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Richmond, Virginia City Guide

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Richmond Meeting Planning

Richmond skyline

Richmond's famed historical attractions, paired with its exciting, metropolitan flavor, bring more than five million tourists to Virginia's capital each year. Richmond features a flawless blend of small-town hospitality with the sophistication of an urban locale, an appealing combination to meeting participants and tourists alike.

In the city itself, the Greater Richmond Convention Center hosts more than 400 events each year in its modern, 700,000-square-foot facility that spans more than five city blocks. Recently renovated, the center offers many exceptional amenities, including a full-service business center, award-winning in-house catering and full-service audio-visual and telecommunications services. The center is also a short distance to more than 50 quality hotels, including the
 Jefferson HotelJefferson Hotel
Jefferson Hotel, a National Historic Landmark and one of the 23 hotels in North America to have been awarded both the Mobil 5-Star and AAA 5-Diamond ratings.

Venturing outside the city? Richmond is extremely day trip-friendly, located only 100 miles northwest of tourist hotspot Virginia Beach and 50 miles northwest of historic Williamsburg. The James River Cellars Winery, located just 10 miles north of Richmond, hosts numerous festivals and wine tasting events, including Fridays on the Patio, an outdoor wine tasting and winery tour with live music, held the last Friday of every month. The charming Woodland Vineyard, located just 20 miles from Richmond, is a family-run winery that houses an outdoor patio among the trees, the perfect backdrop for enjoying a glass of its best vintage and great conversation.

Richmond is home to various unique venues that not only accommodate groups of any size, but also provide a breathtaking backdrop to any meeting or event. The city's Edgar Allen Poe Museum features a private garden for receptions of up to 125 guests. The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts'The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts
The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts regal Marble Hall, nestled in the West Wing galleries, gives up to 1,500 guests immediate access to its superior collections, including the largest collection of Fabergé eggs outside of Russia. The eight private dining rooms at Lemaire, located in the famed Jefferson Hotel, are an elegant venue for dinners and receptions of up to 158 guests.

Continuously updating and renovating its options has been a priority in Richmond, as the city has been part of a downtown revitalization program for the past several years. Recent downtown initiatives have included the expansion of the Virginia Commonwealth University campus, the 2003 opening of the Greater Richmond Convention Center and the $52 million renovation of the Canal Walk. A 1.25-mile-long path with markers and information on Richmond's famous people and events, the Canal Walk boasts canal cruises, restaurants, shops and venues for outdoor concerts. Visitors can also enjoy Richmond's scenery through Richmond's James River Parks System, featuring bike and hiking trails along the banks of the river; its mountain biking trails are considered to be among the best in the country.

Richmond serves as headquarters to such companies as Brink's, Circuit City, Genworth Financial, LandAmerica Financial and CarMax, Inc. Also a locale of higher learning, Richmond is home to the University of Richmond, Virginia Commonwealth University and Virginia Union University.

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About Richmond / Additional Info

Richmond features a unique blend of rich history mixed with vibrant, cosmopolitan culture that is sure to delight visitors of all ages. Located at the head of the James River in Virginia between the Blue Ridge Mountains and Atlantic coast, Richmond is approximately 100 miles south of Washington, DC, and midway between Atlanta and Boston. The city's varied geographical features include mountains, beaches, historic areas, city blocks and the only Class IV river rapids in an urban U.S. setting.

Founded in 1607 by captains Christopher Newport and John Smith, Richmond is home to its share of historical events. Patrick Henry delivered his famous "give me liberty or give me death" speech in Richmond's St. John's Church in 1775. The city was also the first in the United States with its own hospital and canal system, as planned by George Washington. Richmond replaced Williamsburg as the capital of Virginia in 1780, and its State Capitol, designed by Thomas Jefferson, is still one of Richmond's most visited attractions today.

Richmond has strong roots across a variety of different groups, and the city takes great care to recognize and celebrate its diversity. Modern downtown Richmond is located on the slopes of Shockoe Hill and is surrounded by multiple neighborhoods, including Jackson Ward, known as the "Harlem of the South." Visit the Black History Museum and Cultural Center to take a walk through the streets of the Jackson Ward Community, illustrated through pictures and stories. Richmond also has growing Hispanic and Jewish communities within the city's East End neighborhood, whose influences can be explored at attractions such as Virginia Holocaust Museum, Beth Ahabah Museum and Archives and Hebrew Cemetery. Richmond hosts several cultural festivals each year, including the summertime Greek and Asian American Festivals, that all pay homage to the city's rich wealth of people and cultures.

Its many historic homes and neighborhoods, museums and Civil War and Revolutionary War sites also serve to bring Richmond's colorful past to life. The city is home to the famed Monument Avenue, which features monuments dedicated to military and Civil War leaders, as well as the Hollywood Cemetery, which serves as the resting place of two U.S. presidents and thousands of Civil War soldiers and prominent Virginians. Richmond's Gilded Age wealth is showcased at the beautiful Jefferson Hotel, whose staircase is believed to be the inspiration behind the staircase in the film Gone With the Wind, as well as the sprawling Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens and Maymont estate.

Richmond not only boasts a strong history, but also a strong economy centered on law, finance and federal, state and local government. In fact, Richmond is one of the few U.S. cities to have a Federal Reserve Bank and is home to a growing community of Fortune 500 companies.