Offbeat History Tour: Richmond's Quirky Stories

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
Highlights
  • Capitol Square Park - The tour will guide visitors past Capitol Square Park.
  • Church Hill Neighborhood - The tour will lead visitors through Church Hill.
  • Shockoe Bottom District - The tour will guide visitors through Shockoe Bottom.
  • Carytown - The tour will lead visitors through Carytown.
  • Byrd Theater - The tour will guide visitors 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
(26 Ratings)
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Debbierva
Mar 30, 2026
Fantastic experience! - Our "Off Beat History Tour" was fantastic! The guide, Brian, did such a wonderful job of sharing interesting information in a clear, but also entertaining way. As locals, we definitely learned some new tidbits that further bolstered our pride in RVA. The relatively small size of the bus ensured we could easily hear (unlike many other tours we have been on in other cities), and the visuals displayed on the screen helped flesh out the stories to give us a clearer understanding. Kudos to Brian, and to our driver, Stephen, who safely maneuvered through city traffic while also being so courteous and helpful. Well done!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Wahoonc
Mar 29, 2026
Terrific Tour - Well worth your time! My wife and I learned a lot on this tour, and our guide was both entertaining and knowledgeable.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jaimemw9119sl
Mar 22, 2026
Fantastic driver and tour guide! - Had a great time! The tour guide was very knowledgeable and funny and charismatic. The driver was very skilled and safe!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Faraway63738732167
Feb 7, 2026
Taylor was fantastic - Taylor did amazing! Informative and interesting, thank you. Bus was warm and driver was good. Highly recommended if you are new to RVA or if you are visiting.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Charles_r
Jan 21, 2026
Super fun way to see the... - Super fun way to see the whole city. I learned really interesting facts and stories and the guide was super cool.
Review provided by Viator
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
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
From $45
up to 12 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).