With little fanfare, Richmond got cool. Enticing restaurants, breweries, recreation, museums, and more engage and enthrall locals and visitors. Yet the contemporary gems are merely the tip of the iceberg. Buried beneath the surface—and sometimes hidden in plain sight—lie the weird, wonderful, and obscure. The region is replete with twisted history, quirky art, mind-tickling science, mouthwatering culinary tales, inspiring people, pleasurable pursuits, otherworldly happenings, fun-tastic commerce, and other intriguing facets that will make you say, “Well, I’ll be!”

Within the pages of this book, discover what old house has subtle hex marks to repel evil spirits. Learn about the statue that Salvador Dalí nearly created for Monument Avenue. Find out what wine grape was developed in historic Richmond. Discover why a single-lane bridge with no guardrails spans the James River, what popular neon sign was created here, which Nickelodeon character has Richmond roots, what architect and artist practiced her professions despite being female and Black in the early 20th century, and what clear evidence of death Richmonders pass by every day.

Whether you’re a long-timer, newcomer, or visitor, join local author Annie Tobey to see what has attracted people to the Richmond region since the early colonists, and even before.