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2027 Field Trips
Most field trips are scheduled for the afternoon of Friday, April 2.
****Special All Day Sunday Excursion****
The last field trip list on this document “Farms of the Founders: Agriculture, Slavery, and Heritage Tourism at Monticello and Montpelier” is a full day excursion on Sunday, April 4.
Registration is required to attend any of the field trips. Registration is available through the main conference registration. Spots are limited.
Field Trip: American Civil War Museum at Tredegar Iron Works + Optional Brown's Island Walking Tour
About the Tour: Tredegar Iron Works was the Confederacy’s most significant industrial complex during the Civil War. Before the war, the facility played a critical role in supporting the rapid expansion of the railroad industry; during the conflict, it became the Confederacy’s largest producer of cannons and other military suppliesThis guided tour will explore the history of the various buildings and attendees will learn about the iron works’ strategic importance during the war as well asdiscover the stories of the diverse workforce whose labor sustained its operations. Buildings are not open to the public.
Following the tour, participants are on their own and may choose to visit the museum’s exhibits, which span two floors and trace the history of the Civil War from its origins through Reconstruction and its lasting impact on the nation. Alternatively, attendees may enjoy time at nearby Brown’s Island, a scenic six-acre riverfront park located along the James River between 5th and 12th Streets. Formed by the Haxall Canal and connected to the 1.25-mile Canal Walk, the island serves as a gateway to the James River Park System. A favorite destination for both residents and visitors, Brown’s Island offers walking, running, and biking paths, historical exhibits, public art installations, and opportunities to experience Richmond’s natural beauty. The park also hosts numerous outdoor concerts, festivals, and community events throughout the year.
Website: https://acwm.org/ and https://venturerichmond.com/outdoors/browns-island/
Getting to the Tour: The museum is approximately a 20-minute downhill walk from the hotel; however, the return trip to the hotel is uphill and can be quite strenuous. ASEH is working on a possible bus back to the hotel; this will be determined prior to registration opening.
Approximate Travel Time: 20 minutes each way.
Depart from the Hotel: 1:30 PM
Tour Start Time: 2:00 PM
Length of Tour: This guided tour is approximately one hour, plus another one-to two hours to visit the museum and/or walk around Brown's Island.
Accessibility Notes: The tour takes place on flat ground in front of the museum there are wheelchair accessible routes.
Lunch: Participants are on their own for lunch.
Bathrooms: Bathrooms are located inside the museum.
Number of Participants: 30
Member/Non-Member Rate: $40
Student Rate: $30
Field Trip: Birding Trip to The Wetlands/Pony Pasture on the James River
About the Tour: The Wetlands at the James River Park System are part of the Virginia Bird and Wildlife Trail, a network of more than 600 carefully selected greenspaces and blueways across the Commonwealth recognized for their exceptional wildlife-viewing opportunities. These trails provide access to diverse habitats, including hardwood forests, brushy thickets, meadows, wetlands, and dense riparian vegetation along the river. The pond is a prime location for spotting species such as the American bittern, marsh wren, and pied-billed grebe. In the upland forests near the river, birders may find a variety of nesting songbirds, including several warbler species, while the adjacent meadows attract numerous wintering sparrows.
The James River itself offers year-round opportunities to observe waterfowl, as well as bald eagles and ospreys. During late spring and summer, visitors may also spot brown water snakes and river cooters basking along the shoreline. In early spring, the calls of spring peepers and chorus frogs fill the air, while warm summer rains often bring the songs of toads. With its rich diversity of habitats and abundant wildlife, this remarkable natural area showcases why Virginia is considered one of the premier destinations for birding and wildlife viewing in the United States.
Website: https://dwr.virginia.gov/vbwt/sites/the-wetlands-to-pony-pasture-rapids-james-river-park-system/
Getting to the Tour: Bus transportation is included in this tour.
Approximate Travel Time: 15 minutes each way
Bus Departing from the Hotel: 1:30 PM
Tour Start Time: 1:45 PM
Length of Tour: The guided tour will be approximately two and a half hours.
Accessibility Notes: Compact gravel and dirt. This location does not have a Birdability Site Review available at this time
Lunch: Participants are on their own for lunch.
Bathrooms: The park officially opens April 1, so bathrooms may or may not be available.
Number of Participants: 25
Member/Non-Member Rate: $40
Student Rate: $30
Field Trip: Hollywood Cemetery Walking Tour
About the Tour: Discover one of Richmond’s most iconic and picturesque historic landmarks on a guided tour of Hollywood Cemetery. Established in 1847 and situated on rolling hills overlooking the James River, Hollywood Cemetery is renowned for its deep history and impact on American landscape architecture. Designed as a rural garden cemetery by architect John Notman, the 135-acre site combines natural beauty with remarkable architecture and monuments. During this tour, participants will explore the cemetery’s winding paths while learning about the notable individuals interred here, including U.S. Presidents James Monroe and John Tyler, Confederate President Jefferson Davis, military leaders, authors, and prominent Virginians whose lives shaped the nation’s history. Highlights include Monroe’s famous gothic reliquary, the 1869 Confederate Pyramid, and sweeping views of the James River and Richmond skyline. More than a cemetery, Hollywood serves as an outdoor museum and arboretum, offering visitors a unique opportunity to explore Richmond’s cultural, political, and architectural heritage in a serene and beautiful setting.
Website: https://www.hollywoodcemetery.org/about/about-hollywood-cemetery
Getting to the Tour: Bus transportation is included in this tour.
Approximate Travel Time: Approximately 15 minutes
Depart from the Hotel: 1:45 PM
Tour Start Time: 2:00 PM
Length of Tour: This guided tour is approximately one and a half hours.
Accessibility Notes: This tour is a mildly strenuous 1.5-mile hike over hills and some uneven terrain. It is navigable by power wheelchair.
Bathrooms: Bathrooms are available at the start of the tour in the Friends of Hollywood offices where the tour will start and end. The route does not include a bathroom break.
Number of Participants: 25
Member/Non-Member Rate: $40
Student Rate: $30
Field Trip: Jackson Ward Walking Tour
About the Tour: This tour explores Jackson Ward, once known as “The Harlem of the South” and “Black Wall Street.” We’ll trace the history of the neighborhood, its architecture and notable residents, and the current landscape of public art and public memory. Starting in the heart of Jackson Ward, the tour will include visits to the Hippodrome Theater, Maggie L. Walker House, and Sixth Mount Zion Baptist Church – which was barely saved from demolition during the construction of the Richmond-Petersburg Turnpike. Discussion topics will include redlining, green spaces, heat zones, and the legacies of urban renewal.
Website: N/A
Getting to the Tour: Group will walk over from the hotel.
Approximate Travel Time: It is about a 5-7 minute walk from the hotel.
Depart from the Hotel: 1:45 PM
Tour Start Time: 2:00 PM
Length of Tour: This guided tour is approximately one and a half hours.
Accessibility Notes: This is a walking tour and much of the tour will be on the city sidewalks which are generally smooth. Participants will experience steps and some natural inclines while walking through the city from destination to destination.
Bathrooms: Will be available at some of the stops.
Lunch: Participants are on their own for lunch.
Number or Participants: 25
Member/Non-Member Rate: $20
Student Rate: $15
Field Trip: Richmond Toxic Tour
About the Tour: The environmental justice movement in the US South first piloted “toxic tours” as a method of showing politicians and outsiders the noxious conditions in which they lived and worked. As an alternative method of history storytelling, toxic tours combine science, public history, and political organizing in order to create stronger ties to the places we inhabit and the diverse communities therein. For human geographers and political ecologists, toxic tours further demonstrate that regular people are themselves expert creators of knowledge concerning urban environmental history, and of political diagnoses of the structural causes of such inequality.
Getting to the Tour: Bus Transportation is included in this tour.
Approximate Travel Time: 20-25 minutes
Depart from the Hotel: 1:45 PM
Tour Start Time: 2:00 PM
Length of Tour: This guided tour is approximately two to three hours and will cover about 2 miles.
Accessibility Notes: Most of the walking will be on the Capitol Trail which is a paved bike/walking path.
Lunch: Participants are on their own for lunch.
Bathrooms: There is a porta-potty at Great Shiplock Park and at Brown's Island. There are various businesses along the way where someone might be able to use a restroom if they buy something.
Number of Participants: 24
Member/Non-Member Rate: $50
Student Rate: $40
Field Trip: Shockoe Bottom Walking Tour
About the Tour: Begins and ends at the First Freedom Center. On your walk to the First Freedom Center you will enjoy a 15-20 walk through downtown, passing the Virginia State Library and through the Virginia state capitol grounds. The Shockoe Bottom walking tour will explore one of the oldest neighborhoods in Richmond and track over 300 years of industry, infrastructure, and transportation. We will discuss the James River & Kanawha Canal and adaptations around the river & Shockoe Creek. We will visit Henry “Box” Brown plaza, the Reconciliation Statue, the “Devil’s Half Acre,” and discuss the history of slavery in Richmond. Other stops include the Floodwall, the famous “Triple Crossing,” the Virginia Capital Trail, the site of Libby Prison, the Virginia Holocaust Museum, the Poe Museum, Main Street Station, and the Shockoe Institute.
Getting to the Tour: Group will walk over from the hotel.
Tour Starting and Ending Point: Valentine First Freedom Center, 14 S 14th St
Approximate Travel Time: It is about a 5-7 minute walk from the hotel.
Depart from the Hotel: 1:45 PM
Tour Start Time: 2:00 PM
Length of Tour: This guided tour is approximately one and a half hours.
Accessibility Notes: This tour has been reviewed by Sportable for wheelchair accessibility, ensuring that individuals of all abilities can participate comfortably. This is a relatively easy, 1.5-mile walk across even sidewalks. We recommend you wear comfortable walking shoes and bring water.
Bathrooms: Bathrooms are available at the First Freedom Center where we’re beginning and ending the tour. The route does not include a bathroom break, but there are plenty of stops along the route.
Number of Participants: 25
Member/Non-Member Rate: $20
Student Rate: $15
This tour takes place on Sunday, April 4 and is a full-day excursion. Participants should carefully review the scheduled return time, as there is no option to join only part of the tour or return to the hotel before the designated return time listed below.
The cost of this tour was underwritten by James Madison University.
Field Trip: Farms of the Founders: Agriculture, Slavery, and Heritage Tourism at Monticello and Montpelier
About the Tour: Thomas Jefferson and James Madison both inherited Virginia lands that they managed as homeplaces and large slave-labor farms. For decades, these founding fathers exchanged ideas about agricultural innovation within their larger correspondence about politics and current events. This tour invites attendees to consider Monticello and Montpelier in conversation today as interpretive sites of plantation agriculture, horticulture, slavery, freedom, and commemoration.
This all-day tour begins with a bus ride to Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello, where the group will tour the Jefferson-designed Monticello house and then can explore other areas of their choosing, including the mansion service spaces, Mulberry Row (the partially reconstructed plantation main street), the restored vegetable and flower gardens, the burial ground for enslaved people, and Jefferson’s grave. Monticello’s remarkable state of preservation is due largely to the efforts of U.S. naval officer Uriah Phillips Levy, an admirer of Jefferson who purchased the dilapidated property in 1834. The Levy family sold Monticello to its current operators, the Thomas Jefferson Foundation, in 1923. Together with the nearby University of Virginia, also designed by Jefferson, Monticello is one of 27 UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the United States.
After grabbing a box lunch to eat on the bus, the group will travel approximately 30 miles to James Madison’s Montpelier. There, the group will tour the Montpelier house and then have time to investigate other areas as their interests lead them, including the groundbreaking “Mere Distinction of Color” slavery exhibit, the reconstructed South Yard slave quarter, the Annie duPont formal garden (an early-twentieth-century reworking of James Madison’s vegetable and flower garden), and the 200-acre old-growth James Madison Landmark Forest. In 2003-2008, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which acquired Montpelier in the 1980s, undertook a massive restoration of the mansion, removing the expansive duPont-family additions to approximate the appearance of the house at the time of Madison’s death in 1836. Montpelier is one of 27 National Trust sites open to the public.
Websites:
Click here to learn more about Monticello.
Click here to learn more about Montpelier.
Getting to the Tour: Bus transportation is included in this tour.
Approximate Travel Time:
· Travel time from Richmond Marriott to Monticello will be approximately one hour and 15 minutes.· Travel time from Monticello to Montpelier will be approximately 45 minutes.
· Travel time from Montpelier back to the Richmond Marriott be approximately one hour and thirty minutes.
Bus Departing from the Hotel: 7:45 AM (Sunday, April 4)
Bus Returning to the Hotel: 5:00 PM
Length of Tour:
· Monticello: 9:15 to noon, includes Highlights Tour (approximately one hour) plus time to explore the grounds.
· Board bus at noon, eat box lunches (provided) on way to Montpelier
· Montpelier: 1pm to 3:30pm, includes Highlights Tour (approximately one hour) plus time to explore the grounds.
Accessibility Notes:
· Monticello: Click here.
· Montpelier: Click here. (Scroll down the page)
Lunch: Participants will be provided with a box lunch.
Bathrooms: Yes. Both locations have restrooms available.
Number of Participants: 25
Member $115
Student Rate: $95