Day at the Capitol
A field trip to remember!
We’re Sorry! Day at The Capitol Is Full.
2025 Day at The Capitol
Choose One of These Dates:
Tuesday, January 21 OR Wednesday, January 22
Join the HEAV team and hundreds of homeschoolers from across the Commonwealth for HEAV’s annual Homeschool Day at the Capitol in Richmond.
Experience hands-on learning at its best!
The day begins at St. John’s Historic Church with a special reenactment of Patrick Henry’s “Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death” speech. We will then proceed to the Capitol for the guided tours of the historic Capitol building.
Date:
Tuesday, January 21, 2025
OR
Wednesday, January 22, 2025
Time
8:30 a.m. – Check-In and intro begins at 9 a.m.
Last tour ends at 3 p.m.
Location:
Begins at Historic St. Johns Church
2401 E. Broad Street, Richmond Google map here.
Later events will be at the Virginia State Capitol at 1000 Bank Street.
Registration Opens Monday, November 18 (Members Only)
MEMBERS: Member-only registration opens on November 18
NON-MEMBERS: Registration opens for non-members on November 25.
*IMPORTANT: Because of limited seating, registration is likely to fill up during member-only registration. Join HEAV today to claim a seat and get your discount!
Members, be sure to log in to see the registration buttons below.
HEAV members: $49/family, plus $10 for each non-family participant coming with you. (Grandparents are $5 each.)
Non-members: $69/family, plus $10 for each non-family participant.. (Grandparents are $5 each.)
Not a member, but want to get the discount?
Join HEAV today! You’ll get the member discount for this Day at the Capitol–plus discounts for the convention and other HEAV events! You’ll get free classes, resource discounts, teacher ID cards, and much, much more! Check out the member benefits here.
Thank you to Jonathon Staddon of Lenspiration for this video!
Check-In and Tickets
Meet at the Historic St. John’s Church (Check in and pick up event tickets.)
Parents and students will meet at St. John’s Church from 8:30 to 9 a.m. for Day at the Capitol (DATC) check-in. Families will pick up the DATC schedule and their Capitol tour tickets. The presentation inside the church begins promptly at 9 a.m.
Parking
Street parking is free at St. John’s Church for check-in, tour tickets, and the presentation. St. John’s Church is approximately a five-minute drive (1.1 miles) to parking for the Capitol tour entrance, located at 1000 Bank Street. Do not plan to walk as Broad Street crosses I-95.
At the end of the session at the church, you will need to drive to parking adjacent to the Capitol. There is no outside, above-ground parking available on Capitol Square or at/near the pedestrian entrance to the Capitol at 10th and Bank streets.*
The Capitol entrance is located at 1000 Bank Street.
Parking near the Capitol requires payment; there are no free spots. Parking information is available on the General Assembly website. Nearby parking lots and garages can be found here.
*Note: Four, 2-hour handicap parking spaces just east of 10th and Bank streets.
Day at the Capitol: Patrick Henry Reenactment!
Pick up the event schedule and tickets for tours at the historic St. John’s Church between 8:30-9 a.m.
The event will begin promptly at 9 a.m. at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Richmond–the original site of the heated debate for independence among colonial leaders prior to the War for Independence. We have scheduled a special reenactment of Patrick Henry’s “Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death” speech.
Costumed, professional re-enactors will sit among homeschoolers in the church sanctuary where the Second Virginia Convention was held. Their rousing debate for independence from Great Britain will take you back to 1775. You may find yourself seated beside George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, or Richard Henry Lee. This special performance is only for families registered for HEAV’s Day at the Capitol.
Day at the Capitol: Chamber Presentation
“How a Bill Becomes a Law” is a fascinating, fun interactive exercise for students and families! Participants become assembly members and are led through the legislative process of identifying a problem and recommending solutions through debate, consensus building, and compromise. Participants will vote using the computerized voting system to receive hands-on experience with the legislative process.
The chamber presentation will be in either the House or Senate chamber of the Capitol Building.
There is always a possibility that the legislature will decide to convene on our date. If they do, we will provide alternate programming for the chamber presentation, but the other activities will not change.
Virginia Supreme Court
Tours will be scheduled at specific times throughout the day. You will be pre-assigned a time. The court building is located at 100 N. 9th Street, directly across 9th Street from the Capitol building, near the bell tower.
Gallery Session Viewing
Parents and students will be able to sit in the gallery above the House or Senate chamber to see legislators in action as they debate and vote on bills. This unforgettable experience will help students understand how a bill becomes a law. It’s quite an interesting process!
Day at the Capitol: Tours
Guided tours of the historic Capitol building designed by Thomas Jefferson are scheduled beginning at 11 a.m. Tickets for your chosen tour time will be given to you beginning at 8:30 a.m. at the church.
Food and Security
Meriwether’s Cafe at the General Assembly is located at the General Assembly Building (GAB), 201 North 9th Street. Food is available from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Security check required
A security check is required to enter the Capitol. People with backpacks, bookbags, purses, etc., will spend extra time going through security since all those items will need to go through an X-ray scanning machine. Having fewer personal effects when entering can save time! Learn more.
Additional Details
If you registered for Day at the Capitol, keep an eye on your inbox. You should get an immediate confirmation after a successful registration. If not, call the HEAV office at 804-278-9200. We will email additional information if necessary.
Refunds
The refund deadline is January 10, 2025. Refunds processed by January 10 will be made to the issuing card and will incur a $5 cancellation fee. After that date, you may transfer your registration to another family.
Please do your fellow homeschoolers a courtesy and cancel if you know in advance you cannot attend. There is always a waiting list for this event, and these homeschooling families would appreciate the opportunity to attend.
House Chamber Presentations
Experience “hands-on learning” at its best! Because the General Assembly adjourned in mid-March, homeschool students are invited to sit in a state representative’s chair on the floor of the Virginia House or Senate Chamber to learn how a bill becomes a law. Ticket times will be distributed at St. John’s Church during the morning session at 9 a.m.
During the House chamber presentations, House staff will instruct homeschoolers on how a bill becomes a law. They will then guide homeschoolers in committee debates and the voting process. You will have an opportunity to discuss a mock homeschool bill then take a final vote. Students will press the same voting buttons on each desk that legislators use to pass or defeat bills. Parents are welcome to join in or help their students participate in this hands-on process in the House chamber.
