Updated in October 2026, this Virginia Museum of Fine Arts guide covers ticket prices, opening hours, parking or transport, accessibility and what to see.
The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (VMFA) is an art museum with more than 50,000 works in Richmond‘s Museum District, Virginia. General admission is always free, and some galleries are temporarily closed during the museum’s largest expansion. This guide was last updated in October 2026 and confirms the free admission, the late opening on Wednesday to Friday and the current parking fee.
Quick facts: the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Opening hours | Saturday to Tuesday 10am to 5pm. Wednesday to Friday 10am to 9pm. Open 365 days a year. |
| Ticket prices | Free general admission. Special exhibitions are ticketed, and prices vary. |
| Address | 200 N Arthur Ashe Boulevard, Richmond, VA 23220 |
| Nearest transport or parking | Parking deck $6 per day. GRTC route 77 stops on Grove Avenue. |
| Typical time needed | About 2 to 3 hours |
Virginia Museum of Fine Arts opening hours
The museum is open 365 days a year. It opens from 10am to 5pm on Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. It stays open until 9pm from Wednesday to Friday. Holiday hours are 10am to 5pm, including Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day.
The hours are the same all year, and there are no seasonal changes. Other areas have their own hours:
- Parking deck: 7am to 7pm Saturday to Tuesday, and 7am to 10pm Wednesday to Friday. Overnight parking is not allowed.
- Amuse Restaurant: 11.30am to 4.30pm Saturday to Tuesday, and 11.30am to 8pm Wednesday to Friday.
- Floris at VMFA tearoom: 11.30am to 4pm Saturday to Wednesday.
- Best Café: 10am to 4.30pm Saturday to Tuesday, and 10am to 8.30pm Wednesday to Friday.
- VMFA Shop: 10am to 5pm Saturday to Tuesday, and 10am to 9pm Wednesday to Friday.
5 top experiences to book in Richmond
- 🏛️ Dive into the city’s rich history on a guided Downtown Richmond walking tour.
- 🥾 Take a guided hike along the James River.
- 👻 Learn the sinister secrets of Shockoe Bottom on a walking ghost tour.
- 🍺 On a haunted pub crawl, combine beers with ghost stories.
- 🍴 Taste Richmond’s best flavours on an Arts District food tour.
Virginia Museum of Fine Arts ticket prices
General admission to the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts is free, every day. The collection galleries and the free exhibitions cost nothing to enter.
- Permanent collection: free.
- Special exhibitions: ticketed. The price varies by exhibition. Members enter free.
- Museums for All: $2 for ticketed special exhibitions, with an EBT card and valid ID.
- Blue Star Museums: free admission to ticketed special exhibitions for military personnel and their immediate families.
- Parking: $6 per day in the museum deck, free for members.
Opening hours and ticket prices were checked on the official website and last updated in October 2026.
How to get to the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts
The museum is at 200 N Arthur Ashe Boulevard, in Richmond’s Museum District. The Virginia Museum of History and Culture is at the corner of Kensington Avenue.
- From Interstates 95 and 64: take exit 78 to N Arthur Ashe Boulevard and follow Route 161 south for 1.5 miles. Turn right onto Kensington Avenue, take the first left onto Sheppard Street and the deck entrance is on your left.
- From the Downtown Expressway (I-195): take the Floyd-Cary exit, follow Floyd Avenue to Belmont Avenue and turn left. Turn right on Stuart Avenue, and the deck entrance is straight ahead.
- By bus: the closest GRTC bus stop is on Grove Avenue, served by route 77.
- By bike: racks are near the museum entrance.
Parking at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts
The VMFA parking deck costs $6 per day for non-members and is free for members. Members scan their membership card to enter. The deck is open during museum hours.
Accessible parking is in the deck and on the north side of the main building, next to the Robinson House Virginia Tourism Center. An elevator in the deck and accessible walkways lead to the museum.
A drop-off area is next to the main entrance. Free street parking may be available on the surrounding streets.
How long to spend at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts
Plan about 2 to 3 hours for the collection galleries. Allow longer for a ticketed special exhibition, a meal or the Sculpture Garden.
Walk-in tours of the permanent collection run on a fixed daily schedule and need no reservation. Audio tours of the permanent collection are available through a QR code on site.
Accessibility at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts
Wheelchairs and motorised scooters can be borrowed free at Coat Check. They are first-come, first-served, with no reservations.
Service animals are welcome in all VMFA facilities. Pets and emotional support animals are not allowed inside the museum.
Dogs are welcome in the Robins Sculpture Garden on a leash. Guided group tours can be given in Spanish or American Sign Language if booked in advance.
What to see at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts
The permanent collection holds more than 50,000 works from almost every major world culture. It includes the largest public collection of Fabergé outside Russia and one of the nation’s finest collections of American art.
Other collections include Chinese, South Asian, Himalayan and ancient art, English silver, French Impressionist and Post-Impressionist paintings and photography. The museum is expanding the galleries for photography and European art.
Rumors of War is a 27-foot bronze sculpture by Kehinde Wiley. It stands outside the museum, as a modern response to the statues that once lined Monument Avenue.
The Robins Sculpture Garden covers nearly four acres. It has a reflection pond and Dale Chihuly’s glass installation Red Reeds. Visitors use it for walks, picnics and community events.
Events include the Dominion Energy Jazz Café on Wednesday nights and After 5 Fridays, which includes Summer Breeze in the Sculpture Garden.
Some galleries are temporarily closed because of the expansion. African, Indigenous American, Pre-Columbian, Mid to Late 20th Century and Art Deco and Art Nouveau art are off view. Portions of the American collection, including Civil War and Gilded Age art and the Worsham-Rockefeller Bedroom, have also come off view.
The expansion adds a new wing, called McGlothlin Wing II, to the south end of the building. It is expected to open to the public in 2029.
Practical visitor tips
| Topic | Tip |
|---|---|
| Timing | The museum stays open until 9pm from Wednesday to Friday. Wednesday nights have the Jazz Café. |
| Crowds | Check the museum’s website for closed galleries before a visit, because more collections are coming off view. |
| Layout | The museum has three levels. Level 2 has American art, and Level 3 has decorative arts. |
| Entry process | No ticket is needed for general admission. Coat Check is free and is inside the main entrance. |
| On-site logistics | Outside food can be eaten in the Sculpture Garden or the Cochrane Atrium. Sketching with graphite pencil is welcome. |
Frequently asked questions about the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Is the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts free to enter? | Yes. General admission is always free. Special exhibitions are ticketed. |
| Is the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts suitable for children? | Yes. The Interactive Family Lounge and the Art Education Center suit families, and classes run for ages 3 months to 12 years. |
| Do you need to book tickets in advance for the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts? | No for general admission. Special exhibition tickets can be reserved ahead. |
| Is the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts open on Sundays? | Yes. The museum is open 365 days a year, from 10am to 5pm on Sundays. |
| Are dogs allowed at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts? | In the Sculpture Garden only, on a leash. Service animals are welcome inside. |
Things to do near the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts
- The Virginia Museum of History and Culture: next door at the corner of Kensington Avenue, a short walk from the museum.
- The Science Museum of Virginia: a science museum in the historic Broad Street Station at 2500 West Broad Street, about 5 minutes’ drive away.
- The Poe Museum: a museum of Edgar Allan Poe’s life in the Old Stone House in Shockoe Bottom, about 10 minutes’ drive away.
- The John Marshall House: the Chief Justice’s 1790 home at 818 East Marshall Street, about 10 minutes’ drive away.
- The American Civil War Museum at Historic Tredegar: a museum on the former Tredegar Iron Works site by the James River, about 10 minutes’ drive away.
Alternative attractions
- Maymont: a historic estate with a mansion, gardens and wildlife in Richmond.
- The Valentine: a Richmond history museum in the Court End district.
- Black History Museum and Cultural Center of Virginia: a museum in Jackson Ward, Richmond.
- Muscarelle Museum of Art: an art museum at William & Mary in Williamsburg, about 50 minutes’ drive from Richmond.
- Chrysler Museum of Art: a free art museum with a glass collection in Norfolk, about 1.5 hours’ drive from Richmond.
More Virginia travel
Other Virginia travel guides on Planet Whitley include:
- All you need to know before visiting Virginia Safari Park near Roanoke.
- What to know before visiting the White House of the Confederacy in Richmond.
- Discovering presidents and the first Thanksgiving at Berkeley Plantation.
- Plan your visit to the Virginia Living Museum in Newport News.
- Prepare yourself for the enormous scale of Colonial Williamsburg.
