My husband has a conference in Richmond in July and we're not real sure what fun things there are to do in and around the city when he's not going to meetings. Any ideas?

Do you know where the conference will be held and where you will be staying?

Richmond isn't huge, but this makes a difference, especially if you are not planning to have a car.

There are numerous wonderful things to do in Richmond. DO you like history, nature, art, science, architecture? Where are you staying? How long will you be there?

Isn't a very large Faberge' egg collection here still? Not sure waht museum though...

Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens, Maymont Park, upper part of Carytown has lots of funky shops and some restaurants and also an art museum. The Fan is an area of unique homes and has some cool restaurants.
I think Browns Island has concerts in the summer time. I have not been. Browns Island is downtown.
Shockoe Slip is downtown and near many of the hotels there. It has restaurants and nightclubs. You can walk to the Capitol building.
Depends on where you are staying, whether you have a car will also make a big difference. There is a lot of history. Patrick Henry stood in a church downtown and gave the give me liberty speech. (I hope I have the right historical speech )
There is lots to see and do, but a car will make that easier. It is a small city with a big and nice suburb population to the west of it. There are many parks in the city area. You can also catch a Richmond Braves baseball game. It is a small baseball diamond and inexpensive. They put on a great fireworks show. It is also very hot and humid here in the summer. Dress lightly and drink lots of water!

The Faberge collection is in the VA Museum of Art which is a wonderful art museum in town. The new Civil War museum in the Tredegar Iron Works is supposed to be very good. A walk on Cary St for some boutique shopping and lunch is always nice.
If you are interested in Tudor England you should go to Agecroft Hall. It was brought over from England and reconstructed. The tour is very interesting.

Don't miss a hike around Belle Isle in Richmond. This beautiful island is in the middle of the James River with lots of history and gorgeous scenery. It's accessible by a fun pedestrian bridge over the river. Once you get to Belle Isle there's a civil war prison. You can take the wide and flat unpaved path to your right which goes all the way around the island - the first half runs along the banks of the James River with gorgeous views. This hike will take about an hour (or more if you dawdle, which you should) You can have even more fun by going up the hill and exploring the top of the island or hopping around in the huge rock area on the other side of the island.

Have a look at the James River Plantation tours:
http://www.jamesriverplantations.com/

The Berkley Plantation at Harrison’s Landing has good bit of history you may want read about and then tour:
http://www.jamesriverplantations.org/Berkeley.html

Petersburg National Battlefield and Fort Davis have some remarkable remains of the Civil War. The Crater, The Silencer, The Tunnel…all interesting.
http://www.civilwartraveler.com/virg...etersburg.html

We enjoyed dinner at Ruth’s Chris Steak House, a restored Plantation House:
http://www.ruthschris.com/locations/...teakhouse.html

I used to fly in and out of Richmond for business and enjoyed these spots.

contact the richmond travel bureau& plan to cover many, many types of interesting side trips. you do need a car. also contact virginia is for lovers. you need to some homework. steamer

Thanks, girlonthego, that's just the sort of info I was looking for.

Richmond is about 45 minutes east of Charlottesville. It is a straight shot on I-64.

There is the downtown walking mall, Jefferson's home Monticello, Monroe's home Ashlawn Highland, where in July they will have their outdoor opera and musicals.

Then we do get a lot of guests who take our wine tour www.arcadyvineyard.com
We would have you drive to the downtown mall and park in the Omni hotel parking lot. We run wine tasting tours most days.

Best,

Erika
Arcady Vineyard

If you like puzzles and mystery and cyphers, you might want to check out Ravenchase (I think it is www.ravenchase.com). They run "treasure hunts" and are based in Richmond. The clues take you all over the place. A good, challenging, fun way to see some parts of the city.

If you can, the Sunday Brunch at the Jefferson is a "taste" of luxurious old VA. Make reservations ahead of time.

Carytown is fun and quirky. I agree with all the history suggestions. We went to the new museum at the Tredager Iron Works and it was really fascinating. Hollywood Cemetary is a MUST. There are MANY interesting things there--and the location is beautiful--on a bluff overlooking the James River.