Richmond’s Canal Walk

1512 Canal Walk
Richmond, VA 23219

The Canal Walk features history medallions, statues, and exhibits depicting four centuries of Richmond’s history.

For more info: https://venturerichmond.com/explore-downtown/riverfront-canal-walk/

Richmond’s Slave Trail

1200 Brander St
Richmond, VA 23224

The Richmond Slave Trail is a walking path that traces the history of the slave trade from Africa to Virginia until 1775, and from Richmond to other parts of the Americas until 1865. Starting at the Manchester Docks, a key port in the domestic slave trade, the trail passes significant sites like slave markets, the Reconciliation Statue, Lumpkin's Slave Jail, the Negro Burial Ground, and First African Baptist Church. The trail lies across the river in Richmond at Brander Street and highlights Richmond's role in the domestic slave trade.
For more info: https://www.rva.gov/sites/default/files/2022-06/Slave%20Trail%20Brochure.pdf

Virginia Capitol and Executive Mansion

10th and Bank St.
Richmond, VA 23219

Designed by Thomas Jefferson, the Virginia State Capitol is home to the nation’s oldest legislative body. Visitors can explore historic chambers, artwork, and exhibits through daily one-hour guided or self-guided tours. Nearby, Capitol Square features the Virginia Civil Rights Memorial and the Executive Mansion, the oldest continuously occupied governor’s home (since 1813) in the country.

More info: https://www.executivemansion.virginia.gov/

Four Mile Creek Farm

3274 New Market Road
Henrico, VA 23231

During the Revolution, the area served as a militia position during Benedict Arnold's 1781 raid and was also a British rest stop.

More info: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z6ETZBmEfTw

Gravel Hill

5417 Long Bridge Road
Henrico, VA 23231

After a 1777 court ruling upheld the dictates of John Pleasants’ 1771 will, his slaves were freed, and his son Robert Pleasants granted 350 acres to 78 of them. This land became the “Gravelly Hill” community, where a Quaker school for black students opened in 1801 and the Gravel Hill Baptist Church was founded after the Civil War. The community center, originally a public school built around 1930, became a Henrico County facility in 1970.

More info: https://henrico.gov/locations/gravel-hill/

Osbourne Landing

9530 Osborne Turnpike
Henrico, VA 23231

A minor but significant Revolutionary War battle took place nearby on April 27, 1781, where British forces led by Benedict Arnold destroyed much of the Virginia State Navy and a large tobacco stockpile.

More info: https://henrico.gov/locations/osborne-landing/

Berkeley Plantation

12602 Harrison Landing Rd.
Charles City, VA 23030

Berkeley Plantation in Charles City County is a historic site where the first official English Thanksgiving in America was held in 1619 by 36 settlers arriving on the ship Good Ship Margaret. The estate later became home to the Harrison family in 1691, producing Benjamin Harrison V, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, and William Henry Harrison, the ninth U.S. president. Native American, colonial and Civil War artifacts can be explored in the basement museum. Grounds tours are self-guided and include gardens leading to the James River.

More info: https://berkeleyplantation.com/

Chickahominy Tribal Grounds

8200 Lott Cary Rd
Providence Forge, VA 23140

The Chickahominy Tribe is the second largest of Virginia’s eight recognized tribes, with 800 enrolled members. Most live near the Chickahominy River, centered around the Tribal Center and Samaria Baptist Church. The tribe also owns nearby farmland, divided into 5-acre lots for tribal families.

For more info: https://www.chickahominytribe.org/

Historic Edgewood Plantation

4800 John Tyler Memorial Highway
Charles City, VA 23030

Built around 1849, Edgewood Plantation is a 7,000-square-foot Gothic-style home that was once part of the historic Berkeley Plantation, the ancestral home of U.S. Presidents William Henry and Benjamin Harrison, a signer of the Declaration of Independence. During the Civil War, its third floor served as a Confederate lookout, and J.E.B. Stuart famously stopped there in 1862. The property includes a 1725 grist mill, gardens, and a gazebo. Today, Edgewood is a National and State landmark and operates as a bed and breakfast.

For more info: https://www.nps.gov/articles/edgewood.htm

Fort Pocahontas

13150 Sturgeon Point Rd
Charles City, VA 23030

Fort Pocahontas was the site of the May 24, 1864 “Action at Wilson’s Wharf,” the first major battle between U.S. Colored Troops (USCT) and Confederate forces during the Civil War. Built and defended by USCT under Brig. Gen. Edward A. Wild, the incomplete fort held off an attack by Maj. Gen. Fitzhugh Lee’s cavalry. Later completed and named Fort Pocahontas, the site remained untouched after 1865 until it was purchased in 1996 by Harrison Ruffin Tyler, who helped preserve it through a family foundation.

For more info: http://www.fortpocahontas.org/

Freedom’s Jubilee - An African American Journey

10760 Courthouse Rd.
Charles City, VA 23030

Freedom's Jubilee is a 400-year African American history self-guided tour of Charles City County presented as 16 online exhibits linked to 19 sites within this historic county. The online exhibit contains 200+ images that help the landscape come alive, where there may be no surviving structures to visit.

For more info: https://freedoms-jubilee.charlescity.org/

Historic Kittiewan Plantation

12104 Weyanoke Rd.
Charles City, VA 23030

Kittiewan Plantation, an 18th-century Colonial-era home overlooking the James River, was first owned by Dr. William Rickman, who oversaw Virginia hospitals during the American Revolution. During the Civil War, Union troops occupied the property under General Philip Sheridan. Today, the 720-acre site is managed by the Archeological Society of Virginia, with an archaeological resource center in development. Tours are offered monthly or by appointment.

For more info: https://virginiaarcheology.org/kittiewan-home-of-the-asv/

Historic Shirley

501 Shirley Plantation Rd
Charles City, VA 23030

Shirley Plantation, a National Historic Landmark on the James River along scenic Route 5, offers a glimpse into Colonial life and early American history, including that of Indigenous peoples, settlers, indentured servants, and enslaved individuals. Still a working farm, it is home to the 11th and 12th generations of the Hill Carter family.

For more info: https://historicshirley.com/

Historic Westover

7000 Westover Rd.
Charles City, VA 23030

Westover Plantation, built in the early 18th century by the Byrd family, is renowned for its elegant Colonial architecture and scenic views of the James River. Visitors can explore the grounds, formal gardens, and historic outbuildings daily. It’s featured on several heritage and nature trails, including Civil War Trails and the Virginia Birding and Wildlife Trail. House tours are available by appointment and during special events like Historic Garden Week and the Autumn Pilgrimage.

For more info: https://historicwestover.com/

Sherwood Forest

14501 John Tyler Highway
Charles City, VA 23030

Sherwood Forest Plantation was the home of 10th U.S. President John Tyler from 1842 until his death in 1862 and has remained in the Tyler family ever since. Known as the longest frame house in America at over 300 feet, it showcases mid-19th century presidential life and is surrounded by wooded grounds and 12 historic outbuildings.

For more info: http://sherwoodforest.org/

Piney Grove at Southall’s Plantation

16920 Southall Plantation Ln.
Charles City, VA 23030

Piney Grove at Southall's Plantation, located along the Virginia Route 5 Scenic Byway, is a historic site listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Originally the homeland of the Chickahominy tribe, it was built around 1790 by patriot Furneau Southall and later expanded by his descendants. A rare example of Early Virginia Log Architecture, Piney Grove now offers guided house tours, B&B lodging, and event space. The property features antiques, historic structures, gardens, and a nature trail, preserving the legacy of the Southall family and the James River Plantation region.

For more info: https://www.pineygrove.com/bedbreakfastlodging.html

Chickahominy Riverfront Park

1350 John Tyler Highway
Williamsburg, VA 23185

The Chickahominy River serves as a gateway to centuries of history and rich cultural heritage. In 1776, a stretch of the Chickahominy River sixteen miles west of Williamsburg was chosen by the Virginia Committee of Safety as the site of a vital Revolutionary War shipyard. Though the British destroyed the shipyard in 1781, its archaeological remains, still intact both above and below the water, offer a rare glimpse into Virginia’s wartime past.

Today, visitors can explore this historic waterway by following the Chickahominy Water Trail, part of the Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail. Interpretive signs at Chickahominy Riverfront Park and nearby sites reveal the river’s layered story, from Native cultures and early exploration to wartime shipbuilding and modern recreation.

For more info: https://va250.org/placestovisit-detail/?id=117

Other resources:
Chickahominy Shipyard Archaeological Site
Chickahominy Water Trail

Amblers

2205 Jamestown Rd
Williamsburg, VA 23185

Amblers is a historic brick farmhouse in James City County, built in 1852 in the Picturesque style, marked by asymmetry and unique proportions. It's the only known example of this style on Virginia's Lower Peninsula. A 1950s Colonial Revival addition altered its original design, making it more symmetrical. Once part of a large 18th-century farm, Amblers now sits within the Governor's Land Archaeological District and is owned by James City County.

For more info: https://www.dhr.virginia.gov/historic-registers/047-0043/

Governor’s Land Archaeological District

Jamestown, VA 23081

The Governor's Land, established by the Virginia Company for the use of colonial governors, was one of America’s first suburbs, located just upstream from Jamestown. It included Argall’s Town, a settlement founded in 1617 and continuously occupied through the colonial era. A 1970s survey uncovered about 20 historic sites and numerous artifacts, such as English armor and a rare three-bowled tobacco pipe, offering valuable insight into early Virginia life and material culture.

For more info: https://www.dhr.virginia.gov/historic-registers/047-0082/

Green Spring

Williamsburg, VA 23185

Green Spring, located in James City County west of Williamsburg, was established by Governor Sir William Berkeley in 1643. He built a brick mansion and developed it into a large estate. Berkeley retired there during the English Civil War and returned as governor after the Restoration. The mansion was damaged during Bacon’s Rebellion and rebuilt by Berkeley’s widow. It later passed to the Ludwell family and was replaced by a new house that burned in the 19th century. Today, only a brick outbuilding remains, and the site is part of Colonial National Historical Park.

For more info: https://www.dhr.virginia.gov/historic-registers/047-0006/

Historic Jamestowne

1368 Colonial Pkwy
Jamestown, VA 23081

Historic Jamestowne offers a rich, immersive experience where visitors can explore ongoing archaeological digs, hear stories from archaeologists, and learn about early English colonists. Highlights include the 1907 Memorial Church, the Dale House Café, and the Archaearium museum, which displays remarkable finds from over three million artifacts uncovered since 1994. Visits typically last 2–3 hours, but history enthusiasts can spend much longer exploring the site.

For more info: https://historicjamestowne.org/

Historic Powhatan

3601 Ironbound Rd
Williamsburg, VA 23188

Step into Colonial history in Williamsburg, a preserved 170-acre town showcasing restored 18th-century architecture, museums, monuments, and battlefields that tell the story of America's founding. Nearby, the Historic Powhatan Resort offers a peaceful retreat on 256 wooded acres. Centered around a restored 1735 manor house, the resort features spacious accommodations with modern comforts, family-friendly amenities like pools and tennis courts, and dining options including The Powhatan Bar and Grille and The Historic Grounds coffee house.

For more info: https://www.hilton.com/en/hotels/phfpogv-hilton-vacation-club-the-historic-powhatan-williamsburg/

Jamestown Settlement

2110 Jamestown Rd.
Williamsburg, VA 23185

Jamestown Settlement is a living-history museum that explores 17th-century Virginia and the founding of America’s first permanent English colony. Visitors can enjoy immersive galleries, films, and outdoor exhibits, including a recreated Powhatan village, a colonial fort, and full-size replicas of the Susan Constant, Godspeed, and Discovery ships. The museum highlights the cultures of the Powhatan Indians, English settlers, and West Central Africans. Open year-round (except Christmas and New Year’s), it is operated by the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation.

For more info: https://va250.org/placestovisit-detail/?id=59

Spenser’s Ordinary

5537 Centerville Rd
Williamsburg, VA 23188

In summer 1781, during the lead-up to the Battle of Yorktown, American and British troops moved through James City County, including a clash at Spencer’s Ordinary. British forces cleared fences on Mansfield Spencer’s 120-acre farm to prepare for battle. Spencer also ran a tavern at a key crossroads, where troops frequently passed. Today, part of the site is preserved within Freedom Park.

For more info: https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=194749