Enjoying RVA and all it has to offer!

Explore Richmond. Save Money. Have Fun.

You are here: Home / Attractions & Museums / Free and Cheap Date Ideas in Richmond, Virginia

Free and Cheap Date Ideas in Richmond, Virginia

Dina WeinsteinPOSTED BY
Dina Weinstein

There are a multitude of events in Richmond this Valentine’s Day, Friday, February 14, 2020, that won’t break the bank.

For those of you who  are looking to connect to someone special or give your sweetie some love and attention, on the cheap, any time of the year, there are plenty of activities and destinations in Richmond that are low cost and really can make that special someone feel loved.

There are numerous venues for live music and also talented DJs in Richmond. This couple enjoys a music event at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. / Photo credit: VMFA Facebook

These FREE and cheap date ideas around Richmond, Virginia are active and can appeal to those that dig culture, food, history, hands-on activities and civic life. Happy trails.

•Take in a cheap movie at the Byrd Theatre.

•Lighten the mood by going for a laugh at a Richmond comedy venue.

•Embrace winter sports at one of the many ice skating venues around Richmond.

•Browse through one of Richmond’s many bookstores.

•Warm up at Richmond’s favorite local coffee shops.

•Get crafty at the Second Fridays art class sampler at the Visual Arts Center and gift your date your art project.

•Enjoy a FREE cultural night at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. You can catch the Edward Hopper exhibit before it closes at the end of the month. Snap a photo in front of the Kehinde Wiley: Rumors of War sculpture facing Arthur Ashe Boulevard. FREE Friday fun events are especially festive. Valentine’s Day this year coincides with the VMFA’s Second Fridays at the VMFA’s Wine Tasting.

•VCU’s Institute of Contemporary Art is always FREE as are many other events at area colleges and universities.

•The Children’s Museum $1 Family Night on the second Friday of each month coincides with Valentine’s Day and makes it a way to show love to the whole family.

•Chat together in the lobby of the high end and historic Richmond Jefferson Hotel.

•Take in the history of the Richmond Slave Trail, or the Maggie L. Walker National Historic Site

•Visit the grounds of the Maymont Park and Maymont House Museum which are always FREE.

•Take a FREE tour of the Virginia State Capitol, and strengthen your bond with your honey by visiting your state legislator to lobby for your passionate cause.

•Check out the stunning nature at the Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden which is half price throughout the month of February.

•Go outdoors, weather permitting. It costs nothing to go for a walk in one of the numerous parks in Richmond with a date. Some of the more interesting natural spaces in Richmond are: Belle Isle and Brown’s Island, Hollywood Cemetery, James River Park, Floodwall Walking Tour, Monroe Park and Canal Walk and Cruises.

•Walk across one of the pedestrian bridges over The James River – Belle Isle Pedestrian Bridge and the T. Tyler Potterfield Memorial Bridge.

•Explore one of Richmond’s many neighborhoods like: Carytown, Church Hill: Where Richmond Began, Fan Historic District or Shockoe Slip.

•Make a stop before or after your outing at the Richmond City Hall Observation Deck to get a 360 view of the city. Open until 5pm.

Hope you enjoy your special someone with these money saving ideas.

Room With A View: Richmonders Glen Jones, Jr. and Catia Jones enjoy the vantage point from the Richmond City Hall Observation Deck – together.

Catia Jones shared some of her top cheap Richmond date ideas:

•Do an inside or outside picnic.

•Work out together.

•Go roller skating.

•Go for a walk around your neighborhood.

•Go on a road trip on one tank of gas.

•Make a romantic dinner at home.

•Go camping.

•Play board games.

•Test drive an expensive (dream) car.

•Drive to the highest point in the city (Libby Hill, Jefferson Park or Chimborazo Park in Church Hill) spread out a blanket and gaze at the stars.

•Do volunteer work together. (Lots of ideas at HandsOnRVA.org)

•Make a pizza at home.

Thanks Catia! And wishing you and your family a Happy Valentine’s Day!

 

Be sure to subscribe to email updates, follow @rvacheap on Twitter or like RVA (Richmond) on the Cheap on Facebook to stay in the know about the latest freebies & deals.

More things to do in and around Richmond:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dina Weinstein

About Dina Weinstein

Dina Weinstein is a Richmond, Virginia based award-winning journalist who reports for numerous local and national outlets. Weinstein moved north from Miami, Florida where she worked mentoring young journalists as an advisor at the Miami Dade College student newspaper The Reporter. She is a Boston native and a proud graduate of Boston University School for the Arts and Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.

Reader Interactions

lotc_logo_100_gray_bglogosRVA on the Cheap is a member of Living on the Cheap, a network of websites published by frugalistas, journalists and consumer advocates.

Find practical advice on saving money on groceries, travel and shopping, plus tips from our experts on how to live the good life for less at Living on the Cheap.