The Five-Dollar Date

Quick Tips:

Best Way To Get Around:

If you're going to do all five, driving is recommended. The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts and the Byrd Theatre are within walking distance of each other; free parking is available behind both sites.

Opened in 1928, the Byrd Theatre bills itself as "Richmond's Landmark Movie Palace." Visit, and you'll see that's no exaggeration. With marble walls, crystal chandeliers, and frescoes painted throughout, the theatre itself can be more appealing than the movies that show on its screen.

The most unique part of the Byrd is the Mighty Wurlitzer Organ--one of only two pipe organs played on a regularly scheduled basis in America (the other being the one at Radio City Music Hall). Bring your date by on a Saturday night, before the 7:15 or 9:30 shows, and watch organist Bob Gulledge work his magic. It's a little kitschy, a little corny--but also a real slice of Americana.

The Byrd offers second-run movies for the unbelievable price of $1.99 each. What's even more unbelievable is that they were just 99 cents until a few years ago. The theater is owned by a non-profit foundation which is currently raising funds to help preserve the Byrd for future generations. When you visit it, you'll see why.

Some people never got the memo that Richmond is no longer the "Capital of the Confederacy." Then again, it's easy to forget that's part of our past when we have a street of monuments to memorialize the South's former leaders and generals.

Ironically, your tour begins with a massive statue of... Arthur Ashe, tennis great. Richmond's native son is still respected and revered by city residents of all races, but his statue is still a bone of contention. Contrary to popular Northern beliefs, most aren't bothered that one of our nation's great black athletes shares a street with the Confederacy. Instead, we're bothered that the city wasted their funds on such a bizarre statue. Councilmen wanted to honor Ashe for his contributions to sports and education... so they constructed a monument which looks like Ashe beating children with a tennis racket.

Down Monument Ave. further, you'll see all the southern greats: Lee, Jackson, Maury (of nautical fame) and Jefferson Davis. Lee is the most imposing of all--astride his horse, many stories tall and mounted on an enormous marble base.

The VMFA features a well-rounded collection of pieces by nationally and internationally renowned artists. Its holdings are diverse, from Egyptian artifacts to Lichtenstein pop art. The "crown jewel" of the museum is their collection of Faberge eggs, formerly owned by the Russian imperial family. They are on display in a new recently renovated space, and are both intricately made and breathtaking to view.

Though the museum has recently begun offering add-on paid exhibits, the bulk of the museum is free to tour. Donations are recommended and are accepted in the box at the entrance.

Belle Isle has had a storied past: native American village, Civil War POW camp, horse track, and industrial site. Now, it's a public park with many elements from its historic past... making it one of Richmond's most intriguing sites.

This 54-acre expanse has always been there, but was made more accessible with the construction of a downtown pedestrian bridge about 10 years ago. To get there, you'll walk it--suspended above the raging Hollywood Rapids, and dangling from the interstate above. It sounds quite treacherous, but it's not.

Once you're there, follow the path that heads south (parallel to the overpass). You'll pass (and be able to wander through) remnants of the park's industrial past: stone walls, steel frames, and even an entire hydroelectric plant. The ruins are what make Belle Isle truly unique; in an era of high liability, it's one of the few sites where you can legally wander through such abandonment.

The trail leads around to the Rapids and past other vestiges of its life as a POW camp. Earthen mounds and defensive positions have worn down over time, but they're still there.

Do be prepared to walk over some rugged terrain, especially if you opt to climb the hill in the center of the island. Wade out into the water at your own risk, since the Rapids are deceptively strong. And be sure to visit the bathroom before hitting the island, since bathroom facilities aren't available.

Belle Isle is located across the James River from Tredegar Iron Works. To get there from downtown, go south on 5th Street, and hang a right when the road ends. Free parking is on your right, under the railroad trestle and before the Ethyl Corporation parking lot.

Most people look for dead presidents in their wallet. In Richmond, the term means a trip to historic Hollywood Cemetery. Designed in 1847, this landmark is the resting place for James Monroe, John Tyler and a bevy of other Virginia luminaries.

Hollywood is a park cemetery, complete with rolling hills, trees and a magnificent view of the James River. And though the most intriguing parts of it date to the late 1800s, it's still an active cemetery. If you have the money, the family ties, or both, there could even be a spot for you there.

Perhaps the oddest of its monuments is the 90-foot stone pyramid constructed in 1869 to honor the Confederate dead buried nearby. Trivia bit: The capstone was put in place by a convict who volunteered for the dangerous job. After doing it, he was pardoned for his efforts.

One of the most intriguing parts of Hollywood is a spot I like to call "Dead Man's Row." It looks almost like a little village of family crypts, all lined up facing the James River.

Hollywood Cemetery is just off the Belvidere St. exit of I-195. Follow the signs.