Richmonds historic Riverfront Canal Cruises return for another season WRIC ABC 8News

Table Of Content

• Riverfront Canal Cruises hosts three special nights of hauntingly narrated canal boat tours.
• To Learn Something New
• Take A Ride On This One-Of-A-Kind Canal Boat In Virginia
• Richmond’s historic Riverfront Canal Cruises return for another season
• (great) Mother’s Day gifts
• Canal Walk Turning Basin
• Enjoy a Canal Cruise Along the Kanawha Canal in Downtown Richmond

On nice days, passengers sat on the deck of the boat and enjoyed the leisurely journey. The canal boat tours of the James River and Kanawha Canal operate throughout the season, seven days a week from May through September, and with varying hours in April, October and November. This National Park Service visitors center in downtown Richmond offers both self-guided and guided walking tours. There is history along every block of historic Downtown Richmond and its growing list of attractions allows you to explore our city's past, present and future. Choose from Downtown RVA's museums, trails and tours, eight historic neighborhoods and nationally recognized historic sites to discover all there is to learn about the history of Richmond, Virginia. At the 0.7-mile mark, just east of 11th Street, you’ll reach my favorite part of the Canal Walk.

Riverfront Canal Cruises hosts three special nights of hauntingly narrated canal boat tours.

More than 1,000 buildings burned between 4th and 15th streets, from Main Street to the river. All the buildings in the Shockoe Warehouse district were destroyed. The devastation was so complete, residents afterward had trouble identifying their own streets.

To Learn Something New

The open-air site has been home to murals for some time, but new murals were painted during the RVA Street Art Festival in September. As you walk east, you’ll see a lengthy row of blue porta-potties, then a placard on Brown’s Island, which was acquired by Elijah Brown in 1826. Both Venture Richmond Events, LLC, and Riverfront Canal Cruises, LLC, are subsidiaries of Venture Richmond, Inc. Venture Richmond Events, LLC, produces Friday Cheers, the 2nd Street Festival, the Richmond Folk Festival, and partners with Sports Backers to produce Dominion Energy Riverrock. A lifelong Virginia resident, Beth loves exploring different parts of the world and currently resides in Charlottesville.

Take A Ride On This One-Of-A-Kind Canal Boat In Virginia

In 1870, the congregation moved to Duval Street,where it remains today. Stopping at different cruise ports during a Panama Canal crossing makes it easy to savor the varied flavors of these countries, each with its own signature spice and tang. The thrill is not over after you go through the canal locks, there's more to see as you travel through the canal, with tropical flora and fauna adorning the way. You'll get to see other ships as they cross, too, giving you a different vantage point and a new way of learning how the canal works. Once you're crossing the canal, head to the front of the ship for the best view. Cross foggy suspended bridges or zip-line along the treetops at the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve near Puntarenas, Costa Rica, where local travel guides take you deep within the forest as you learn about its precious ecosystems.

Venture Richmond hosting Halloween canal tours in ‘haunted’ downtown - WRIC ABC 8News

Venture Richmond hosting Halloween canal tours in ‘haunted’ downtown.

Posted: Thu, 01 Sep 2022 07:00:00 GMT [source]

During the Civil War, the hazardous work of loading powder was carried out on Brown's Island because of its separation from the city by water. On March 13, 1864, a huge explosion in the laboratory killed 46 workers - mostly women whom hard times had forced into this dangerous occupation. Panama enjoys a gentle tropical weather almost every day of the year. This translates into the easy planning of a crossing anytime is convenient for you. Cruise from Los Angeles or Miami and pick the trips that make your favorite stops.

(great) Mother’s Day gifts

The canal never stops working and you will traverse along with other ships and boats and witness the swift movement of these vessels. Once scheduled, cruises can be canceled up to 7 days in advance without penalty. Charters may be scheduled for any day and time during the boating season, are dependent on weather conditions and are scheduled on an individual basis, subject to availability. Explore some of downtown Richmond's most historic neighborhoods, like Court End, Shockoe Bottom, Shockoe Slip and more, on these engaging and illuminating tours of Richmond's past by The Valentine. RVATukTuk offers tours and rides all around Richmond on their fleet of electric-powered, three-wheeled open-air vehicles.

Riverfront cruises return to Richmond’s historic Canal Walk

By the mid-19th century, the city had become the largest tobacco producer in the world, with more than 50 factories, including chewing tobacco and cigar manufacturers, box makers and label printers. Many tobacco warehouses dating from the late 19th and early 20th century still stand. There is an RVA Bike Share location and a taphouse at the 1.8-mile mark, as well as a kiosk for tour guide-led cruises along the scenic riverfront canal. The tour will operate from April to November with varying hours. To learn how you can book a private charter or purchase tickets click here.

Canal Walk Turning Basin

The old 13th Street bridge was built by Richard B. Haxall and Lewis D. Crenshaw, proprietors of the Haxall-Crenshaw Mill, which once stood along the canal. In the vicinity of the bridge is an arch remaining from a lateral canal that extended into an auxiliary building of the flour mill. One of the largest mills in America, the Haxall-Crenshaw was surpassed only by the Gallego Mill, located a few blocks away.

Let's Roam offers tons of great scavenger hunts, street art walks, ghost hunts, bar crawls and other activities in the Richmond, VA area. Tickets for the tour should be purchased at least 18 hours in advance and are available online or at the ticket kiosk. Admission is $12 for adults and $8 for seniors and children between 5 and 12. Discounts are also available for teachers, first responders, healthcare workers and military personnel. During April, boats will run every hour between noon and 7 p.m.

Canals and the locks that raised boats from one water level to the next were considered among the greatest engineering feats of their time. Preserved by the Reynolds Metal Company, these locks connected the Great Basin, between 8th and 11th Streets, with the Richmond dock at 14th Street. Power plants have stood along the Haxall Canal for more than 100 years. In 1901, the success of the city's electric streetcar system, which connected its downtown and growing residential areas, led the Virginia Railway and Electric Company to build a new hydroelectric plant along the Haxall Canal.

Walk down the steps, then walk up the steps on the other side. Turn left, then right away walk down wooden steps and walk through a concrete tunnel. You’ll see a monument to Captain Christopher Newport, one of Jamestown’s founders. The space is home to more than a dozen super-size murals that beautify the space and make the Canal Walk that much more enjoyable on any given day.

You really notice the quick transition from the urban landscape of downtown and the natural environment of the James River when you’re on a boat on the dividing line. My favorite thing about the Riverfront Canal Cruises is spreading my enthusiasm! Whether I am introducing or reacquainting people with the fun and uniqueness of the Canal and Downtown Richmond, it's always a treat to watch people realize how much awesome stuff there is to see and do here. There is an overwhelming amount of history in Richmond, beginning long before its official founding in 1737, and it’s still an exciting place to explore and experience in 2021.

On your voyage, you might spy cranes, turtles, herons and (if you’re really lucky) eagles. Bridges and ferry launches have stood at 14th Street since Richmond's earliest days. The city's first bridge across the James River, a toll bridge named after its owner, John Mayo, was completed in 1788. In 1865, Mayo's bridge was burned by the Confederate army as it evacuated the city. In its peak years, the James River and Kanawha Canal employed 75 deck boats, 66 open boats, 54 batteaux, 6 passenger boats, 425 horses and 900 men.

The 32-foot-long boats are covered with a canopy to protect riders from the weather, but we recommend that all passengers check the weather the day of and dress accordingly. The boats are handicapped accessible and can accommodate up to two wheelchairs. Mending Walls is a public art project that brings together public artists from different cultures to create murals that address where we are now in society and how we can move forward through understanding and collaboration. The Virginia War Memorial is the Commonwealth of Virginia’s premier monument, museum, and educational center dedicated to Virginians who served to defend the United States from World War II through today. The Virginia Holocaust Museum preserves and documents the Holocaust in exhibits and its archival collections. Through the permanent exhibit, educational programming, and outreach, the museum employs the history of the Holocaust and other genocides to educate and inspire future generations of Virginians to fight prejudice and indifference.

From Colonial times, the waterpower of the James was used to grind wheat into flour. This became even more effective when millraces, like the waterway that ultimately became the Haxall Canal, were dug to divert water from the river for this purpose. In the 19th century, when the city became one of the largest flour exporters in the world, fleets of schooners and brigs carried Richmond's flour to Brazil and around Cape Horn to San Francisco and Australia. For years, the only river crossing for vehicles and pedestrians was Mayo's toll bridge, at 14th Street. Complaints about the tolls eventually led to the opening of Richmond's first “free” bridge in 1873. The day after it opened, thousands crowded onto the Free Bridge to watch the Reverend John Jasper conduct a large group-baptism ceremony in the river.