Seniors Check Out Henrico County

Henrico County, officially the County of Henrico, is in the Commonwealth of Virginia with a population of around 307,000. If you, like me, are a senior who loves history, then Henrico County is the place for you to visit.

Henrico County, like all of Virginia, is rich in history. Henrico residents and events have shaped America’s story and its heritage. In 1611, Henrico became one of the eight original shires of Virginia and in 2011, thousands of visitors helped celebrate the 400th anniversary.

Present-day Henrico County curves around the City of Richmond, surrounding it to the west, the north, and the east. The county is bounded by the Chickahominy River to the north and the James River and Richmond to the south.

 Seniors Immersed In History

In Henrico County senior visitors can discover what it was like to work a 19th-century farm or walk the same battlefields as General Robert E. Lee or Ulysses S. Grant. Visit the Virginia Randolph Museum, a National and State Historic Landmark that pays tribute to one of the greatest educators in America.

If you have a full day to explore, immerse yourself in a few of our Civil War battle sites in the Richmond National Battlefield Park (Malvern Hill Park and Fort Harrison). During the Civil War, in 1862 Henrico County was the site of seven  battles during the Peninsula Campaign.

Hike the nearby Virginia Capital Trail, a dedicated, paved pedestrian and bicycle trail connecting the Commonwealth’s past and present capitals of Jamestown and Richmond along the Scenic Route 5 corridor. The Trail traverses approximately 52 miles, four jurisdictions, and more than 400 years of history along one of the first inland routes in North America.

 Seniors Find Historic African American Cemetery

East End Cemetery, a historic African American burial site, is a great place for a little historical research. East End is the final resting place of an estimated 13,000 people, among them some of the most prominent black Richmonders of the turn of the 20th century.

Henrico hosts more than 140 tournaments annually from lacrosse to Quidditch to flag football. Then there is Three Lakes Park, a favorite stop for many senior visitors featuring woods, fishing lakes, wetlands and wildlife. It is called by many…a “hidden gem.”

The Old Henrico County Courthouse dates to 1898 in Richmond. Something is going on all year long. Senior oenophiles, the 41st Annual Virginia Wine Festival takes places in September in Run Regional Park in Fairfax and is the oldest wine festival in the state.

So set your GPS for Henrico and enjoy the many amenities that the area has to offer. -jeb