The recreated 1611 Citie of Henricus, an outdoor living history museum with 12 recreated colonial structures, demonstrates history through “hands-on” encounters with period dressed historical interpreters. Visitors interact with interpreters during which time visitors may be asked to assist with cooking, blacksmithing, planting or harvesting. Visitors may even be asked to join the Militia!
This new English settlement would be called “The Commonwealth of Henrico” or “Henricus” in honor of the eldest son of King James I, Prince Henry. The recreated English settlement represents various military, trades, and farming elements of Henricus during the early colonial period from 1611-1622.
Henricus Historical Park also interprets the culture of the Arrohateck people of the Powhatan Indian chiefdom at the time of contact with the English colonists who arrived in September 1611 under the leadership of Sir Thomas Dale. In the Indian village, the visitor may see the crafting of a canoe, or the cultivation of corn and tobacco on the approach to the fortified Powhatan Indian village where visitors may then enter several Indian dwellings known as “long-houses” or “yehakins”. The village illustrates the daily life of the local Indians and demonstrates how these people thrived at the time of contact with the English.
Be ready for an exciting and provocative experience in living history!
Facility Rental: Henricus Historical Park is a great place for company meetings and retreats, weddings, parties, banquets and birthdays. We have a number of indoor and outdoor sites at Henricus available for rental throughout the year.
Henricus Education Center: capacity 75 persons banquet, 260 persons lecture/standing
Executive Board Room: capacity 18 persons, seated
Mount Malady: capacity 75 persons seated, 100 persons standing
The Ordinary:
Tavern: capacity 50 persons seated
BoardRoom 1: 20 persons seated
Board Room 2: 20 persons seated
Catering Kitchen available for an extra charge, please call for details
James River Bluff: capacity over 1,000 persons
The Foundation thanks Chesterfield County's Department of Public Affairs for contributing photographs and text for this site.Henricus is an outdoor living history museum interpreting the 1611 Citie of Henricus, the second successful English settlement in North America.
SOL-based school programs are provided by the Education Dept. Contact Victoria Sweeney at sweeneyv@chesterfield.gov or 804-318-8797
Henricus Historical Park is managed in a regional partnership of The Henricus Foundation, Chesterfield County and Henrico County, with support from the Commonwealth of Virginia and the City of Richmond.