Offbeat History Tour: Richmond's Quirky Stories

Richmond

Discover Richmond’s quirky history with a lively 90-minute bus tour. Uncover odd characters and surprising stories that make you laugh and think.

Duration: 1 hour, 30 minutes

Cancellation: 24 hours

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Highlights

Capitol Square Park - Our tour will take us past Capitol Square Park
Church Hill Neighorhood - Our tour will take us through Church Hill
Shockoe Bottom District - Our tour will take us through Shock Bottom
Carytown - Our tour will take us through Carytown
Byrd Theater - Our tour will take us past the Byrd Theater

What's Included

In-vehicle air conditioning

What's Not Included

Alcoholic beverages
Gratuities

Additional Information

For those who find history dull, this tour is designed to change that perception. Offbeat History offers an engaging 90-minute exploration of the city’s most unusual and amusing tales—stories that will surprise, amuse, and leave participants wondering, “Did that really happen?”
Led by a guide who knows how to keep things entertaining, this tour delves…

Location

Basic City Beer Co. Southside RVA

West 6th Street

Meet your guide INSIDE the brewery. They'll have their Discover Richmond Tours shirt or jacket on. You may park in spots 1-37 in front of the brewery (other spots are reserved for other businesses).

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings

4.8

(24 Ratings)

5 stars

4 stars

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1 star

Judithgreenej

Jan 3, 2026

Black cats: Are they really tour guides at Edgar Allen's Poe's home? - Are black cats really the tour guides at Edgar Allen Poe's home "that he never lived in." Did Poe's mom roll out of the graveyard six times. . . for real? Taylor ( our tour guide ) is born to get anyone laughing; she tickles every bone up your spine until you burst out with Man this is a Whole Different Virginia ! I wanted to wrap my arms around this new Virginia and Ms. Taylor. Five Stars all the way !

Review provided by Tripadvisor

I2939aknicoleb

Nov 1, 2025

Great for a first time in Richmond - Brian was great! We really enjoyed the tour It's great for someone that hasn't been to Richmond and wants to "dip their toe" in the tourist traps. 😉

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Pioneer675477

Oct 13, 2025

Great fun! - Kevin and Brian nailed it! Fun & informative. So much interesting information. Offbeat is a perfect description. Comfortable bus and the perfect amount of time. Five easy stars from me!

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Rosie0302

Oct 7, 2025

Lots of Chuckles on this tour - The Offbeat History Tour was complementary to the Historic Trolley Tour that we also took. I thought there might be a lot of repetition but Offbeat delivered many facts and stories we were unaware of, my favorite being the horse, Lady Wonder. Our guide Brian was knowledgeable, enthusiastic and personable. Our driver Kyle was skillful in navigating the bus in city traffic. Although my hubby and I are very interested in history even someone with less interest would find this to be a fun activity.

Review provided by Tripadvisor

David_s

Sep 23, 2025

Very friendly and... - Very friendly and knowledgeable narrator. Great sense of humor! Very well done on all fronts. Would definitely recommend!

Review provided by Viator

Jackwm1647fb

Sep 6, 2025

Great tour - Great experience, tour guide was really cool, and the group is designed to be small enough that everybody was really laid back. A/C on the bus in summer, saw some great historical spots often with comedic relief. Thanks tour guide man on 06Aug25 1230 tour!

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Trip19397997036

Sep 6, 2025

Quirky, unusual and loads of fun! - We had a fabulous time, well worth the cost. We both agreed it was the highlight of our trip to Richmond. The hosts were great, very knowledgeable and made all the unusual history fun to hear. Definitely go on this tour!

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Antoinette_p

Sep 6, 2025

I learned some new things about VA - It was fun! The ride was safe and the tour guy was funny. Enjoyed the visual videos highly recommended.

Review provided by Viator

Scenic33407642420

Sep 5, 2025

Great tour of Richmond, VA. - Tour was great! Taylor did an amazing job sharing fun and interesting stories from Richmond's past. Would recommend this tour.

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Ginger_a

Oct 13, 2025

Enjoyable rainy afternoon a little overpriced - Brian was very personable and gave us a few chuckles along the route. Richmond itself is not a very “pretty” city IMO. Although we enjoyed it, seemed more like it should have been priced at $25 for this 90 minute tour.

Review provided by Viator

Check Availability

From $45

up to 12 guests

1 - Adult