The Valentine — Attraction in Richmond

After visiting many other wedding venues in Richmond, The Valentine ended up being an easy decision for us. Its location in the heart of the city, combined with the beautiful garden, made it the perfect combination of urban & bohemian. It was also super convenient to out of town guests staying at the Hilton & Linden Row Inn. We were even able to provide our guests with guided tours of the museum during cocktail hour. Peggy, the events coordinator, was very nice and pleasant to work with - though I do recommend having your own day-of coordinator to partner with her on last minute logistics - especially if you need a rain plan. The only down-side/surprise of choosing The Valentine was that the rental fee seemed really reasonable upfront, but when you add in tent rentals and catering (you can only choose from a list of three approved caterers) it ended up being more expensive than we originally anticipated. Other than that, I highly recommend an event at...

The museum is cool with unique displays and a nice layout. We paid $12 each around 12:30 and were told that the house tour was included in admission. I asked how to get to the house and they told us it connects to the mesuem so we can go from one to the other. 40 mins later, we've looked through the exhibits and wanted to see the house. Unable to find a way to it through the museum, we go back to the front desk at 1:15 to ask how to get to the house. They said it was by guided tour only. I asked, how do we get one of those? "They occur every hour on the hour". With other plans in the near future, I asked if we could jump onto the back end of the 1pm tour. They said there wasn't a 1pm tour since no one asked to see the house and the tour guide went to lunch so the next one would be at 2. A little let down because we expressed interest in the house tour when we checked in, but the specifics about how it took place were omitted until we...

The permanent exhibition is small but fascinating to Richmonders and those interested in history. Keep your eyes open for special exhibitions, as they change frequently and are always of interest. The guided tour it is an excellent introduction to Richmond society in the early 19th century. Our guide was very patient and answered numerous questions. He brought in stories of the lives of the enslaved and serving classes, and not just of the wealthy owners. Parking can be challenging downtown. If you're on a tight budget there is free admission on Wednesdays. You can pick up some unique gifts in the shop, which can be considered for free. Mobility impaired individuals will have a somewhat difficult time navigating some of the building, but it is doable. The walled garden is an oasis in the middle of the city and is free to...