Anyone have any insight into fun things to do, places to eat, interesting bars or day trips to make from Richmond? I'm going to be there for 5 days in late June with my recent college grad daughter. Neither of us have ever been there.

Didnt stay long on way through

ate at Fall Line Cafe i think is what it is called pretty good but nothing that said oh my

Edgar Allen Poe Museum

that was about it ...spent maybe three hours total in Richmond

Veil Brewing. Hot fire.

Richmond is great - just starting year 5 here.

Any of the breweries in Scott's Addition (2nd Veil as a favorite but there are others that are solid). Veil just opened a new location with a restaurant, they also have one south of the river in Forest Hill. Scott's Addition also has all the fun stuff - shuffleboard, ax throwing, bowling varieties, arcade type places. Also like Triple Crossing - either down location or east location.

Stella's is a favorite restaurant but book reservations today. Pizza Bones for sourdough pizza in Church Hill neighborhood. Great views of the city from that area. Other favorite restaurant suggestions: Perlys, Eazzy Burger, Lillie Pearl, Jewfro, Alewife.
ZZQ is outstanding BBQ - Texas style and generally rated as best in the state (always a line).

VMFA is free and great museum, beautiful grounds. History Museum of VA is nearby and has recently been redone.
Walk along the James River, there are some nice pedestrian bridges. Canal walk and/or Capitol Trail. Or Forest Hill Park south of the river.
Maymont
Tour the Capital building or just walk the grounds
If you want to be more active you can kayak or tube the James.

You could do day trip to cidery/wineries near Charlottesville, Farmville for the High Bridge Trail, Williamsburg for all the Colonial history stuff.

Happy to answer any other specific questions.

Had our wedding at a church next to VMFA and reception at Maymont. So many fond memories of Richmond but there are a handful of places that stand out and we had to say goodbye to before we moved back to Texas from the mid Atlantic:

1. Maymont was an old estate that was turned into Richmond's "central" park. One side of it even has a small zoo that is nice to stroll through.
2.VMFA is a nice museum, even if the docents are high strung.
3.Mekong is an exceptionally good Vietnamese restaurant that we and my wife's family always make a point to visit when back in Richmond. Aside from the awesome food they have a great selection of Belgian beer.
4. Silver Diner is actually a chain that you can find throughout Northern Virginia but Richmond has at least one. It is a really really solid breakfast place.

This is good stuff. I spent a few weeks there for work back in 2013 and I don't remember anything about the city except that i watched the Aggies lose (I think to Auburn) at a Hooters and that's about it.

Thanks for all the responses. Drove thru a while back and stopped for a few hours. Will spend more time next time based upon these suggestions.

Good stuff. I'll have to check these places out. Thanks!

Day trips with unique and fascinating destinations - Colonial Williamsburg is about an hour SE of Richmond as mentioned previously. But my favorite is Jefferson's Monticello about an hour NW and near Charlottesville.

Museum of the Confederacy is fantastic.

Bookmarked

Bumping this thread. I will be in Richmond this month and will be staying downtown. Any other things to do and places to eat (from ritzy to laid back with games) etc in the last two years? TIA

Still here and Richmond is still fabulous. All the recs above are still valid. Scott's Addition has had a lot of development so some game play places have closed but Bingo Beer Co has a solid arcade and patio. Church Hill is probably best restaurant area - we really enjoy Metzgers followed by Spotty Dog Ice Cream. You could pry get a seat at the bar at L'Possum if youre looking for the best.

Thank you sir!