16 Cool and Unusual Things to Do in Richmond - Atlas Obscura

Unusual Attractions in Richmond

Richmond, Virginia

Edgar Allan Poe Museum

This museum devoted to the gothic author holds such interesting ephemera as his socks and walking stick.

Richmond, Virginia

The Grand Kugel

This 29-ton granite ball spins around at the slightest touch thanks to a scientific phenomenon.

Richmond, Virginia

James River Park Pipeline Walkway

Heron, whitewater rapids, and urban industrialism all add to the beauty of this concrete nature walk.

Richmond, Virginia

Ruins of Belle Isle

A small Richmond island dotted with the remnants of hundreds of years of history.

Richmond, Virginia

Hollywood Cemetery

The final resting place of two (or three) presidents, one vampire, and 18,000 Confederate soldiers.

Richmond, Virginia

Evergreen Cemetery

This labyrinthine resting place of Black American leaders has been reclaimed by nature.

Richmond, Virginia

The Markel Building

Inspired by a foil-wrapped potato, (seriously) the Markel Building has been deemed one of the 10 ugliest buildings in the world.

Richmond, Virginia

Egyptian Building

A convincing little bit of ancient Egypt smack dab in Richmond, Virginia.

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Stories About Richmond

The label for Meat Juice (bottom right) often attracts visitors' attention at the Apothecary Museum.

In the 1800s, Valentine’s Meant a Bottle of Meat Juice

An act of love in the form of a medicinal tonic.

by Stephanie Castellano

February 10, 2022

Pustulus Maximus and Balsac the Jaws of Death of GWAR performing in October 2019 in San Francisco.

The Artist Collective That Brings Heavy Metal Fever Dreams to Life

For nearly 40 years, a rotating cast of artists has made costumes and props for GWAR—the band behind one of the world’s wildest stage shows.

by Eric J. Wallace

October 1, 2021

Spilled: 200 Gallons of Cream in Virginia

Accidents happen.

by Erik Shilling

Fort Independence on Castle Island was once the epitome of a waterfront defense.

10 Places That Rejected Poe in Life But Celebrate Him in Death

Edgar Allan Poe gets the recognition he deserves in the afterlife.

by Molly McBride Jacobson

February 9, 2017

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