Tour Destination: Richmond and Petersburg, Virginia

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During the next three weeks, Tour America’s History will be exploring a cluster of Save America’s Treasures projects in Richmond, Virginia, with one side trip to nearby Petersburg.

While Richmond may be most famous for serving as the capital city of the Confederacy, that distinction was ultimately just a five-year interlude within a nearly 300-year history stretching back to the city’s founding in 1737. Not surprisingly, our Save America’s Treasures tour of this area will skip freely across the centuries with projects that illuminate the colonial world as well as the mid-20th century.

Many of our locations happen to be located along or near Broad Street in Richmond. But while there truly is a great deal of history on this stretch, don’t be deceived into thinking this is all there is to historic Richmond. The city sprawls outward offering other worthy historical sites around nearly every corner.

With I-95 passing directly through it, Richmond can easily be reached by car and is a convenient destination for travelers by plane or train as well. You can enjoy the city’s famed hospitality at plenty of hotels, motels, inns, and B&Bs, and feast at a broad range of highly-rated restaurants. For essential tourist information, we recommend that you start at the VisitRichmondVa site, operated by the Richmond Metropolitan Convention & Visitors Bureau.

While we only have one Save America’s Treasures stop scheduled in the nearby City of Petersburg, this particular city is history-friendly enough to earn mention in our cluster title. While Petersburg may not be an urban destination of the magnitude of Richmond, it’s entered the 21st century with a different kind of historical charm, especially notable for its architectural preservation.

In some cases, specific Save America’s Treasures collection items will not currently be accessible to the public. This is particularly the case with collection items stored at archives and libraries. While the closest you may be able to come to these objects is viewing an image on a website, most of these sites do offer regular exhibits of choice material from their collections. Take your time and enjoy the history that is on display!

Tour America's History Itinerary

Friday’s destination:  Monumental Church
Monday’s destination:  Virginia Historical Society

© 2012 Lee Price