Trip Idea

Richmond's Indigenous Heritage

Multiple Parks

A longhouse structure recreated at Henricus museum.
Duration Multiple Days
Topic(s) Colonization and Settlement, Native American Heritage, Colonial/European Contact Conflicts, Arts, Fish, Explorers and Expeditions, Forests and Woodlands, Deciduous Forests, Ships and Shipwrecks, Natural Sounds, River and Riparian, Trails, Water Trails, Watersheds, Wetlands, Marshes more »
Activities Living History, Museum Exhibits, Front-Country Hiking
Type Kid Friendly, Urban, Educational, Indoors, Outdoors, Group Friendly more »
Parks Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail
Richmond, Virginia is located on the "fall line" of the James River. In other words, it is where the higher elevation "Piedmont" region drops in elevation to become the "Coastal Plain." Prior to English colonization, the coastal area to the East of this line was known as Tsenacomoco, or "densly populated place" in the Virginia Algonquian language. Numerous Algonquian-speaking Tribes lived here and were the first groups to interact with early English settlers of the Jamestown colony. To the West of the fall line were groups of Indigenous peoples who spoke Siouan languages. They traded with the Tidewater Algonquian groups using the James River as a "highway" for travel by dugout canoe.
  • Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail

    Walk the marshes at Dutch Gap Conservation Area
    • Activity Fee: No (Entrance fees may apply)
    • Reservations: No
    • Activity: Front-Country Hiking
    • Pets: Yes
    A walkway boardwalk above a green, grassy marsh area.

    Dutch Gap Conservation Area is a wooded area in Chesterfield County, Virginia that surrounds Henricus, the second successful English settlement in Virginia. Today, the conservation area offers activities and opportunities for visitors looking for a way to enjoy an outing on the idyllic James River.

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  • Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail

    Henricus Historical Park
    • Activity Fee: Yes
    • Reservations: No
    • Activity: Living History
    • Pets: Yes
    • Season: Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall
    • Time of Day: Day
    A yehakin house at the Henricus American Indian Village

    The town of Henricus was built by the English a few years after the establishment of Jamestown. The area was formerly occupied by the Arrohateck people, who were displaced by English arrival. At Henricus Historical Park, tour a recreated Arrohateck village and learn about the well-known indigenous people, such as Pocahontas, who came to Henricus.

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  • Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail

    Pamunkey Indian Museum
    • Activity Fee: Yes
    • Reservations: Yes
    • Activity: Museum Exhibits
    • Pets: No
    • Season: Spring, Summer, Fall
    • Time of Day: Day
    The exterior of the Pamunkey Indian Museum.

    The Pamunkey Indian Museum is the museum of the Pamunkey Indian Tribe and is located on the tribe's reservation in coastal Virginia. On display are objects that showcase the tribe's history, artistic traditions, and role in historical events.

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Last updated: December 18, 2023