Before heading home from Richmond after my husband’s marathon, we did a brief walking tour of the city. We walked from our hotel to grab some breakfast and then headed down to the riverfront and across the bridge to Brown’s Island. I ran 7 marathons in my younger days and don’t remember ever touring a city the day after, so kudos to my husband for being up for a walking adventure.
One of the biggest surprises for us on our walk was the discovery of some amazing street art. As we headed towards the canal, we stumbled upon a large open-air alley displaying some amazing artwork on the back of a building. These fantastic pieces of art were the result of the 2012 RVA Street Art Festival. Over a dozen artists decorated the James River Power Plant Building and Floodwall, resulting in a unique outdoor gallery.
After spending some time enjoying the unexpected art gallery, we continued out to the Canal Walk. Part city park and part outdoor museum, the Richmond Canal Walk offers a unique education on the city’s history. Bronze medallions mark historic sites along the way. Statues and exhibits explain everything from how streetcars were powered to the importance of African American boatmen in the canal system. I loved that this walk offered both amazing views of the city and river and historical perspective on the area.
We made our way to the T. Tyler Potterfield Memorial Bridge, which crosses the river to Brown’s Island. We were immediately blown away by the power of the water rushing below. It was windy and super loud on the bridge, as the white-capped water rushed past. Originally constructed as a dam in 1901, it was repurposed into a walkway in 2016. It was fascinating to see the calmer waters on one side in contrast to the rapid current on the other.
There are 5 overlooks on the bridge, also known as Brown’s Island Dam Walk. The 1865 Exhibit retells the events of April 1865 when the Union army overtook the city and Richmond’s slaves gained their freedom. Another overlook exhibit called “Harnessing the River” tells how the canal was used by Virginia Power to generate electricity at its power plant from 1901 to 1968. These overlooks provided interesting historical context and a nice place to pull over and enjoy the views.
My youngest son and I continued all the way across the bridge, while my husband and oldest relaxed on a bench about half way across. Brown’s Island seemed like a really interesting spot. Part of the James River Park, it is popular for walking, jogging, and biking and hosts outdoor concerts and festivals (and in a normal year, the Richmond Marathon finish line). We watched people on the climbing wall and explored a little bit down the path before heading back to meet up with the more worn-out members of our family.
We got just a taste of downtown Richmond and really enjoyed it. A great combination of scenery and history, there is lots to explore in the area. There is only so much you can see in a weekend (especially with a marathon-weary visitor) and this visit left us wanting to come back for more.
