Winter Wander

Join us for some winter cheer on our picturesque block of E. Clay Street! We’ll have family crafts and games, and live entertainment. You can also take a self-guided tour of the historic Court End neighborhood and hop on a shuttle to visit nearby cultural sites for open houses and other activities. Valentine museum admission is free and the Wickham House will be open for visitors.

All sites will require masks indoors. Winter Wander will include free admission and shuttle transportation to the following nine historic sites:

• • The Valentine: Children’s activities, refreshments, live entertainment, and tours will kick off the winter season.
  • The Valentine First Freedom Center: Explore the story of religious freedom in Virginia at The Valentine First Freedom Center, located on the same corner where Virginia’s General Assembly met in secret during the American Revolution. The Center will be open for self-guided tours.
  • The Governor’s Executive Mansion: Stop by the Executive Mansion to hear from Dr. Kelley Fanto Deetz (Director of Education and Historic Interpretation), and historical interpreter Dontavius Williams will talk about 19th-century cooking! Grab a ginger snap, a cup of hot cider, and a recipe!
  • St. Paul’s Episcopal Church: Guided tours will be held of the sanctuary (sanctuary has been recently renovated and the church celebrated its 175th year in 2020), with hot cider on the breezeway.
  • Historic Monumental Church: Historic Richmond will hold an open house with guided tours of Monumental Church.
  • The John Marshall House: Christmas in Early America Open House Tour; Make-and-Take Holiday Crafts; Hot Beverages and Snacks; Holiday Group Photos: We’ll provide the decorated, historic backdrop; you bring your camera and your crew!
  • Historic St. John’s Church: Church Open House and Visitor Center open from 1:00-4:00p.m.
  • The American Civil War Museum’s White House of the Confederacy: Open 11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. Tour the first floor of the historic Clay St. house and learn surprising stories of food, family and freedom that demonstrated resilience and determination during wartime and winter in Richmond.
  • The American Civil War Museum at Historic Tredegar*: Explore our main exhibit, “A People’s Contest,” on a special gallery quest to discover stories of food, family, and freedom. Pick up your guide from our interpretive cart in the lobby and collect a period recipe. (*discounted rate of $5 for local residents)
  • Mason’s Hall: Open house!

Download Shuttle Stops Map (PDF)

The public may find parking in several locations:

The Valentine Lot accessible from 10th Street between Clay and Marshall streets. This lot has limited number of spaces and is handicapped accessible.

VCU Hospital Visitor Lot accessible from 12th Street at Leigh (this parking location is adjacent to the Museum and ACWM White House of the Confederacy and two blocks from the Valentine).

Guests with accessibility issues should call (804) 649‐0711 x301 for specific instructions. Please note that the John Marshall House is not wheelchair accessible. Monumental Church will be wheelchair accessible.