. Meet at the History Center.

DATE/TIME: Saturday, October 16th, 2010; 1:00 - 5:00 p.m.

african American Heritage
Examine the role of free blacks, urban slaves and enlisted men during the Civil War and revisit the Reconstruction and Jim Crow eras. Honor the impact of Bill “Bojangles” Robinson, Maggie Walker, Arthur Ashe and Douglas Wilder. Includes a trip through Jackson Ward, a visit to the Maggie L. Walker Historic Site and a stop at the Civil Rights Memorial on Capitol Square. Meet at the History Center.

DATE/TIME: Saturday, November 6th, 2010; 1:00 - 4:00 p.m.

I Know Richmond: The Bus Tour An overview of the history of Richmond, including Court End, the James River and the Fall Line, Church Hill, Jackson Ward, the Fan and Monument Avenue. Tour drives by St. John's Church, Hollywood Cemetery, Main Street Station, the Jefferson Hotel and the Museum and White House of the Confederacy. Tour the State Capitol, walk Capitol Square and see the new Civil Rights Memorial. Meet at the History Center.

DATE/TIME: Saturday, November 27th, 2010; 1:00 - 4:00 p.m.