Experience historic England right here in Richmond at Agecroft Hall!

Confession time: I am a history lover and history teacher, so Agecroft Hall and Gardens is my perfect idea of a good time! Plus - we don’t have to drive all the way to Colonial Williamsburg to be totally immersed in the past. And “the past” reflected in Agecroft Hall never even existed here in North America, that’s right: history has been imported to Richmond!

In fact, Agecroft was imported by T.C. Williams Jr. in the 1920s from the county of Lancashire in England, where it had been abandoned due to the dangerous coal mine carved out underneath. Constructed in the early 1500s, Agecroft Hall was built, added on to, and lived in through Shakespeare’s time of the Tudor and Stuart Era. This connection is celebrated annually as Agecroft is home to the Richmond Shakespeare Festival, which is fun for the whole family!

My family loved going back in time to a period that feels so different from our modern era that there is almost a Disney-like surrealness in the home. We were all fascinated by the ornate beds, suits of armor (real armor!), recreated Tudor Era kitchen, and expansive intricate gardens. Apparently, there is an orange cat named Rocket who lives in the gardens, but alas, we could not locate the resident feline! What we could find were clean restrooms, a gift shop, lots of room outside to run, and the perfect gardens for spontaneous hide and seek ( a Tudor classic I’m sure!).  If indoor games are more your speed, the educators at Agecroft have researched classic games from the Tudor Era and the staff at Agecroft can give you tips on how to play. Fox and Geese, anyone?

Self-guided tours are offered Tuesday - Sunday on the half hour. You are encouraged to purchase tickets online prior to arrival to secure your preferred time slot.