White House of the Confederacy — Attraction in Richmond

This was literally the worst stop on our entire trip in 2025, and we went to 50 different locations during our vacation. First off, parking was horrid! It did state on the website that you can park in the parking deck of the hospital. Once we found the entrance to the parking garage, we then had to walk down two blocks to the museum. Fortunately, we walked around the back to find where you go in to buy a ticket.

We were told the first tour was canceled and we had to wait an hour for the next one. At that time, there were two people at the counter (please remember this detail). The staff at the counter informed us that we could walk a few blocks to visit the capital if we wanted, and then return for the tour.

We chose to just wait around since my wife is still recovering from her chemo treatments, I am not in the greatest of health, and it was almost 95 degrees outside, and we just drove in from Williamsburg and didn't even check into our hotel yet. We were not sure if we could keep up the pace walking and be back in time for the next tour.

We paid for the tour and walked around the grounds a little bit, taking some B-roll video and pictures, and just sat in the courtyard waiting for the tour. At first we were the only ones there.

As it got closer to tour time, more and more people showed up. When the tour started, there were literally 21 people on our tour, and the tour guide (one of the people that was hanging at the counter, by the way) said they normally limit the tours to 15-18 people. Needless to say, we were cramped.

As the tour went on, the guide was mostly focused on people not touching anything, staying on the carpets, and not leaning on the wally. It was so cramped we could hardly see anything or even hear the guide.

It was a truly dreadful experience. We were there once; that was enough.

Oh... we did obtain a stamped paper from the museum to use as parking validation. I presented it to the attendant at the parking garage, and he basically yelled at us and said we were supposed to go into the hospital to take care of the parking cost. Nice of the museum to mention that little bit of information, as I am sure that happens to everyone.

We had a much better time walking around the old...

When I heard Confederate White House I was thinking it would be similar in stature to our Current US White House and I'm not gonna lie before I read the plaque I saw the Capitol Building and figure this was it. Sadly I was disappointed in much of the White House Tour and found the Museum much more interesting.

First off it's at the end of a historic street with great informative signs and really great architecture. The put off is the massive contemporary building built next to it. Really liked the Anchor, and other steel artifacts (not the colorful fish). Th tour prices caught me off guard. $15 per person for the dual access and white house tour. Audio at the museum was an extra $2, which if you have AAA is the discounted amount. Funny how that works out. Active duty gets a discount as well. Kids under a certain age, certain aged seniors as well.

Due to the age the ventilation is classic, be prepared for a lot of standing, some of the things are really cool and interesting and others creepy. Perhaps a blueprint would have been better with all the rooms they have.

The anecdotes and interesting facts didn't catch my attention, but perhaps that was the tour guide who I couldn't help but notice his pants and shirt were not his (2 sizes too big).

The museum is much more well laid out with placards, glass, in a modern building and an audio tour available. Self guided to go at your own pace. Nothing wrong with the guide, but maybe 2 questions were asked our whole tour. The gift shop in the museum is full of trinkets, none worth buying. Swindled by the lady in the elevator of my hotel who told me this was a must see for Richmond. There were a dozen other museum's I should have checked out or perhaps just done the...

I didn’t go inside due to time constraints, but just standing outside stirred up a lot of thoughts—and I’d absolutely go back for the full tour.

The building wasn’t what I expected. Honestly, I’m not even sure what I was expecting. Maybe something grander or more ominous? Instead, it’s a modest Victorian box awkwardly tucked behind a hospital parking garage. It feels out of place, like history’s least self-aware Airbnb listing.

It’s much smaller than I imagined for what was once the seat of a breakaway government built on white supremacy. You’d think Jefferson Davis would have demanded something more imposing like columns, cannons, a shrine to the big egos that used to fill the rooms but instead, it’s just... there.

The most fascinating part? It’s surrounded by some of the most advanced hospitals in the country. Institutions dedicated to healing, saving lives, and moving forward. So there it sits, this relic of a failed regime, now literally overshadowed by modern medicine and progress. There’s something poetic about that.

But even from the sidewalk, the symbolism is loud—and...