The Valentine

My brother and sister-in-law had their wedding and reception at the Valentine Museum. The Valentine staff, including Heather, James and many others were so professional and kind! The venue is peaceful and such a wonderful backdrop for an amazing event.

A small place in terms of size yet this it has plenty to offer for learning about Richmond's past and present.

Was there for a free concert in the garden by Virginia Opera. Music and atmosphere was great. Found out that the museum admission is also free on Thursdays! Got to poke around the photo gallery and costume display downstairs. Will definitely be back to see the things I missed upstairs.

Great place to visit for an adult. I went with my child on a field trip and there is some explicit history for <13 years of age. Fantastic step into the history of Richmond, Va.

If you haven't been to The Valentine in awhile, or perhaps ever, you need to plan a trip. This isn't just the repository of many great historical memories, it is a bit of a glimpse into the past. The staff is friendly and knowledgeable, and it is well located in Downtown Richmond.

We attended a Grown Up Scavenger Hunt event and it was glorious. I look forward to returning with our kiddos. There was a vintage print making activity. We toured the Wickham House just before dusk. And, then, we got to pace ourselves and do a Scavenger Hunt in the Valentine Museum. If you live, work, and/or visit here, and want to understand more about the extensive history of the Richmond Metropolitan Region, come here! Explore here!

This Museum was a great experience. There was a good gift shop inside with a good selection. There was over 100,000 items out on exhibit here. They are constantly updating the exhibits. The staff is extremely friendly and has a great deal of knowledge that they share with you if you have any questions. They exhibits are presented in a very elegant way. This Museum encompasses three buildings on this street.

Go! This is an amazing museum and has some incredible history and passionate people working there. What an amazing place to have in our city. They do well to tell the story of Richmond with truth and authenticity.

We had a great summit at the Valentine. The set up was perfect and the staff were very attentive to our needs the meeting area was clean and well ventilated. After the event we were able to move about the museum that at some interesting items relevant to Richmond modern and older history. Great little museum to visit.

The Valentine, aka The Wickham House is located in downtown Richmond, and a stone's throw from the J. Marshall House. It was a special tour that brought me to the Wickham House. Don't be confused by the name, The Valentine. This 19th-century home was purchased in 1898 by Mann Valentine Jr. who added a museum to the property and renamed it The Valentine. My visit was part of a dual tour with the John Marshall House (treason trial of A. Burr). The tour started promptly at the appointed time, and we began our tour of the home. Our guide was very knowledgeable about the Wickham house, the family and the history of that time. Her tour was much more than a simple recitation. She brought the home to life through her descriptions, easily fielded questions and encouraged discussions. We all gained a clear picture of life at that time as well as the role that John Wickham played in history. The house is kept in beautiful condition with many examples of how the family lived, from clothing to imagined food out on the table. I was truly impressed by the beauty of the home. After the tour we were able to meander through the museum that is a part of the property. It is an interesting stroll through Richmond's history from the early 1800's to the present. I would definitely suggest a visit here if you are a history fanatic. Check out your options for parking before you get here (I parked in one of the local garages and spent about $15).

This is a little oasis in the heart of Richmond; like Central Park, in NYC! It is small, but beautifully laid out with bits of Richmond (& other) history [a full-size dugout canoe?!]. The garden is peaceful, with fountain & sculpture. It was a perfect venue for my daughter's wedding in early October. We had a tent, but no rain; the temperature required no covering up! Tours were given to guests of the Wickham House, which the Valentine family purchased. It's Architecture is very similar to the Tyron governor's palace in New Bern, NC. The city can be a bit noisy... but less so on the weekend.

I've lived a short walk away from The Valentine for several months, but I always thought it was just a house based on the main photo here. I didn't realize the depth of detail that encompasses the museum's interior. It's really Richmond history brought to life. Definitely a must visit for any resident or visitor. I visited on a complimentary admission day a few months back. It was, obviously, on the busier side, but there was still plenty of room to roam around and browse the exhibits. There's a nice mix of reading and relics. I appreciate that. Nothing bothers me more than when a museum only has a bunch of reading material and hardly anything else. That's so boring. I walked around snapping photos of displays that interested me (which I've uploaded here, of course) before eventually stepping in to the Wickham House for a guided tour of the downstairs. Such a cool house tour! I highly recommend doing it. The Valentine also has a downstairs rotating exhibit. It was women's dress through the years when I was there. Really fun to see all the trend and fancy garb. Bathrooms are available inside (downstairs) as well as out. The museum store is extensive. And you can even have lunch on the premises. It's all in all a great place to visit for an afternoon of culture.

Probably one of my favorite museums in Richmond. Right in the heart of the city across from MCV Hospital you will find a unique Richmond classic history. Home to yesterday and not to long ago. After a walk down memory lane, take a separate tour (included in price) of an original older home. The tour guides are amazing and will Inform you of the architecture and amazing pieces of furniture (think one of a kinds). Plus the parking is right outside. You do have to give your key to the attendant but you can get the parking validated. A must for any visitor to this beautiful city.

My daughter says it is the "best museum she has ever seen in her life". We had a great Mommy and daughter date. We came back today with the rest of our family. The museum is a great compliment to the 4th grade Virginia Studies curriculum. Some things that are not to miss.... 1) The garden outside 2) The interactive drawers that pull out with more information for kids. 3) Lafayette Portrait and swag from his ball 4) Shackles from Slavery 5) If you are from Richmond, the pictures of buildings that still exist from the early 1900s. Tickets are free for those under 18. The museum is great about Covid and it isn't very busy.

This placed missed the mark for me. We got in free after visiting the Hollywood Cemetery. There was no theme to this place, just stuff everywhere. I wasn't sure what exactly what they were trying to represent. I wanted to leave without seeing the rest of the museum.

I went into this museum a few years ago after I heard about outdoor music jam sessions held every summer. After seeing the green courtyard, with the fountain in the background, I decided to patronize the actual inside of this museum. I was not disappointed. While there's a mainstay collection on part of the first floor, there seems to be a rotating collection in the other parts of the museum. Each collection is so inspiring and relevant to the community - it really shows how diverse our city was and continues to be. The map on the top floor is also just incredible. Truly love just walking around, looking down, and seeing where I'm at on the map. My wife and I actually loved this museum so much that after we got engaged, our very first decision was to book this venue. As I type this out, it's been one week since our wedding and we're still getting compliments on the venue. Truly outstanding location with an awesome collection, complemented by an excellent staff (Peggy deserves a shout out here for her being our wedding venue coordinator!). Parking can be tough, but in the end this museum is a hidden gem that's worth your time!

(Kids' Critic, Anthony, age 11) On a recent visit to the Valentine Museum (and the attached Wickham House), our tour guide teased us with the story of John Wickham, Aaron Burr's chief counsel during his trial for treason. (Be sure and ask for details). The Wickham House was built in 1812 ...but how did John Wickham, a British Loyalist during the Revolution, earn the money to pay for this magnificent neoclassical house, or shall I say, mansion? Well, of course, Wickham became famous because he got Aaron Burr acquitted, and he spared no expense in making his house fabulous with a circular staircase (that people said would never last. *Spoiler alert: It did!*), convex walls and doors, and walk-in closets that have closets inside them. (Ask your tour guide why he did that *hint hint*). In one of the bedrooms, expert wallpaper restorers were able to recreate the original bright, cheerful wallpaper with the help of (drumroll please)...rats that lived in the 1800's and liked to decorate their nests. They also had good taste in wallpaper. I wonder how a family with seventeen children survived in a house with five bedrooms. The Wickham House (kids might say it's a haunted house), is good for everyone to explore and enjoy, but the main museum is quite small and appeals to history nerds and old Richmonders who liked to shop at Miller and Rhoads (if you're not from Richmond, you have no idea what that is). The museum's videos were the most interesting part, especially the one where the descendants of the house rats kept running across the screen. Also on this trip, I picked up a cool, blue harmonica in the gift shop that I have yet to learn to play. We went to an adjoining restaurant called Garnetts. My dining companion ordered a spinach salad that had no bacon, and I got chips and a BLT with so much "B" I couldn't eat it all. The museum, the Wickham House, and Garnetts were all fun to go to and I enjoyed most of the experience (You can actually sit on the white plastic chairs in the house and open the drawers in a desk in the bedroom, unlike some old houses where you can't touch anything! *MIND BLOWN*) Don't forget to get your parking ticket validated!

Not your normal history museum. While I only had a short visit, I was impressed. The artifacts on display ranged from interesting and unique to simply outright eclectic. So many interesting facts on the history of Richmond through the artifacts on display from its humble beginnings before we became the a Capital city to present day. I found several displays edgy and that definitely makes the experience different. The staff were friendly and you feel a warm comforting experience walking in and then through out the exhibits. The Wickham house and the history of the Valentine's was provided an nice complement. You want to learn about the Meat Juice!!! As a long time resident of Richmond, I found it awkward to say I had never been before. They have several neighborhood tours starting soon that will present a unique way to learn about the history of Richmond outside the walls of the museum and I personally want to do the tour in Scott's Addition.

Go in the summer when its free if it is or pay the price and support. It was a great visit and a lil tour around Ric. Hopefully the other part of the house will be open soon.

The Valentine Richmond History Center offers guided tours of several areas of Richmond, including City Center Walks, Hollywood Cemetery, and the Canal Boats and Cobblestones thematic tour of Shockoe Slip, the Basin, James River and canal. They're also the only game in town for guided bus tours if you don't have your own wheels. Buy a Court End pass which includes the Valentine's Wickham House and Edward Valentine's sculpture studio, as well as the 1790 home of Chief Justice John Marshall and the Monumental Church.

Great tour through the Museum and the House. The guide was very informative and gave great insight into Richmond's history. What we found very lacking was what was the significance of this place and the people that lived there before it was a museum. I don't know if it was something that the tour guide missed, but it left these Texans feeling ignorant. Were these people important to Richmond history or were they just rich people that owned a house that is now a museum? Is this just something the guide assumes people know because it's common knowledge in Virginia? We were just missing the context, if the building and the people were important or if it is just a museum in a nice house. I wouldn't particularly say you have to come here if you're in Richmond. It was neat but not distinctive.

Wife and i visited the valentine and if you are from richmond or close by you can really appreciate the history of the museum. STRONGLY recommend on doing the house tour, no extra cost. But the history behind the house and both owners are pretty amazing.

Richmond has so much interesting places and events to offer and this was definitely one that I will be returning for. Who knew The Valentine Museum had Music in the Gardens during a few weeks in June?! I didn't until I went and it was great. The music, atmosphere and ambience was awesome. It was free to attend, they have water for you if you would like, the museum stayed open so you could tour and they had drinks and food trucks on site. I was from 6-8pm, once the sun went down it felt great outside. There was a tent up so the sun wasn't directly hitting us. Awesome, Awesome, Awesome place and event!

We had a wonderful tour, our tour guide was informative and a lot of stories about all three families that have lived here. It was incredibly affordable and just beautiful too. Such interesting lives these early Richmond residents had. The courtyard was gorgeous and provided a lively place to have lunch.

I went to this museum a few years ago and I loved it. This museum had a lot of cool weird things and sometimes gross things. They had an old civil war toothbrush, that was gross. They had a lot of cool old dresses that showed the trends through the years dresses downstairs. That was very cool. It was interesting also learning about the slave who escaped in a box. Outside they have have a studio filled with sculptures which was really cool. They also have a very pretty garden that is very nice in the summer and winter times. I highly recommend this place it was very fun to tour around and our guide was very informative. The staff was also very friendly making sure we were having a good time. One day of the week ( I think Sunday might have changed since I was there) the museum is free. I absolutely recommend this place to anyone who is interested.

The staff at the Valentine were amazing in helping organize and plan a beautifully customized tour for our local synagogue. We filled an entire 55 person bus and Beth led us on a fascinating tour of historical Jewish Richmond! Even the locals learned something new! Couldn't have asked for a better tour guide and helpful staff that made everything go smoothly! Can't wait to do more with The Valentine!

Because of my bad planning, I didn't have a chance to go on a guided tour of the Wickham House. I arrived a little before 4 pm on Saturday and missed my chance to see the Wickham House and wasn't able to come back the next day. If I'm in town again, I will definitely visit and buy the combo deal so I can also see the Marshall House (the Black History Museum is also included but I think it is being renovated until 2015). Anyhow, the staff at the Valentine Richmond History Center I talked with were so nice and friendly. She let me walk through the museum for a little bit and I enjoyed the various exhibits (VA First Lady dresses, various photographs, neon signs, Richmond in 50 objects, etc.) and the grounds. I'm not doing justice to the exhibits -- I recommend that you visit for yourself!

Two stars at best if you are not a local. Apparently the locals give this place 12 out of 5 stars, but I really can't see why. I went to the valentine for a work-related training, and I was looking forward to it and very open to the new experience, but it was basically someone's personal collection of beer bottles and pictures (mostly joking...but only mostly), and they did everything in their power to make random local items nationally relevant somehow (fail). The RVA's I went with were going gaga for this place and its garage-sale-feel, but having lived places other than Richmond, I just didn't see the relevance of this place or any of its items no matter how hard the sales pitch.

I would say there are many other museums to go to in the area including the Poe museum which is fantastic and ignore the Valentine. I don't know whose Valentine it is but it's not mine. The way I was treated today by several people particularly the front lobby staff was to put it mildly snarky as well as passively aggressive judgemental which is discriminatory because I came in there with a facial shield which has been accepted by every other place I've gone to in this region. In fact the Chrysler museum as well as Trader Joes were so kind as to give people facial Shields who could not wear masks because of breathing problems like me. Since everyone looks the same with a mask I cannot give any physical descriptions in the lobby area except to say that there was a white woman and a black woman working there. When I explained to the white woman that I had asthma she stated that someone in her immediate family or the staff at the museum had asthma and he could wear it without problems to which I responded well everyone is different and if someone has breathing problems you have to take them at their word. She then said I had to wear a mask so I had something I just put over my neck which I tried to put over my mouth but I can't wear it over my nose for more than a few minutes at a time. As much as possible I drank a lot of water in order to give myself oxygen and tried to go through the museum as fast as possible. The one saving grace is that it's free and it deserves to be free. On top of everything else the so-called temporary exhibit downstairs from the 1920s which was the most appealing because of the subject matter to me I had to crawl on the ground in order to be able to read the descriptions as fast as I could to be able to breathe and the whole hour I spent there was beyond tolerable. Several times I either went to get more water which by the way the water fountain was working fine and dispensed cold water which should be a health violation. There were also some interactive buttons which people were supposed to press but of course I didn't do. I don't understand why if they're being so anal and actually illegal according to the CDC and the local and state governments about refusing people with medical conditions and facial shields and even myself with a disability card which I should not have to show them -it's very contradictory hypocritical the way they were acting. I guess in one of the many times I left to go to the bathroom and make some phone calls there I happened to go outside one of the gift stores and wound up encountering a white man and a white woman with masks on with their keys to go into what looked like the offices and I asked them if they were staff of the Valentine to which they replied in the affirmative. The conclusion of the conversation in which I explained what I had explained to the front lobby staff is that they're not going to change their rules which they have decided to make completely different from what the other rules are stated from the federal local and city levels and then the woman asked me if I would write to them.I was astonished at this remark because I don't think she understood at all our previous conversation so I am writing to her but not in the way that she meant I suspect. She also added that I should at least visit the outside gardens because I wouldn't have to wear a mask there. Well she was right about that. I think the gardens are something that everyone should go to and forget about the museum. I am part of a reciprocity arts network and I volunteer and work in the arts as well as for museums as well as the opera and theater and they should definitely be more accommodating with regards to ADA.kind of reminds me of the movie pretty woman when Julia Roberts walks into a very expensive designer clothing store and definitely has the funds through Richard gere to buy anything in the store but the women in the store don't think she does and they misjudge her.this action was to their own demise because the next day she walked back into that store where the women had treated her so rudely and was carrying bags from other competitors in the area remarking to them at the time if you had treated me better yesterday I wouldn't have had to go to these other stores. I always used to buy something in the gift stores even if it's like a $5 or $10 itembut in this case I walked through both of their stores at the Valentine and never will I do that based on what happened today. It's their loss because these days all the arts are suffering and they all desperately need money and I above a lot of other people completely totally empathize with that fact but the only advice I can give these people at the Valentine is maybe they should watch Pretty Woman and then have a business meeting about how to treat people.

I've only been living in Richmond for a few years and after moving here from the Midwest I have learned to appreciate the rich history that this city has to offer. The VRHC has fascinating exhibits that helped me learn even more about this town. As an added bonus, the museum has a beautiful outdoor garden and sculpture studio that is gorgeous even in the winter.

The "deal" wasn't a deal. It was advertised as a 50% off deal ($8.00 for a $16 deal). But the entrance fee was only $8.00! Makes me wonder about other "deals"! The Valentine Museum is well worth a visit! Excellent docent led tour.

We had an amazing tour guide. She provided a lot of history and details for everything in the house. We had a great time. By far, the best tour of a historic home we have been on.

3.5 stars. Husband and I went here on a Sunday afternoon and were literally the only patrons. Received a tour of the Valentine/Wickham house as part of the admission - the guide was excellent and did very well considering it creates a somewhat awkward dynamic when you have your very own private tour. Only quibble with this place is that the curation is a bit lacking in the upstairs exhibit on Richmond history - seems more like a random collection of memorabilia than a well thought out story. Otherwise, it's a pleasurable venue for whiling away an afternoon and learning about the history of an old and interesting city.

Newly renovated, and now a must see stop on your visit of Richmond. Don't miss the costume exhibit on the lower level, part of one of the best costume collections in the country. And the 1812 Wickham house is wonderful.

We had a wonderful time. Our tour guide, Stephanie, was fabulous. I really enjoyed the history of the Wickham House and The Valentine Museum. I would have given it 5 stars, but things were in transition. They were finishing an interactive room in the house and the museum could have used more displays. I know that they have more displays at various times. I will have to go back and see more when they do.

If you're new to Richmond as I am, or have out of town guest this is a great tour. I was surprised at how big the place is. There were only 3 in our party so our tour guide pointed out a lot of extra features we may not have seen otherwise. The deal offered here was what prompted me to go-- for $7 why not explore some Richmond history

A poor excuse for a museum! Featured exhibit pieces: a kayak, a plastic rain barrel, a toll collector's vest, a teddy bear (in great condition) from the old Thalhimers. Costumes were at least historic. Some old bikes, but nothing you can't see in most bigger bike stores. The narrative was amateurish: Where we live, what we make, etc. The best part is a gorgeous walled urban garden where you can sit and discuss how lousy this museum is.