History Came Alive for Me at the Virginia State Capitol

History Came Alive for Me at the Virginia State Capitol, Richmond, Virginia, U.S.A.

Library staff explained to visitors patiently about where to go

After visiting the Library of Virginia to see an exhibition, we were interested to see other famous sites here in Richmond, capital of Virginia.

However, the staff at the Library was very helpful in giving us the information.








They gave us very detail information of what to see and how to get to the Virginia State Capitol.

The Capitol Square is located at the intersections of 9th and Broad Street right in downtown Richmond.

The Library is only a stone throw away from the Capitol Square. It was close and easy for us to walk  there.

There are many beautiful and historical buildings in the square.

Capitol Square, Richmond, is a beautiful park!

The Statue of Washington greeting visitors to the Capitol Square, Richmond, Virginia

Though we did not plan on visiting this beautiful landmark on this trip due to time constrain, we were glad that we did!

Designed by Thomas Jefferson while he was ambassador to France at the time, the Capitol is a magnificent building!

Virginia State Capitol, Richmond, Virginia

Entrance to the Capitol

Virginia State Capitol s a must see for visitors to Richmond!

Extension was added to the State Capitol

Thomas Jefferson Statue, Virginia Capitol

We got to the Capitol building a little past  2p.m. on a Tuesday afternoon.

 The statue of Thomas Jefferson greeted us at the entrance. He was the one who designed the State Capitol of Virginia.

The Capitol design model sent by Jefferson from France to Virginia

While he was ambassador to France, Jefferson was asked to design the capitol building. He did and sent a model from France to Virginia.

We joined an hour long guided tour in the Capitol

Though we missed the beginning of the tour, we were able to catch up with the group in front of the marble statue of George Washington in the two story high rotunda.




Statue of Washington, Capitol Rotunda

This free one hour long guided tour gave us some excellent information about the Capitol,  the many important statues within the buildings and some significant historical events about Virginia.

We learned that Jean-Antoine Houdon, the artist, visited George Washington ( a general at the time) at Mount Vernon, took detailed measurements of him and made sketches.

He even coated Washington’s face with oil and covered it in plaster to make a life mask. The completed statue is 6’2’’ and considered a perfect likeness of the American president.

Old Hall of the House of Delegates, Virginia Capitol

We visited the Old Hall of the House of Delegates where the Bills of Rights were ratified into the U.S. Constitution.

Statue of Robert Lee stands at where he assumed the command of the forces

Right at the entrance to the hall, there stood Robert E. Lee’s statue where he assumed the command of the Virginia forces.

The pilgrim ships that landed in Virginia!

I am no history buff and often found history boring and unexciting when I was in grade school.

The hour long guided tour was informative and interesting! Free admission!

Knowledgeable and an excellent storyteller, the lady tour guide made the State Capitol and American history came alive for me!

A painting depicting Virginia's independence from the British

There were many interesting and famous paintings and statues in the various rooms at the Capitol.



If we had gone  in there by ourselves it  would not have meant anything to us.










But with the guided tour, it was different. The most interesting part of the tour occurred for me when the tour guide pointed to the portraits of John Smith and Pocahontas !

How interesting was that! 

Portrait of  Pocahontas

A non- American and ignorant of American history, I only learned of Pocahontas' existence through a Disney movie. I thought she was a cartoon character that Disney made up for kids.

Wow! I learned something  today and it felt good!!!

The War Memorial overlooking the James River in Richmond, Virginia

We also had the opportunity to visit the Virginia War  Memorial.

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Virginia War Memorial, Richmond, Virginia, U.S.A.

The sculpture and architecture of the War Memorial were inspiring!

The outdoor stage - War Memorial, Virginia

However, we got to the War Memorial at 5p.m. and they were closed.

We did not have an opportunity to go inside for information, but we did walk around the ground.

Admiring the statue at the Virginia War Memorial

Built in honour of Virginians who scarified their lives at the various wars, the  sculpture and architecture of the Virginia War Memorial were awesome and inspiring!

We have learned a lot about U.S. history on our visit to Richmond,
Virginia this time.

It was well worth a visit and our time!



R.T.

The Virginia State Capitol

Richmond, Virginia

U.S.A.