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
Thursday, February 8, 2024
Go to the Historic St. John’s Church at 2401 E Broad Street.
Click here for a map.
Check-in will begin at the Historic St. John’s Church between 9 and 9:30 a.m. Tour 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.
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, except four 2-hour handicap parking spaces just east of 10th and Bank streets.
Capitol Square parking or www.parkopedia.com are helpful websites to explore various pay parking options in the vicinity of Capitol Square. Visitor parking is available off 9th Street, just beyond the intersection with Bank Street (*Credit card required at $5 per hour, maximum $20 daily).
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 9 to 9:30 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.
- Scheduled tours of the Capitol building will be scheduled for families. You’ll receive your time at check-in.
- Meriwether’s has a nice-sized cafeteria on the 3rd floor of the SunTrust [now Truist] Center at 10th & Main streets. There is also a cafeteria operating on the first floor of the new General Assembly Building.
Note: there is no space inside the Capitol available for large groups of visitors to eat. The outside lawn of Capitol Square is available, but there is no place to store lunches here before eating them.
- When the legislature is in session, there will be opportunities for parents and students to view legislation in action in the gallery viewing area on the third floor of the Capitol. House and Senate galleries are open on a first-come, first-served space available basis.
It is very likely that everyone who wants to spend time in a public gallery overlooking a chamber may not be able to do so. However, the session is usually available to view on real-time video jumbo screens in House Room 3 and Senate Room 3 in the lower Capitol extension, which serves as overflow seating areas when the galleries are full.
- Pick up the event schedule and tickets for tours at the Historic St. John’s Church between 9 and 9:30 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 Capitol and visitors’ center.
- Visit the gallery and view legislation in action.
- Tour the Virginia Supreme Court and hear a presentation about the judicial branch of government.
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.
- $40 for each HEAV member family, plus $10 for each child who is not a family member.
- $45 for each homeschool family, plus $10 for each child who is not a family member.
- Grandparents with a homeschool family are an additional $5.
Space is limited to 325 participants.
Co-ops interested in group tours, should contact Sheri Payne, Director of Leadership Support, at leadersupport@heav.org.
Tickets are assigned prior to the event and distributed at the Historic St. John’s Church when you check in.
Tours and House and Senate Gallery viewing can be accessed by entering the Visitor Center at 10th and Bank Street. Please arrive 15 minutes early for security screening. Your tour guide will meet you in the Exhibit Gallery just past the gift shop. Each tour is approximately 45 minutes long.
House and Senate Gallery viewing is available during the day at your convenience. It is located on the third floor of the Capitol. If you leave the Capitol Visitor Center prior to your gallery viewing, you may reenter at any time by using the 10th and Bank Street entrances. Overflow seating will be available in the Visitors’ Center Extension in House Room 3 and Senate Room 3.
All government buildings are handicap accessible. Ramps and elevators are available to visitors with special needs to the original 1788 Capitol and 1906 wings. Please contact the HEAV office to make us aware of any special needs.
Cameras and photography are permitted, but photos must be taken while remaining with your group. Send your pictures to outreach@heav.org so we can post them on our website. Or, upload your images to Instagram or Twitter using the hashtag #HEAVorg.
- Meriwether’s has a nice-sized cafeteria on the 3rd floor of the SunTrust [now Truist] Center at 10th & Main streets. There is also a cafeteria operating on the first floor of the new General Assembly Building.
Note: there is no space inside the Capitol available for large groups of visitors to eat. The outside lawn of Capitol Square is available, but there is no place to store lunches here before eating them.
Visit the Virginia General Assembly site at Capitol Classroom for age-appropriate maps, games, and activities.
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.
If you need to cancel or change a reservation, please use this form. The refund deadline is January 25, 2024. Refunds processed by January 25 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.
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.
