This house belonged to John Marshall, one of the nation's founding fathers and former Chief Justice of the US Supreme Court, where he lived with his family for over forty-five years. The house was built in 1790 and is one of the oldest brick dwellings in the city. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1962. There is metered street parking and commercial parking lots within a reasonable walking distance from teh house. The house and yard appeared to be poorly maintained and in need of some severe TLC. The yard has an Urban Garden Space and its landscaping was severely neglected. You will find some benches in the back yard, on a gravel area, that you can sit. You can do a self guided tour of the yard, using QR codes and informational placards. They also offer guided tours of the yard and home. The tour of the interior lasts about 45 minutes. The home is currently undergoing renovation, but is still open. The home is full of Marshall's furnishings and possessions. During the tour, visitors are treated to views of a a couple of bedrooms, including the master suite. and office and dining area. Prepare to be under-wowed by the furnishings. They barely put a small dent in the large rooms. They regularly host events here including the Black Rebellion in Early America Virtual Program, the Spirit of '76 Family Celebration, and the Polly's Richmond Focus Tour with Shockoe Hill Cemetery. This is not my most favorite landmark that I visited by far. There is not a lot to it. It is, however, still worth visiting if you are into history. read more

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Very cool place and they were kind enough to host a paranormal investigation. I really would love to come back during the day go learn more of the history. One thing that might make you a little crazy is the sound of recorded birds chirping outside. It is a little weird, until you get used to it! John Marshall had kind of a sad history with (maybe more than one- I can't remember) death of a child in the family. I think the home has a certain sadness about it, but also is an important part of Richmond's history. read more

I think the John Marshall House is an underrated but really interesting structure in downtown Richmond. It's the oldest brick building in the city, according to our guide, and the 'Great Chief Justice' John Marshall -- who established the modern Supreme Court -- lived in it until his death. I've added photos of the placards around the building; more historical detail can be found in those! The house itself is well-maintained. I visited during Time Traveler's Weekend (free admission), so I experienced a condensed tour with a few other folks. Our tour guide, Sylvia, was thorough in explaining what was a period piece compared to what was original to the house and the Marshall family. She also was fairly interactive -- asking us trivia questions, such as "What can you tell me about Aaron Burr?" I only saw the downstairs but the rooms are quite pretty and photogenic. I snapped several photos (attached). Apparently there used to be a bunch of other smaller structures around that Marshall owned in his time as well. There's a gift shop downstairs with a collection of Richmond goods, teas, and touristy items. I didn't purchase anything but the guys working down there on Saturday were very friendly! The home is closed in January and February except for by appointment. They also have limited weekly hours, but if you happen to be nearby and want a dose of history and culture, it's a neat place to spend an hour! read more

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This place only has 5 previous reviews, and it's sad that an important early figure in American history in a state's capitol city doesn't have a higher visitor count. Doesn't advertise well? Hours are too limiting? (only looks like it's open Fri, Sat, Sun.) When my boyfriend and I arrived and asked when the next tour was, they said "right now!" so I got the impression there was a lot of waiting around by the tour guides. The tour guide (and an intern with him) were both college-aged guys, so at first I was concerned, but they really seemed to know their stuff and answer any questions we had. It's a decent historical house, including a little about John Marshall's childhood and being one of 15 kids, to his adult life and career, to his daughter inheriting the house. They have several of his personal items and a letter addressed to him from George Washington. It's not the fanciest old house I've been to, but it was interesting and I think it deserves more foot traffic. I enjoyed the eagerness of the employees to share their knowledge. read more

The John Marshall House - Little wine cellar/storage room off gift shop - Museums Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

This is a large 2-story brick house by the library that was the home to John Marshall and his wife, Polly, from 1790 to 1835. You learn about Marshall in U.S. History/Social Studies classes in school - the 'Great Chief Justice' that created the modern Supreme Court and his decision in the Marbury v. Madison case. You can take a guided tour of the house and see the original furnishings, stroll around the garden, check out the museum shop, and also try out a game of Quoits (Marshall's favorite game). +across from the library read more

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John Marshall was a great American and I am grateful that I could see the home he built during our nations founding. (Really cool is stayed in the family til the 1970s when it became a heritage site.) The house is only open 2 days a week and can only be toured with a guide. The guides are very knowledge about John Marshall and his life and will answer any questions asked. However, you have to ask and without displays to prompt questions many will feel they are just seeing a historic building. A must for history buffs. read more

One of the things I love about this city is that you can't walk very far without a brush with history. It is such a heady feeling to walk through a historical area and have that place brought to life before your eyes. I have toured through the John Marshall house once before, but couldn't resist a tour (in conjunction with the Wickham House) that focused on the infamous (and shall we say, a touch crazy) Aaron Burr treason trial. The group met in the basement gift shop (yes, these spots are always trying to sell you something, but the JMH has some really fabulous items to look at. Definitely make it a stop on your tour). Our tour guide began the tour by focusing on some background information about John Marshall and his family. He then went on to describe Aaron Burr and how he eventually found himself on trial for treason, and how John Marshall became involved. We toured the downstairs area, but also had the opportunity to visit the upstairs rooms and ask more questions of our tour guide. One of the things I admire about the tour guides here is that not only do they provide an interesting narrative about the people that resided and worked in this home, but they are able to address the questions and thoughts of the folks who are touring the house. They truly know their topic, and are not reading from a script. A well-preserved home that gives any visitor a glimpse into RVA life in the early 1800s. It is definitely worth a visit! read more

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Marshall's house is included in some of the tours you can get from the Valentine History Center, or you can just do the house alone. For anyone who doesn't know, John Marshall was chief justice of the Supreme Court for 34 years, appointed to the court by President John Adams. He also served as secretary of state and as our ambassador to France, so he was a pretty big presence in America's 18th century government. The house was built in 1790 in the Federal style, and has been fully restored recently. If you like period furniture and touring things like Colonial Williamsburg, you'll enjoy a glimpse into Marshall's life. Tour hours are limited and you can only see it by appointment in January and February. read more

"How many times does an angel fall?" ------------------------------------------ In A Sentence™ John motherfucking Marshall: the boss motherfucker of American jurisprudence. (I'm toning down my so-called expletives for this scholarly review.) Quick Review™ + Chief Justice Marshall. Enough said. Shut your mouth and learn something! - There is no docent like me to slap some people -- literally, nor figuratively -- with some damn vigour for the subject. (I would slap the first person -- man, woman, or child -- who lacked respect for the man in his house. (Bring back dueling.) ------------------------------------------ Let me tell you something about Marshall. He didn't fuck around. He didn't wake up and ponder: how am I going to piss my life away today .... His brother on the other hand: that worthless asshole was at fault for the whole Marbury v. Madison fiasco. Pro Tip: don't entrust your brother with anything of any importance at anytime, ever. (Bring back dueling.) Now what am I going on about? It doesn't matter. Visit the house and ask. It's in Richmond. Street parking is insert-some-goddamn-coin godforsaken meters as if it were the 1950's. There are a bunch of people around the block sitting outside in the deadly summer heat fanning their balmy selves with newspapers as if it were the 1950's. (There is a public bus terminal.) Anyway, this is an historical gem. Add his final place of rest (Richmond), the courtroom in the capital building where he whooped on some dumb jabronis' asses (Richmond as well), and his church (Colonial Williamsburg) for the full John motherfucking Marshall experience! We need another John Marshall. We need another Hugo Black (post Klan, obviously). We need another Thurgood Marshall. We need to find a way to clone us a bunch of Notorious R.B.G.'s. I digress. It's a small house and short tour. It's not the goddamn Hearst Castle, you philistines. Just go towards the end of the day so you are not that affected by the tour being abridged. Or read so you won't need anyone to teach you anything. ------------------------------------------ Tourists Lots of tourists here -- naturally -- especially since, you know, U.S. Southerns (I call them Confederates) don't care about actual heroes. (Don't get them started on the traitors though!) Kids Good for kids. I didn't see any but the Bostonian I was with was short enough in stature to be considered a kid and he was welcomed. Dogs Good for dogs. Except they are prohibited, more than likely. What the hell do I know; who travels to the capital of the Confederacy with a dog? ------------------------------------------ Rating: Four-stars, "Yay! I'm a fan." read more

We had a lovely tour with a very knowledgeable tour guide who offered interesting historical information as well as some of her favorite personal anecdotes of the Chief Justice and his family. The amount of original artifacts on display is amazing. I really enjoyed how they pepper the tour with chats about the Chief Justice's most pivotal court cases. It was a great way to spend a Friday morning in Richmond. You can easily do the tour in an hour and see everything but I would give yourself a little more time to explore inside and out. Parking was also easy with a municipal lot nearby, as well as street parking. read more

This tour was fantastic! Our guide was thorough and passionate about teaching us, so this was an INCREDIBLY informative outing for the kids and I. Well done, staff and Virginia Preservation! read more

Lovely old building, not particularly ornate. Tour was informative, guides were knowledgeable and friendly. Tour was not particularly tied to the house; a great deal of information was provided about John Marshall that had little to do with the space. Only 40% of items were original to the house. Grounds were well landscaped and provided a good spot for a picnic lunch. read more

The house was reminiscent of the time period and had a decent amount of the original furnishings. The tour was very informative when it came to his life, but the tour is also very short. There wasn't much to the house and I found that to be disappointing compared to the other places I've toured over the years. read more

Honestly, I was extremely disapointed in this experience. The house itself was nice - nothing outstanding but nice enough. We went on a tour with only one other person, so there were no crowds or anything. The problem was our tour guide, Doug. He was awkward and made for an uncomfortable experience. He knew very little information regarding John Marshall and the house and I honestly did not learn anything new. I'm sure the experience would've been worthwhile if we had another tour guide, but I would advise you not to take a tour if Doug is the guide. read more