Historical Tours
1–2 hours
Free cancellation
Not sure? You can cancel this reservation up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.
from
$30
per adult
The Valentine - Richmond History Tours
The Valentine - Richmond History Tours
5
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
12:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Full view
About
Discover Richmond Stories with the Valentine's expert guides! Richmond History Tours explore the rich and diverse history of the city, including Hollywood Cemetery, Downtown, unique neighborhoods and the riverfront. Daily and weekend tours available, private groups welcome.
Tours and Tickets by The Valentine - Richmond History Tours
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
5.0
54 reviews
Excellent
51
Very good
1
Average
1
Poor
1
Terrible
0
soooez
7 contributions
Sep 2022
Our guide, Jim, was beyond excellent! His knowledge of the area, its history, and other tidbits of information was extraordinary. He kept a very comfortable (slow) pace, and there was never a lull in the conversation or something else to point out and explain what we were walking past. The headsets made the experience that much more enjoyable, the connectivity was perfect. The only thing I would change are the directions to the meeting place, and to be aware of limited parking. Another important note - there seem to be NO restrooms. ANYWHERE! There are also very few trash bins, so I would suggest drinking your coffee at home, use your own restroom, and then set out for a 1.5-2 hr enjoyable tour. The weather cooperated, too! And we found a very nice restaurant for brunch which was right on the water and had amazing views and breezes. All in all, it couldn't have been better! Thank you The Valentine Museum and Jim!
Written September 18, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
sweetkeys
Santa Clarita, CA68 contributions
Jun 2015 • Couples
We were the only two people on our tour and our wonderful, knowledgeable guide, LeAnn, took extra time for us to totally enjoy the tour at our own pace. What a wonderful way to learn so much about the city, its history and architecture. If you really want to see Richmond, do a walking tour. The tour ended at The Valentine (Museum of Richmond History), which was a treasure to explore. Entry to The Valentine was included in the cost of the tour.
Written June 25, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
mrsagf
washington dc881 contributions
Apr 2015 • Solo
I found Richmond History Tours as a service of The Valentine (Museum of Richmond History) and took the tour of Selected Gardens in April. Considering Richmond parking, it was much easier to pay for a bus to take me around. The guide was excellent. And my $25 included admission to the museum and to the historic Wickham Valentine House. A deal. There are many other tours on offer--go to the website. I'll certainly take another tour next time I'm in town. Apparently the Hollywood Cemetery tour is quite well known.
Written April 23, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
VATraveler57768
Glen Allen, VA70 contributions
Nov 2017 • Couples
Because we live in the area we've been to Hollywood Cemetery several times. But we discovered that it takes the walking tour to learn that there is much more to it than meets the eye. Tour guide Kathy Whittington has apparently been doing these tours for many years. She is extremely knowledgeable and well-informed and she easily holds your attention during a two-hour walk. She provided not just a list of facts and a tour of the graves of the famous buried here but also the cemetery's historical context and artistic value. We learned that cemeteries such as Hollywood were referred to as rural cemeteries and were designed as much for the living as for the dead. They were in fact forerunners of this country's public parks. She encouraged us to the view the cemetery today as a park, a museum, and an art gallery in addition to a place of burial for the dead. I highly recommend this tour whether you are from the Richmond area or not.
Written December 6, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
CalGalJerusalem
Dana Point, CA37 contributions
Nov 2017 • Couples
We have taken five of the Valentine's walking tours of Richmond, most recently in Hollywood Cemetery. Although I have been there many times over the years, this is the first guided tour and I learned so much. They also do tours of neighborhoods, downtown, etc. All the tour guides are knowledgeable and enjoy answering questions. Since we are members, we only pay $5 per person, per tour. A bargain!
Written November 6, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Tomtrip44
Bon Air, VA29 contributions
Sep 2017 • Couples
In retirement we've enjoyed many fine docents and guides. Kathy Whittington leading the Valentine's Hollywood Cemetery tour is among the very best, immediately reframing our perception of the Cemetery as a deliberately welcoming park and beautifully sculpted arbor- and land- scape, loaded with local (and sometimes national) history, including of Richmond's architecture, giants in government, industry, the arts, and military. Anyone wanting a quick and fascinating introduction to Richmond's 19th and 20th century notables, as well as Civil War principals, will enjoy Kathy's pointed descriptions and summations of surrounding times. The cemetery itself is awesomely beautiful and views of the James River almost breathtaking, sometimes punctuated with humorous facts, such as Robert E. Lee's son buried there - in his Union Army Uniform (well after the Civil War).
As a practical matter, the Hollywood Cemetery tour, Kathy version, is a fairly vigorous event, occupies about 2 full hours walking up and down the hills of Hollywood. Comfortable clothes and good walking shoes, water - and planning for the absence of bathrooms within the cemetery - will all serve to make your tour more comfortable.
New to Richmond? Guests from out-of-town? Take them on the Hollywood cemetery tour.
As a practical matter, the Hollywood Cemetery tour, Kathy version, is a fairly vigorous event, occupies about 2 full hours walking up and down the hills of Hollywood. Comfortable clothes and good walking shoes, water - and planning for the absence of bathrooms within the cemetery - will all serve to make your tour more comfortable.
New to Richmond? Guests from out-of-town? Take them on the Hollywood cemetery tour.
Written September 5, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Leah D
Breezewood, PA8 contributions
Sep 2017 • Friends
Guide Katrina (Tre) gave a great tour. She was very knowledgeable in many areas and probably gave us a lot more info than was originally part of the tour. Just two in our group, so we could cover a lot more than with a big group. I had a fair knowledge of Richmond's history, but my companion was fairly new to the area. A bonus was going inside two churches - Monumental and St. Paul's Episcopal with Tiffany windows. Also tips for where to eat. Our $15 tour fee included the Valentine and adjoining Wickham house after the walking tour ended. Highly recommend for a good overview of this historic city. I plan to do some of the other neighborhood tours.
Written September 1, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
DeAnn O
Richmond, VA5 contributions
Jul 2017 • Solo
The neighborhood tours offered by The Valentine Museum are a wonderful way to gain understanding of the many Richmond neighborhoods. Whether you are a long-time resident or new to the city, the tours provide not only the historical information but the current development of the neighborhoods. I have enjoyed several tours, and every tour has given me greater perspective for the Richmond community. I highly recommend the walking tours! The tours are about 2 hours. Wear comfortable shoes.
Written July 5, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
vmclark
Santa Cruz, CA1 contribution
Jun 2017 • Couples
This cemetary is beautiful, but challenging because of its history. Our guide, Sandy, was a knowledgeable history teacher who included many details of the significance of grave marker symbolism and tried to walk a fine line of presenting the Confederate history here without being offensive. We learned much more than we would have by walking the site on our own.
Written June 10, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
QuietVisiting
Richmond, VA115 contributions
Jun 2015 • Couples
We have been on many of the different walking tours offered by The Valentine (a local historical society). Some tour guides are more engaging than others and some tour guides will tailor the stories more than others. We've taken out of town guests on the City Center walking tour on several occasions and find the 2 hours spent walking around give a better picture of Richmond than we could do. Plus, it is easy for us to let the tour guide do the entertaining. Try to catch Friday mornings as that is when Old City Hall is open and you can see the colorful lobby (but not on a holiday Friday). One time I went with a friend studying architecture in Texas and she was blown away by the amount of knowledge and history the guide brought to life. She still talks about it being great and not at all as boring as she first through. The City Center tour ends up at the Wickham House which is owned by The Valentine. While invited to keep on touring, it was noon and we were hungry after all that waking around. The hike back to the convention center to pick up the car isn't bad (but it is inconvenient). The walk back took us past the John Marshall House. We tip good guides about $10 from the two of us.
Written October 4, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi, I am trying to get info about bus tours in Richmond in Oct.
Bob J
Englewood, FL163 contributions
We took a bust tour with the Valentine. Do a google for their page.
I think. It was fabulous! I would not consider the advertised trolley tours as we did one and the seating was very uncomfortable, and the driver and tour guide were lackluster. If yo go a little early, or if you desire at the end of the trip, admission to the valentine is included. They only offered the trip once a month when we were there, so check their schedule and book if the days work for you.
Jose Verghese
Kochi (Cochin), India6 contributions
Hi, my wife (58) and I (60), from India on a visit to the US, would like to take two places on this tour on Sat, 12 Sep 15. How should we proceed?
Regards
Mariam and Jose Verghese
Eric S
Richmond, Virginia, United States
Our tours are listed on our website's calendar.
You can also call our front desk and they can review the schedule with you.
The Valentine - Richmond History Tours - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)
The Valentine - Richmond History Tours Information
Excellent Reviews | 45 |
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Very Good Reviews | 1 |
The Valentine - Richmond History Tours Photos | 73 |