As a Capitol Collector, I have a knack for visiting capitol buildings when they are under renovation. Having said that, a visit to Virginia did not disappoint.

Many large monuments, memorials, and sculptures surround the capitol building in Richmond. The day I visited the weather was not kind, so the outdoor jaunt did not include visiting many of the notable pieces on display, but the ones I did see were gorgeous.

As with many capitol buildings, especially the ones that date back very far in the country’s history, this building was adorned with icons and metaphors. This statue of George Washington in the Richmond rotunda was created from a live mask and actual measurements of George himself. It is considered to be an exact match of how he looked, which is why it has been copied often throughout history.

No educational trip to Virginia would be complete without a trip to Mount Vernon. These grounds have been so well preserved and offer visitors many experiences. Outside visitors can roam around visiting monuments, gardens, the farm, Washington’s tomb, the slave memorial and cemetery, and the warf.

The museum and education centers offer patrons a glimpse of Washington’s life through the years, and the gift shop seems to go on forever!

The Mansion itself is furnished and decorated to look as it did in the late 1700s and many rooms feature original pieces as well as reproductions. Tour guides are fabulous as they share mountains of information as you move through each room. Specialty tickets are also offered, such as the “National Treasure” tour, where partons learn details about when the movie was shot on location. (This even includes a visit to the basement!)

One item of note…when you enter Mount Vernon, do your exploring outside, set up a time to do a Mansion tour soon after you arrive, and walk there first. It looks like a far distance on the map, but it only takes a few minutes to get through the entry point, have your bag searched, and then walk to the Mansion. After the mansion tour and viewing the items you want to view outside, head to the education center and onto the food court and shops. This is not explained upon entry, but the education center is meant to be your LAST stop, as it serves as an exit only. If you are planning on visiting for the entire day and you want to have lunch in the middle of your time to explore, you will have to go through this exit and then reenter, and have your bags checked again before being allowed to do the rest of your exploring…and with aging parents in tow, it would have been nice to know that from the beginning.