CORONAVIRUS UPDATE
For up-to-date information on Virginia's response to the coronavirus outbreak, visit https://www.virginia.gov/coronavirus-updates/.
You may also visit the Virginia Department of Health coronavirus page at http://www.vdh.virginia.gov/surveillance-and-investigation/novel-coronavirus/ or the Virginia
The Capitol building, which had been closed to the public as a result of COVID-19, reopened July 1, 2021. The main entrance to the Capitol is at the bottom of the hill on 1000 Bank Street, at the intersection with 10th Street. The Tour Guides are located in the Capitol's underground extension, just beyond the Bank Street entrance lobby and security screening area.
Guided tours are available for walk-in visitors as well as groups with tour appointments. All groups of 10 or more are expected to make tour reservations in advance. Individuals, couples, families and small groups with fewer than 10 people may take guided or self-guided tours during daily operating hours.
Free one-hour guided tours begin Monday through Saturday no later than 10:00 a.m. for walk-in visitors (9:00 a.m. for groups by appointment), with last tour starting at 4:00 p.m. On Sunday, guided tours are available beginning at 1:00 p.m., with the last tour starting at 4:00 p.m. In addition, self-guided tours are available during operating hours each day. Visit www.virginiacapitol.gov for operating hours and more information.
The Capitol is fully accessible to visitors with special needs. Information desk: (804) 698-1788. Email: capitoltourguides@captourguides.virginia.gov
As of July 1, 2021, it is illegal to bring firearms and explosives onto the grounds of Capitol Square and the surrounding areas and into any building owned or leased by the Commonwealth of Virginia. For more information about this new code section, go to https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/18.2-283.2
All persons and packages are subject to screening when visiting the State Capitol.
For real-time alerts in case of emergencies in and around Capitol Square, sign up for VSCAN. The account is free.
To follow us on Twitter, go to @VaCapitolPolice.
Capitol Square Information
Interested in educational materials for students, teachers or visitors of all ages? This link's for you:
Virginia General Assembly Capitol Classroom
More information:
Parking
While there are no public parking lots on the grounds of Capitol Square, there are literally thousands of available spaces within easy walking distance on all sides of the complex. This handy link will show you not only the locations of the parking garages and surface lots, but their costs and number of spaces.
http://www.richmondgov.com/Parking/documents/map_RF_RIC_Parking.pdf
Square Sights
In addition to the Capitol itself as well as the monuments on the Capitol Square grounds, here are a few other stops worth making:
- Barbara Johns Building, 200 N. Ninth St.: Originally constructed as the Hotel Richmond in 1904, this recently renovated building now houses the Office of the Attorney General.
- Bell Tower: Built in 1824 at the southwest corner of Capitol Square, it first served as a guardhouse and a signal tower for emergencies.
- Executive Mansion, 1111 E. Broad St.: Designed between 1811 and 1813, it is the nation's oldest purpose-built executive mansion still in use.
- Morson's Row. 219-223 Governor St.: Built in 1853 as speculative rental housing, this row of town houses is the lone remaining evidence of the residential neighborhood that once surrounded Capitol Square.
- Old City Hall, 1001 E. Broad St.: Constructed in the late 1880s and early 1890s, this granite structure cost more than $1.3 million -- a significant sum in those days. Given up by the city when it built a new city hall in the 1970s, the building was sold to the state in 1981 and is about to undergo a significant exterior and interior restoration.
- Oliver Hill Building, 102 Governor St.: Built in 1894, it was originally called the Virginia State Library and also housed the Virginia Supreme Court and the Office of the Attorney General.
- Patrick Henry Building, 1111 E. Broad St.: Constructed in 1939 as the second home of the Virginia State Library and Supreme Court of Virginia, the PHB served as the temporary home of the Virginia General Assembly in 2006 while the interior of the Capitol was renovated.
- Washington Building, 1100 Bank St.: There's a good reason the words "STATE OFFICE BUILDING" are etched in granite outside the building's entrances. When it was built in 1924, it was the first high-rise building constructed solely for state government use.
Square Rules
- The following are prohibited at Capitol Square, which is open daily from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m.:
- Firearms are prohibited in the Capitol and the Pocahontas Building; this does not apply to law enforcement officers, authorized security personnel or military personnel
- The operation of motor vehicles
- Climbing on statues, buildings, other structures or trees
- Pets that are not leashed or in appropriate carriers
- Open containers of alcohol
- Hazardous, flammable or combustible liquids or materials
- Affixing banners, flags, posters or other objects to any statue, building, tree or other vertical structure
- Solicitations, sales, collections or fund-raising activities
- Wearing a mask, hood or other item where a substantial portion of the face is hidden, unless otherwise permitted by law
- Open-air burning; hand-held candles with drip guards are acceptable
- Blocking walkways
- Engaging in unlawful activities
General Assembly Building Relocation and Remodel Project
The Virginia General Assembly has relocated all legislative offices from to the Pocahontas Building, located at 900 East Main Street, uphill to the new General Assembly Building, located at 201 North 9th Street, Richmond, Virginia. Construction of the new General Assembly Building, which opened to the public on October 11, 2023, can be seen via archives and webcams 9th Street General Assembly construction webcam.