Richmond—A Guide to Richmond’s Great Monuments and Memorials

Though many East Coast destinations are rich with colonial and early United States history, possibly no city has as many decorative memorials and monuments. Every high school history lesson you ever forgot—the Civil War, the founding fathers, the civil rights movement—can be relearned here.

The obvious starting point is Monument Avenue, where Confederate notables (Robert E. Lee, Jefferson Davis) and other famous Richmond natives (tennis player Arthur Ashe) each have their own monument. For something more obscure, there’s a rather unconventional Confederate memorial in Hollywood Cemetery—stones are stacked to form a pyramid. Bookend the Civil War tour with a visit to the new Civil Rights Memorial on the State Capitol grounds—and also, a look at the slave reconciliation statue.

Washington, D.C., Day Trips: Monticello, Charlottesville

Thomas Jefferson spent over 40 years designing and redesigning his estate of Monticello outside of Charlottesville, Virginia. While considered Jefferson's architectural autobiography, the estate is also a horticultural masterpiece. Jefferson once said of agricultural pursuits, "It is at the same time the most tranquil, healthy, and independent" occupation.

Photo credit: Monticello, Charlottesville, Virginia (Corbis)