Morning
As you might expect, it’s all about the biscuits at Early Bird Biscuit Company (119 N. Robinson St.). In the heart of the Fan District, this small farmhouse-themed bakery serves flaky, buttery biscuits with both sweet and savory fillings. For breakfast try the Biscuit 'n Crazy, their delicious, peppery take on the classic Southern biscuits and gravy. Whatever you end up ordering, seating at the food place is limited, so your best bet may be to get your biscuits to go.Hollywood Cemetery (412 S. Cherry St.) is the final resting place of two U.S. presidents (James Monroe and John Tyler) as well as Confederate President Jefferson Davis. In addition to elaborate mausoleums and tombstones, the graveyard safeguards a 90-foot-high pyramid honoring 18,000 fallen Confederate soldiers, some of whom are said to haunt the grounds.
Spend the rest of your morning (and, possibly, your afternoon) learning about Richmond's past life as the capital of the Confederate States of America. Just a short jaunt east of Hollywood Cemetery are places to go like the Civil War Visitor Center at Tredegar Iron Works (470 Tredegar St.), the main visitor center for Richmond National Battlefield Park , and The American Civil War Museum at Historic Tredegar (500 Tredegar St.), which offers Confederate, Union and African American perspectives on the 4-year conflict.
Afternoon
Within walking distance to several other historic sites and attractions, including the Virginia State Capitol (1000 Bank St.) and The Valentine (1015 E. Clay St.).As an alternative to the game plan above, make your way to the Fan District. Despite the parking headaches of the Fan, the grandma-approved boxed lunches from Sally Bell's Kitchen (2337 W. Broad St.) are worth the stop. On weekdays, polite Virginians form ranks outside this tiny Richmond institution founded in the 1920s. Half the fun is in scooting off the butcher's string and peeling back the wax paper to reveal a sandwich, a deviled egg, potato or macaroni salad, a cheese wafer and an upside-down cupcake.
After refueling, while away your remaining daylight hours at Maymont (2201 Shields Lake Dr.), whose manicured gardens and 12,000-square-foot mansion will have you daydreaming about winning the Virginia Lottery. The Gilded Age estate is on the banks of the James River and offers plenty of things to see.
Evening
Change into your stepping out clothes and spend the evening in Shockoe Slip. Once the city's mercantile hub, the historic district flaunting Italianate-style brick and iron front buildings is now the epicenter of Richmond nightlife.A funkier bar scene continues down the hill into Shockoe Bottom, where refurbished warehouses now accommodate hip cafés, taverns and other places to go. Chill out at a wood-paneled watering hole or see a band play at a divey live music venue.
For more upscale evening experience, reserve a candlelit table and rub shoulders with Richmond VIPs at Lemaire ; heralded for its farm-to-table approach, this special occasions spot is in downtown Richmond's lavish 19th-century masterpiece The Jefferson Hotel (101 W. Franklin St.).