Canal Walk

Richmond


The 1.25-mile waterfront Canal Walk between the James River and the Kanawha (ka-naw-wha) and Haxall Canals is a lovely way of seeing a dozen highlights of Richmond history in one go. There's also a pedestrian bridge across to Belle Isle, a scruffy but intriguing island in the James.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Richmond attractions

1. Historic Tredegar

0.14 MILES

Part of the multisite American Civil War Museum, this fascinating exhibit – housed inside an 1861 iron works that at its height employed 800 free and…

2. Richmond National Battlefield Park

0.18 MILES

The dozen Civil War sites and four visitor centers that comprise this park can be visited on an 80-mile driving tour around Richmond. The best place to…

3. Virginia War Memorial

0.33 MILES

The Virginia War Memorial, dedicated to all branches of service who served in all theaters of American combat since World War II, is an impressive…

4. Virginia State Capitol

0.54 MILES

Designed by Thomas Jefferson, the capitol building was completed in 1788 and houses the oldest legislative body in the Western Hemisphere – the Virginia…

5. Belle Isle

0.69 MILES

A long pedestrian bridge leads from Tredegar St (just past the national park site) out to this car-free island. Once a quarry, power plant and POW camp…

6. Hollywood Cemetery

0.79 MILES

Perched above the James River rapids, this tranquil cemetery contains the gravesites of two US presidents (James Monroe and John Tyler), the only…

7. White House of the Confederacy

0.81 MILES

This 1818 building was the executive mansion of the Confederacy between 1861 and 1865, and the wartime home of its president, Jefferson Davis. Guided 45…

8. Poe Museum

0.92 MILES

Contains the world's largest collection of manuscripts and memorabilia of poet and horror-writer Edgar Allan Poe, who lived and worked in Richmond…