How to Get Free Admission at 18 Richmond Attractions This Weekend

by David Timberline

There are so many conundrums you have to worry about with Time Travel -- will you inadvertently disrupt your own conception? Will something you do with good intentions end up destroying the world?

Luckily, the Time Travel being offered by Preservation Virginia this weekend has none of those pitfalls.

In an effort to support Virginia’s architectural heritage, the nonprofit offers its Time Travelers Passport Sept. 23-24. Just download the PDF and present it at any of the 18 listed museums, famous homes or other historically significant locales to get free.

Included among the fascinating possibilities are familiar spots like Agecroft Hall, the Poe Museum, St. John’s Church, and the White House of the Confederacy. The passport might inspire you to finally check out one of those old faves or try out one of these lesser-known nuggets:

• The Wilton House Museum. A short jog off Cary Street near Windsor Farms, the Wilton is more than a classic example of stately Georgian architecture. It also houses a premier decorative arts collection with more than 1,400 silvers, ceramics, textiles and more from the past 300 years of Virginia history.

• Meadow Farm Museum at Crump Park. This Glen Allen park may be best known for its expansive playground, but it also features an 1860s-era living history farm site, with costumed interpreters that demonstrate traditional farm activities, like blacksmithing or sheep-sheering.

• Walkerton Tavern. Down the street from Crump Park you’ll find this expansive historic tavern, constructed in 1825 and lovingly restored.

• The Maggie L. Walker National Historic Site. Beyond the opportunity to learn about Walker’s life as a business woman and civil rights activist, the site also offers serves as a launching point for exploration of Jackson Ward. IPods with a podcast tour are available at the Visitor Center.