Things to Do at Virginia State Capitol

The Virginia State Capitol crowns Shockoe Hill in Richmond like a white marble exclamation point, its Ionic columns gleaming against the Virginia sky in a way Thomas Jefferson would likely still recognize. Jefferson designed the building himself in 1785, modeling it on the Maison Carrée in Nîmes, France, and the result is the first public building in the New World built in the Classical Revival style. Walk up the grassy slope from the south and you'll catch the same view that has greeted legislators, protesters, and tourists for more than two centuries. The portico's shadows fall sharp on hot afternoons, and the breeze coming off the James River carries the faint smell of boxwood from the surrounding gardens. Inside, the Rotunda is the showstopper. Houdon's life-size marble statue of George Washington stands at the center under a coffered dome, and it's the only statue Washington sat for during his lifetime. The acoustics make footsteps echo in that particular way old stone buildings have, and busts of the seven other Virginia-born U.S. presidents ring the chamber, each one staring across at the others like they're still negotiating something. The Old House Chamber, where Robert E. Lee accepted command of Virginia's forces in 1861 and where Aaron Burr stood trial for treason, has been restored to its 19th-century appearance with leather-backed chairs and a worn wooden gallery rail polished smooth by generations of hands. The Capitol still is a working seat of government, which is the thing that surprises most visitors. The Virginia General Assembly meets here in two newer wings added in 1906, and during session you might pass a delegate hurrying down a corridor with a stack of papers. It's a decent indication of how the building has stayed alive rather than becoming a museum piece. Free guided tours run regularly and tend to be unexpectedly engaging, partly because the docents clearly love the place and partly because the history here is strange, layered, and not always flattering.

The Capitol sits at 1000 Bank Street in downtown Richmond, walkable from most downtown hotels and the Convention Center. Drivers can use the Capitol Square parking deck on Bank Street or several nearby paid lots, with rates running cheaper than what you'd pay in DC or any major Northeast city. GRTC Pulse bus rapid transit stops within a few blocks at Government Center station, and the fare is budget-friendly. From Richmond's Main Street Station (Amtrak), it's about a 15-minute walk through Shockoe Bottom. Coming from I-95, take exit 74C and follow signs for the Capitol. The deck is well-marked. Rideshares drop off at the Bank Street visitor entrance.