Premiere Week April 12-15, 2026
Main Street Station | Richmond, Virginia
Expanding Freedom is opening to the public!
Join us at Main Street Station in Richmond, Virginia to be among the first to experience the Shockoe Institute’s inaugural exhibit, Expanding Freedom.
Expanding Freedom reveals the evolution of American racial slavery and its enduring impact on our national life. In the exhibit, visitors are invited to learn and reflect on this history. They then continue their learning journey in the Lab, where they can explore how to put this history to work to improve our civic life.
Premiere Week Highlights
Get a chance to talk to an expert! Throughout premiere week, our resident historians, Dr. Gregg Kimball and Dr. Megan Shockley will be available in our Lab to answer your questions about the exhibit, talk about the design process, and share historical insights. Our President & CEO, Marland Buckner, will be sharing what’s next for the Shockoe Institute.
Get Tickets
Entry to the exhibit will be timed. Sign up to visit Expanding Freedom below.
Planning Your Visit
Entrance
Please plan to enter through the first floor, Northside patio entrance. You will see the words “Expanding Freedom” on the glass.
Check In
All guests are required to check in to their tour time before entering the exhibit.
Public Transportation
Main Street Station is accessible by public transportation. Guests can arrive via Amtrak at Main Street Station, and the venue is served by GRTC Pulse (BRT) and several local bus routes, including 1A, 1B, 1C, and 14.
If you’re using rideshare or transit, plan to be dropped off near the first floor north-side entrance of the trainshed and allow extra time for check-in.
Parking (see map below)
There are three well-lit automated parking lots at the station, in two locations. Parking is free for the first hour, $1 an hour after that, and $6 max per day, depending on the lot. There is also plenty of street parking available around the station.
