Day at the Capitol FAQs
Teach your children how our government works by participating in HEAV’s Day at the Capitol.
This is an HEAV-sponsored event!
Questions? Cancellations? If you have questions or need to cancel or change a reservation, please call the HEAV office at 804-278-9200 or e-mail leadersupport@heav.org
Start the day at the historic St. John’s Church at 2401 E Broad Street for registration, tickets, and the Patrick Henry Reenactment.
Click here for a map.
Following the reenactment, the day’s activities will be at the Virginia State Capitol, 1000 Bank Street, Richmond.
Check-in will begin at St. John’s Church between 8:30 and 9:00 a.m. Tickets and a schedule will be handed out at check-in.
St. John’s Church
Parking at St. John’s is on the street and free.
The Capitol
Remember, you will be arriving during early-morning rush hour; please allow extra time. 1000 Bank Street.
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. There are two, first-come/first-serve spaces on Grace St. between 8th and 9th Streets.
Paid parking for Capitol Square visitors is available from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. in the 9th and Franklin Street Parking Deck. Parking rates, (credit or debit cards only), are $5/hour or $20/day. This parking deck can be accessed by heading North on 9th street after turning onto or crossing Main Street. Immediately after the Bank Street stop light the parking deck entrance is on the left.
Parking is available in several surface and deck lots in the blocks surrounding the Capitol. The Parkopedia website can help you locate these parking options. If you have any questions about parking lots in the Capitol vicinity, email the Tour Desk at CapitolTourGuides@captourguides.virginia.gov.
School-age children are best suited for Day at the Capitol. Upper elementary through high school students benefit most.
Dress in business attire or your Sunday best. No jeans, please. Wear flat, comfortable shoes. Dress appropriately for weather conditions.
- Check in at Historic St. John’s Church between 8:30 and 9 a.m.
- Professional reenactors will portray American patriots at St. John’s who debate America’s independence from Great Britain.
- Attendees will drive to the Capitol area, park, and follow their schedule for the day.
- Tours of the Capitol building and the Chamber Presentations were chosen when you registered. Please note: During a Legislative Session, some participants may be able to watch Session from the Chamber galleries, or from House and Senate committee rooms.
- You’ll receive your schedule and tickets at check-in.
Please arrive 15 minutes before your scheduled tour time. Although we make every effort to be flexible with our guided tours and chamber presentations, your visit may be shortened if you are late.
Pick up the event schedule and tickets for tours at the Historic St. John’s Church between 8:30 and 9 a.m.
Watch the reenactment of Patrick Henry’s famous “Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death” speech.
Meet the re-enactors in the Second Virginia Convention debate (Great photo op!).
Visit the gift shop at St. John’s Church.
Tour the beautifully renovated General Assembly Building and Capitol Visitors’ Center.
Visit the offices of your legislators in the newly renovated General Assembly Building.
Watch the legislative chambers in action in the gallery or the overflow rooms. Remember, seating in the gallery is limited but the live feed is available in House Room #3 and Senate Room #3 in the Capitol extension, where there is ample seating.
Yes, metal detectors are now in place at the Capitol and General Assembly office buildings. Tour guides suggest you arrive 15 minutes prior to your tour scheduled time to be processed through security. All bags and coats will be put through a scanner.
To speed along the process at all security checks, carry as little as possible. It is recommended to leave all non-essential items, including backpacks and box lunches, in your vehicle. The Virginia Capitol Police will strictly enforce all safety and security guidelines.
Space is limited to 300 participants each day.
Co-ops interested in group tours, should contact Sheri Payne, Director of Leadership Support, at leadersupport@heav.org.
You will select your tour times at registration. You will receive a printed itinerary when you check in at St. John’s Church.
Tours can be accessed by entering the Capitol Visitor Center at 1000 Bank Street. Please arrive 15 minutes early for security screening. Your tour guide will meet you in the Exhibit Gallery just past the entrance. Each tour is approximately 45 minutes long.
Historic St. John’s Church has access via an elevator on 24th Street with adjacent handicap parking. The brick walkways are navigable by wheelchair. If you need assistance, please call the Visitor Center at 804-648-5015.
The ADA-accessible pedestrian entrance to the Capitol is at 1000 Bank Street. Additional accommodations can still be made for those needing accessibility accommodations and are arriving via a passenger vehicle by calling 804-698-1788 to arrange for drop-off inside Capitol Square. The Capitol and underground extension have wheelchair-accessible restrooms, ramps, and elevators.
At the church, photos are permitted before and after the presentation, but not during the reenactment. In the Capitol, cameras and photography are permitted, but photos must be taken while remaining with your group. No flash photos, please.
Send your pictures to socialmedia@heav.org so we can post them on our website. Please share your images to Instagram or Twitter using the hashtag #HEAVorg.
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.
Note: there is no space inside the Capitol available for large groups of visitors to eat. The outside lawn of Capitol Square is available and you can pack your own lunch.
Visit the Virginia General Assembly site at Capitol Classroom for age-appropriate maps, games, and activities.
Encourage students to ask questions when they are invited to do so by the guides and legislative staff. Please monitor the students’ behavior and remind them not to talk or play while tour guides or legislative staff are speaking.
Capitol Decorum
- In order to minimize hallway and stairwell congestion, the group should stay to the right and in single file.
- Keep your group together at all times. Running is not allowed inside the Capitol.
- If students need to use the restroom during the tour or chamber presentation, please have one adult escort them.
- Conversation should be kept to whisper level.
- Please set cell phones to vibrate.
- Food, chewing gum, and drinks are not allowed in the Capitol tour area. (Note: If your family brings bag lunches, you must keep them stowed until they’re in a cafe area or outside.)
Day at the Capitol will go on as scheduled. If it rains, please bring an umbrella to walk to buildings. Most events are inside. Check our website at www.heav.org for special announcements.
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.
Yes, we need two or three families with teens to help during check-in! If you could volunteer for about an hour during this time, we would greatly appreciate it. You will not miss any of the events. Please contact Sheri Payne at leadersupport@heav.org for more information. The General Volunteer form is here.
All details are on our website and FAQ. 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.
