People have traveled for millennia. But tourism, or travel for recreation, is a relatively new idea. Early nineteenth-century observers coined the word “sightseeing” to capture the growing popularity of traveling to destinations and touring recognized “sights.”

Modern tourism emerged in Richmond after the Civil War. Guidebooks by city boosters instructed visitors about what to see–and what was worth seeing. Postcards offered a way to share the experience with family and friends back home.

Today, these artifacts of tourism–postcards, guidebooks, and promotional videos–demonstrate how Richmond has showcased itself to the world. They remind us of the power of who gets to tell Richmond’s history. Some stories and sights are highly visible. Others have been hidden or ignored.

Why visit Richmond? Amidst centuries of change, Richmond has cultivated its image as a city of history, a city of leisure, and a city of commerce.