Take in Grace Arents' gift to the city, the Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden (1800 Lakeside Ave.). In her will, the green-thumbed philanthropist stipulated that a botanical garden be established on the property in honor of her uncle Lewis Ginter, a businessman who bought the site in 1884. Today, the year-round site attracts both locals and out-of-towners with more than a dozen themed gardens and a striking conservatory crowned by a 63-foot-tall dome.
Catch a second-run flick at The Byrd Theatre (2908 W. Cary St.), a restored 1920s movie palace in the funky Carytown shopping district. Go on a Saturday, when an organist puts on a rocking pre-show recital on a “Mighty Wurlitzer,” a pipe organ originally designed to accompany silent films.
Conserve your souvenir shopping fund at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (200 N. Boulevard), where admission to the permanent collection of more than 23,000 works—from French Impressionist paintings to glittering Fabergé eggs—is always free.
Revel in all things touristy in Capitol Square , between 9th, Governor, Broad and Bank streets. Ask a passerby to snap a vacation pic of you with the Washington Monument as your backdrop. Pick up brochures at the state visitor center in the 1825 Bell Tower. Take a guided tour of the neoclassical Virginia State Capitol (1000 Bank St.), then hit up the gift shop for “Virginia is for Lovers” shot glasses and a wide selection of presidential bobbleheads.
Enjoy a hair-raising day o' fun at Kings Dominion (16000 Theme Park Dr. in Doswell), where coasters with names like Dominator and Intimidator 305 attract would-be daredevils.
Walk along tree-shaded Monument Avenue. Located in the heart of the historic Fan District, the architecturally noteworthy residential street contains statues of well-known Confederates, including generals Robert E. Lee and Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson; the “Pathfinder of the Seas,” Matthew Fontaine Maury. Richmond-born tennis champ Arthur Ashe also is represented.
Riddle me this: What do a pair of 19th-century boot hooks, a lock of hair glued to the back of an envelope, and a stuffed raven (come on, this one's a dead giveaway) have in common? All are exhibits at the Poe Museum (1914 E. Main St.), which relates the life of onetime Richmond resident Edgar Allan Poe.
Tour Richmond National Battlefield Park . Headquartered in Richmond, the park offers plenty of things to do and encompasses Civil War battlefields in Hanover, Henrico and Chesterfield counties. Get out and stretch your legs during the 60-mile drive at the Fort Harrison Visitor Center (8621 Battlefield Park Rd.), the Civil War Visitor Center at Tredegar Iron Works (470 Tredegar St.), the Chimborazo Medical Museum (3215 E. Broad St.) and The American Civil War Museum at Historic Tredegar (500 Tredegar St.).