Name: James River and Kanawha Canal
Address: Dock Street, Richmond, VA, 23224

First proposed by John Marshall in 1812 to connect Tidewater Virginia with the Ohio River, the canal required for its construction the back-breaking effort of thousands of laborers. After many of the original white Irish laborers died of hypothermia, they were replaced with enslaved blacks who were thought to be impervious to uncomfortable conditions.

James River and Kanawha Canal

We’re a community of runners, hikers, bikers and ballplayers. We’re an outdoor playground, designed by Mother Nature, with class III and IV rapids running right through our downtown. A 52-mile bike trail runs along the James. The Richmond Marathon and Ukrop’s 10k are huge celebrations, and the whole region comes out to cheer on our local teams. In fact, we’re so sports-minded that the Washington Redskins have their training camp right in the center of the city. Add to that awesome hotels, beautiful venues, attractions, art, craft beer, more than 900 restaurants and a convenient location, and you’ve got a top choice for your next sports event. Welcome to RVA!

From indoor to outdoor facilities, the Richmond region has the fields, pitches, diamonds, venues and the dedicated staff to ensure your event is a huge success. 



Sports Richmond, VA

From 1680 until 1780, Richmond was a principal port of entry for Africans being sold into slavery. The Manchester Slave Trail is a memorial to those who walked that route.

Manchester Slave Trail

Phal's Cafe

Close to the James River, seafood lovers can enjoy dining under exposed beams and brick of a refurbished tobacco warehouse. From lobster to swordfish to sirloin each dish is intricately prepared and beautifully presented for a fine dining experience.

Bookbinder's Seafood & Steakhouse

Speakeasy and cocktail bar. Fine dining with a secret!

Grandstaff & Stein

Head on in to Honey Whyte's and feast your eyes on the greatest burger ever made. Wash it down with an ice cold draft beer. You won't be sorry you did.

Honey Whyte's All American Cafe

We offer gourmet meals handmade with fresh, local ingredients. Our market offers wine and provisions, in addition to frozen and take-away ready meals.

Leek & Thistle

You're awesome, right? So you deserve the best! We only use locally grown (most from our own farm), hand picked Nelson County apples. Pressed fresh. Bulk cider, hell no! this is craft cider at its best! No additives, concentrates, preservatives or BS. The tasting room is now open! Bring your family and friends and enjoy the cider and view. Indoor and outdoor seating. Bryant’s Brewing is an outgrowth of Bryant’s Cider currently offering a Kolsch, an amber ale and a hazy IPA. A selection of 13 beverages will be available on tap, including the beers, several barrel-aged and seasonal ciders, and a peach seltzer.

Bryant's Cider & Brewery

Whisk is a bakery in the Shockoe Bottom neighborhood of Richmond, Virginia, offering scratch-baked pastries, breads, local coffee, and gourmet sandwiches inspired by classic French technique and nostalgic American flavors. We are located at the corner of East Main and 21st streets in Richmond, Virginia.

Whisk

Station 2 offers gourmet burgers, craft beers, wine, spirits, and a relaxed atmosphere. Both our food and drink menus highlight the best of what Virginia has to offer. Located in an historic downtown firehouse, Station 2 is part of a revitalized and redefined Richmond landscape.

Station 2

With a nod to those who came before, Richbrau Brewing in Shockoe Bottom, rises within the most historic area of Richmond, Virginia. The land from 18th Street to 25th Street and from the banks of the James River to Broad Street, is the original settlement of Richmond, founded in 1737. Where we are, is part of who we are. With a passion for adventurous brewing and a love of all things Richmond, we celebrate our history with enticing recipes and name them after the most intriguing stories to come out of our great city. Stop by, sit back, and experience the flavor in a glorious mash-up of past & present.

Richbrau Brewing Co.

The result of a public/private partnership, landscapes in Great Shiplock Park and the Low Line have been transformed into inviting and exciting public green space. Concerned citizens lead the efforts through a group known as Capital Trees. Most recent efforts have created a linear park along a critically important but neglected stretch of the Kanawha Canal and Virginia Capital Trail. Now dubbed the “Low Line”, with a nod to New York City’s High Line, the site connects a recently enhanced Great Shiplock Park (GSP) with Richmond’s much-loved Canal Walk. The great lock, built between 1850-1854, connected the James River with the Richmond Dock, completing the James River and Kanawha Canal system that bypassed seven miles of falls and continued 197 miles through Virginia’s western mountain ranges. This park is the lowest of historic Kanawha Canal locks with an interpretive display.It also offers great fishing off Chapel Island.

James River and Kanawha Canal

About James River and Kanawha Canal

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