Welcome To Richmond

The capital of creativity

Welcome to Richmond, Virginia, where ballet tickets are a hot commodity, college basketball and Double-A baseball draw crowds from miles away, and filmmakers search for the perfect backdrop. Music fans will find a huge (and free) folk festival, nationally recognized venues, and an underground hip-hop scene. And Fortune 500 companies and innovative start-ups are on the hunt for their next big idea—not to mention, fresh talent.

Richmond is the perfect home for one of the nation’s leading public arts schools. VCU’s campus borders the city’s most vibrant locales. Our campus is also located near many opportunities to explore Virginia’s rich culture and history, including the Black History Museum and Cultural Center of Virginia and the Maggie L. Walker National Historic Site. Students work, intern and volunteer with galleries, public parks, Hollywood film crews and the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, one of the largest art museums in the nation. The Institute for Contemporary Art at VCU further strengthens the relationship between VCUarts and the city by serving as a space for internationally recognized artists, designers, performances and the community to convene.

#1 place to live in Virginia

U.S. News, 2019

One of the best cities for art lovers

Artnet, 2019

The happiest city in the U.S.

U.S. National Bureau of Economic Research, 2014