Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond, VA, Guide du visiteur et quoi faire à proximité

The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (VMFA) is Richmond's main art museum, at 215 N Sheppard St in the city's Museum District. Founded in the 1930s as a state-supported museum, it holds art from ancient Egypt to the present day, along with a well-known collection of Fabergé objects. It is a good anchor for a walk through this leafy part of Richmond.

The story behind it

The museum was created by the Commonwealth of Virginia in the early 1930s and opened to the public in 1936. It was among the first art museums in the United States to be supported by a state government, and it has grown steadily from its original building through several expansions, the most recent completed in the 2010s.

The grounds also carry an older layer of history. The site was once home to a Confederate soldiers' home, and a building from that period, the Robinson House, still stands on the property. The museum's collection now spans many cultures and periods, and its Fabergé holdings are among the most talked-about in the country.

What to look for

• The Fabergé collection, including Imperial Russian Easter eggs, which draws visitors to Richmond from far outside Virginia.
• The mix of older and newer architecture, where the original 1930s building sits beside later additions that open onto bright interior courtyards.
• The outdoor sculpture garden, where large works sit among lawns and trees.
• The Robinson House on the grounds, a reminder of what the site was used for before the museum arrived.

Tips for your visit

• Allow at least two hours inside if you want to see the highlights, and more if you like to linger in the galleries.
• General admission has long been free, but special exhibitions can be ticketed, so check current details before you go.
• Opening days and hours change, so check current opening hours on the museum's website.
• The Museum District is made for walking, with the Virginia Historical Society, Carytown and the Fan's tree-lined streets all close by.

See it on a quest

Playing Murder Mystery: Death in the Shadows in Richmond, VA is a good way to take in the museum and its surroundings. You reach it on foot as one stop on a longer route through the area, the app tells you about each place as you arrive, and you solve a puzzle on the spot. It is a paid quest, and one ticket covers the whole group.

Richmond, Virginia Detective Mystery: Infiltrate a Secret Society. suits you if you like a detective theme. You walk between stops at your own pace, hear about each location as you get there and work out a puzzle from what is in front of you. It is also a paid quest, and one ticket covers the whole group.