Things to Do Alone in Richmond

This guide is about Richmond, Virginia, the state capital on the James River. It suits a solo day because so much of it costs nothing to walk into: an art museum with free general admission, a free contemporary art gallery and a river island inside the city. The plan below is built around free and low-pressure stops, with the river as the backbone.

All hours below were checked on 2026-11-01 against the venue page linked in each entry.

Free doors on Broad Street and in the Museum District

Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (VMFA). The museum says it is open 365 days a year and that general admission is always free. Hours: Monday and Tuesday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Wednesday to Friday 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., Saturday and Sunday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. It lists Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year's Eve and Day as open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Some galleries are temporarily closed during its expansion and renovation, so check what is on view (VMFA: plan your visit). Free entry makes it easy to stay for one room or three. For tips on going alone, see how to visit a museum alone.

Institute for Contemporary Art at VCU. At 601 W. Broad Street. The institute describes itself as free and open to the public, with gallery hours Wednesday to Sunday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and closed Monday and Tuesday (ICA VCU).

First Fridays. Visit Richmond says galleries on and around Broad Street in the Arts District open their doors on the first Friday of every month, with people in the streets and shops and restaurants open. It is the easiest social format in town: you walk, look and leave when you like (Visit Richmond: galleries and First Fridays).

Science Museum of Virginia. Open Tuesday to Sunday, 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., with a dome theatre and a makerspace called The Forge (Science Museum of Virginia).

Stories you can take at your own pace

Poe Museum. At 1914 E. Main Street, open Tuesday to Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. (Poe Museum).

Black History Museum and Cultural Center of Virginia. At 122 W. Leigh Street, open Wednesday to Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and closed Sunday to Tuesday and holidays (Black History Museum).

Tredegar History Tours. The American Civil War Museum runs Tredegar History Tours daily at the former Tredegar Iron Works in downtown Richmond. The tours and the musket-firing demonstrations are included with admission, which makes a tour a ready-made group to join without having to speak to anyone (American Civil War Museum).

Along the James River

Belle Isle. The Friends of James River Park describe Belle Isle as a 54-acre island, one of the largest in the James and one of Richmond's most historic sites. Its pages cover the W-shaped dam that diverted water to hydroelectric plants from 1905 to 1969. The park also warns that Hollywood Rapids is for experienced paddlers and is not suited to novices wanting to swim, so keep to the paths and rocks (Friends of James River Park: Belle Isle, Visit Richmond: James River).

Hollywood Cemetery. Above the river, recognised as a Level 1 arboretum by the ArbNet accreditation programme. Public visiting hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, and 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. during daylight saving time (Hollywood Cemetery).

Virginia Capital Trail. A paved walking and biking trail of about 52 miles between Richmond and Jamestown along the Route 5 corridor. The trail's website lists rentals, tours and shuttles, so you can ride one stretch and return by shuttle rather than committing to the full distance (Virginia Capital Trail, Visit Richmond).

Green rooms for a slow afternoon

Maymont. A 100-acre green space in Byrd Park. Daily hours from November 9 to March 13 are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., with a closure on December 25; nature centre and mansion hours vary. The Virginia Wildlife Trail in the 40-acre valley is described as open daily, for free (Maymont).

Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden. Open daily 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and closed on Thanksgiving and December 24 to 25. Regular adult admission is $24; special events such as GardenFest of Lights have their own ticket price (Lewis Ginter: hours and admission).

Getting around

GRTC's Pulse line runs along Broad Street and links several of the stops above; the platforms are marked eastbound or westbound, and GRTC is replacing standard buses with articulated ones (GRTC Pulse). For more on organising a first trip, see first solo trip tips.

First solo outings

1. Easy. Walk into the VMFA for an hour with no plan. It costs nothing to leave.
2. Medium. Spend an afternoon at Belle Isle and Hollywood Cemetery, keeping to marked paths.
3. Bold. Plan a First Friday evening through the Arts District galleries, or ride a stretch of the Capital Trail.

Solo Era for iPhone

Explore a riverside district

Solo Era has a travel mission at level 3: "Explore an inland town's riverside district." Richmond's James River waterfront, with Belle Isle and the Tredegar area, is a place to try it. Free to download. A subscription is required to start missions. Prices and any free trial are shown in the app and depend on the offer and eligibility.

More Virginia and nearby guides: Virginia Beach, Asheville, Washington, DC and the full cities hub.

Sources (checked 2026-11-01)

• Virginia Museum of Fine Arts: plan your visit
• Institute for Contemporary Art at VCU
• Visit Richmond: galleries and First Fridays
• Science Museum of Virginia
• Poe Museum
• Black History Museum and Cultural Center of Virginia
• American Civil War Museum
• Friends of James River Park: Belle Isle
• Visit Richmond: James River
• Hollywood Cemetery
• Virginia Capital Trail and Visit Richmond: Capital Trail
• Maymont
• Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden
• GRTC Pulse

Details change; check the venue before you go.

Solo Era for iPhone

Try it with Solo Era

Solo Era gives you one realistic mission a week, records how nervous you felt before and after, and keeps a photo journal of what you did. An iPhone app. A subscription is required to start missions; any free trial depends on the offer and eligibility shown in the app.