RVA offers an extensive variety of arts and cultural activities. The city is home to a concentration of significant state museums including the recently renovated Virginia Museum of Fine Arts and the Science Museum of Virginia. Stage entertainment is frequent and accessible, including a full array theatre, opera, symphony, comedians, concerts and other productions at the numerous venues in the region. Local events like the Richmond Folk Festival and First Fridays Art Walk ensure the city stays connected to the Arts scene and bring thousands of visitors.
Performing Arts
- Richmond Symphony
- Richmond Ballet
- Virginia Opera
- Lyric Opera Virginia
- Virginia Repertory Theatre
- Richmond CenterStage
- Broadway touring productions
- University productions
Museums and Galleries
- Virginia Museum of Fine Arts
- Science Museum of Virginia
- Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden
- Children’s Museum of Richmond
- Visual Arts Center of Richmond
- First Fridays Art Walk
Historical Areas
- Virginia Historical Society
- Virginia Holocaust Museum
- Maggie L. Walker National Historic Site
- Black History Museum and Cultural Center
- Edgar Allan Poe Museum
- White House and Museum of the Confederacy
- Valentine Richmond History Center
Richmond Firsts
Richmond was settled as early as the 1600s, and became the state capital by 1780. The region emerged as a major manufacturing center, and was the capital of the Confederacy during the American Civil War. With such a rich history behind it, the Richmond area retains many historic neighborhoods and buildings, offering a continuing character not found in just any American city.