Segway the buried stories of Shockoe Bottom — a two‑hour sweep through Richmond’s layered past

RICHMOND SEGWAY FIELD GUIDE

Segway the buried stories of Shockoe Bottom — a two‑hour sweep through Richmond’s layered past

A focused, two-hour Segway tour of Shockoe Bottom that visits major historical sites and helps travelers plan what they’ll see and who can join.

Segway the buried stories of Shockoe Bottom — a two‑hour sweep through Richmond’s layered past.

Duration
Contact operator
Location
Richmond
Operator
RVA on Wheels
Category
Segway
Robert Eric Crews
Founder & Editor, The Adventure Collective
Published Verified

This tour is centralized in the Shockoe Bottom area of Richmond and takes riders past a dense cluster of memorials, museums and hard-to-forget sites — from the Edgar Allan Poe Museum and the Holocaust Museum to the Richmond Slavery Reconciliation Statue and the Triple Crossing, as well as locations tied to the city’s Civil War and railroad tragedies.

Highlights

Outing Highlights

THE HISTORY

Sites that name the city’s difficult past

The route passes several interpretive and memorial sites: the Richmond Slavery Reconciliation Statue (one of three statues on three separate continents), Lumpkins Jail (the recently excavated slave jail known as the “Devil’s half acre”), and the monument to Henry “Box” Brown — each stop anchoring stories from Richmond’s antebellum and Civil War eras.

THE SITES

A compact circuit of museums and memorials

Riders pass the Edgar Allan Poe Museum and the Holocaust Museum and can roll by the 17th Street Farmers’ Market, threading literary, civic and everyday layers of the neighborhood.

THE TRAGEDIES

Rail stories and buried wreckage

The tour recounts the tragic tale of the 17th Street train crash — a train still buried beneath some 50 feet of rubble in a tunnel where no one survived — and visits the Triple Crossing, the rare rail intersection where three train tracks cross at the same point.

What the day feels like

What the two-hour ride feels like

Over roughly two hours the Segway route stays focused in Shockoe Bottom, moving between museums, public art and interpretive sites while guides recount incidents from Richmond’s literary, civic and industrial past — from Poe’s neighborhood associations to buried rail wreckage and the sites tied to the city’s history of slavery and remembrance.

Suitability

Who it's for

Who this tour suits — and who should look elsewhere.

1
History BuffsIdeal: the route concentrates on historically significant sites in Shockoe Bottom, from slavery-related sites to monuments and museums.
2
Families with TeensAges 10 and older.
3
Urban ExplorersA condensed, two-hour introduction to Richmond’s Shockoe Bottom neighborhood and its mix of memorials, markets and industrial landmarks.
4
Young Adult GroupsGood for small groups of older teens and adults who can cover the two-hour route and engage with the tour’s often sobering historical narratives.

Practical planner

Details to review before reserving

Timing & Season

Tour duration is 2 hours.

What to Bring

Check with the operator for any specific gear or apparel recommendations.

Logistics & Booking

If you need a time not listed online, contact the operator by phone or email (see operator contact details).

Booking Notice

Review cancellation policies before reserving.

Frequently asked questions

Planning Your Outing

How long does the Shockoe Bottom Segway Tour last?

The tour is 2 hours long.

Is there a minimum age to participate?

Yes — participants must be at least 14 years old.

What sites will we see on the tour?

The tour visits sites in Shockoe Bottom including the Edgar Allan Poe Museum, the Holocaust Museum, the site of the 17th Street train crash, the Richmond Slavery Reconciliation Statue, the Triple Crossing, Lumpkins Jail, the monument to Henry “Box” Brown, and the 17th Street Farmers’ Market.

Who operates the tour?

The Shockoe Bottom Segway Tour is operated by RVA on Wheels.

How do I request a time not listed on the website?

If you would like to request a time not listed on the website, give the operator a call or email [email protected].