St. John's Episcopal Church

St. John's Episcopal Church

St. John's Episcopal Church
4.5
Historic SitesChurches & Cathedrals
9:30 AM - 4:00 PM
Monday
9:30 AM - 4:00 PM
Tuesday
Closed
Wednesday
Closed
Thursday
11:30 AM - 4:00 PM
Friday
9:30 AM - 4:00 PM
Saturday
9:30 AM - 4:00 PM
Sunday
12:30 PM - 4:00 PM
About
Historic St. John's Church - where Patrick Henry gave his 'give me liberty or give me death' speech. Tickets to our events and programs here: https://historicstjohns.ticketspice.com/2023-tour-tickets
Duration: < 1 hour
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  • Rene M
    2 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    St John's Church a Wonderful Experiience
    Our visit to St John's Church was a very knowledgeable experience. Parking on the street was free. Many of the headstones on the grounds were hard to read but they have a program in place and are doing their best to preserve the remaining headstones. There was a person repairing headstones while we were there. The church was beautiful, and it was fascinating knowing that you were sitting in the same pews that Patrick Henry, Thomas Jefferson, Col. George Washington and many others sat. Our tour guide, Betty, did an amazing job and was very knowledgeable as to the history of not only the church but also the life of the people of Richmond and the town itself. A must see when visiting Richmond.
    Visited May 2024
    Traveled as a couple
    Written May 11, 2024
  • HLV
    22 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Fun and easy educational tour
    We enjoyed our visit to St. John’s Episcopal church. We did a tour which was interesting and informative. Shawanna was not only knowledgeable on history of the church and revolutionary history, but she was a fabulous orator. She set the stage with the events leading up to Patrick Henry’s famous speech. We enjoyed listening to her speak, and she did a great job at engaging with the tour group. The church itself is beautiful with some very old stained glass and original wooden doors (so neat)! Thanks for a fun learning experience!
    Visited August 2024
    Traveled with family
    Written August 10, 2024
  • Navigate608764
    6 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    A highlight of our Richmond/Williamsburg area vacation!
    My husband and I thoroughly enjoyed the "Liberty or Death" presentation of Patrick Henry. Our guide did a fantasitc job of sharing who Patrick Henry was, what historic events led up to his famous speech, as well as the history of the church itself. In addition, the gift shop on site had a nice selection of books/souveniers, and offers great customer service, tool! Also, we found the church cemetery to be interesting because it is the resting place for George Wythe, first VA signer of the Declaration of Independence, and Eliza Poe, mother of Edgar Allen Poe.
    Visited October 2024
    Traveled as a couple
    Written October 21, 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles412 reviews
Excellent
314
Very good
80
Average
12
Poor
5
Terrible
1

Fearless799687
Flagstaff, AZ527 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2023 • Couples
Historic St John's church is one of America's most important and historical sites. It's the place where the most enduring and famous cry for freedom in the World was made. Patrick Henry delivered his most passionate speech "Give me liberty or give me death" before the Second Virginia Convention in 1775 that included 119 other delegates with the most notable delegates being George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, George Wyeth, and Peyton Randolph. The following month the shots fired at Lexington and Concord were called the "Shot heard around the World" by Minute Men in retaliation of British rule and taxation. The church was built in 1741 and continues as an active church. Our tour guide Andrew gave us a 40 minute presentation that was a passionate rendition of the actual events leading to and after the speech. The gift shop is well stocked and contains incredible items. All of the staff were informative and jovial.
Written June 19, 2023
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.
Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review! Hope to see you here again soon-
Written July 10, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Roy C
Whispering Pines, NC1,019 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2022
This is the church where Patrick Henry gave his famous "Give me liberty or give me death" speech. On certain days they do re-enactments which do have a fee. On other days, if you wish to go into the church, you pay a small fee for what they call a "peek." Our "peek" lasted long enough to hear about Henry's speech and take a number of photos. The peek is $5.00, though as a military retiree I paid $4.00 for mine. The visitor's center doubles as a sort of museum, so don't miss that.

The cemetery is definitely worth inspecting. Edgar Allan Poe's mother is buried here. Poe was only 2 years old when she died.
Written November 15, 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.
Hello! We are so glad you enjoyed your visit! We hope to see you again soon-
Written February 16, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Cheri D
Yardville, NJ505 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2023 • Couples
We were hoping to visit just the outside of the church and the graveyard where Edgar Allan Poe's mother is buried, but the church is entirely enclosed by tall iron gates. Luckily, some church members were having a meeting and kindly let us in to explore the grounds and graveyard. The church is a lovely and quaint colonial building and it's awesome to see part of history where Patrick Henry gave his famous "Give me Liberty or give me Death" speech. We did see E. A. Poe's mother's grave also. The churchyard has maps to look for various graves. Nice little trip back in history.
Written September 17, 2023
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.

Sue N
Richmond, VA12 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2019
If you can arrange to visit on a re-enactment day it's well worth it. If you can't, don't worry as the docents will make it a most interesting visit. Due to the young ages of the children in our group she made it most intriguing for them by asking simple questions for them to look and find things as she gave more details for the adults. Should be a "must see" if you come to visit the capitol of the Commonwealth of Virginia...
Written February 12, 2020
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.
We are so glad you enjoyed your visit!
Written March 10, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

jeffryb
Keysborough, Australia366 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2020
St John's predates the American Revolution by several decades. It is an Episcopal Church, which in Commonwealth countries would be called an Anglican church. St John's is in the Church Hill district of Richmand Va. St John's place in history is assured, as it was the site of Patrick Henry's revolutionary rallying call "Give me liberty or give me death!" Re-enactments of the speech are held from time to time, which I am told is insspirational.
Written July 3, 2020
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.
Thank you for your visit! I'm glad you enjoyed it.
Written June 3, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Local Lady
32 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2019
Be sure to wander the graveyard and get the stories from the period-dressed gentleman. Poe's mother is buried here and there are many more interesting stories. Inside the church there is a lively lady to explain the events surrounding Patrick Henry's famous speech. My students, 11th graders, were very impressed.
Written January 8, 2020
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.
We are so glad you enjoyed your visit!
Written January 9, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

86MissyJ
Wheelersburg, OH866 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2023
We visited the church on our visit to Richmond. We booked the reenactment and it was very good! They really give you the experience of what it was like in 1775. We also took the church tour, which was excellent as well. This is a must stop for the history buff when in the area. And we highly recommend seeing the reenactment.
Written July 26, 2023
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.

LenEvanston
Naperville, IL687 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sep 2021
We didn't know the importance of the Second Virginia Convention. The docent spent about forty minutes describing what led up to the convention and the events that occurred during it. Check the website for dates the reenactment is scheduled.
Written September 14, 2021
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.
Hello! We are so glad you enjoyed your visit! We hope to see you again soon-
Written October 5, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Jeffry b
Essendon, Australia13,699 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2020
St John's is an Episcopal Church, that is, it is a member of the worldwide Anglican communion.St John's is the oldest church in Richmond, Va. It is most famous for Patrick Henry's "give me liberty or give me death" oration, which helped spark the Amerian Revolution. Re-encactments of .his speech are held from time; watch out for details.
Written July 23, 2020
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.
Thank you for your visit! I'm glad you enjoyed it.
Written June 3, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Traveller
New York City, NY3,324 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2023 • Solo
I visited St. John’s Episcopal Church in October 2023. I went first to the Visitor Center. For $5, I was able to go inside the church. A Docent pointed out where Patrick Henry stood to give his famous “Give me Liberty or give me Death” speech in 1775. The Docent also explained the history of the church. It was a very worthwhile place to visit.
Written October 29, 2023
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.

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St. John's Episcopal Church - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2025)

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