Richmond Visitor Information Centre

About Richmond Visitor Information Centre

The Richmond Visitor Information Centre offers: leaflets about attractions and events - local, London and national, as well as sports and recreational information including activities in Richmond and Bushy Parks. We have details of riverside activities, boat sailings, local guided walks, cycling, horse-riding, golf courses and health clubs.

The Centre also provides information on local restaurants and riverside pubs.

The RVIC stocks a wide selection of UK holiday brochures and public transport information including maps, and staff can assist with route planning.

If you wish to stay in the borough we provide an accommodation booking service. We also have a database with details of local clubs, societies and voluntary organisations.

We sell a range of cards and publications by local photographers, artists and authors, and have recently commissioned a range of tasteful and reasonably priced souvenir items which are totally unique to the Information Centre.

Richmond possesses a timeless charm more akin to a village than a town. Henry VII named Richmond after his favourite Earldom, Richmond in Yorkshire, and the gateway of his magnificent Palace, favoured by Elizabeth I, still remains. This can be found on Richmond Green, once the scene of tournaments and pageants, surrounded by elegant period houses.

The view from the top of Richmond Hill, across the Terrace Gardens, Petersham meadows and the River Thames has been a source of inspiration for artists and poets throughout the years. It has been protected by an Act of Parliament since 1902. The Gardens were formed in the 1880s and were then extended to the river about 40 years later. The Terrace Gardens have recently been restored and are now a tranquil and relaxing area to enjoy. From here Ham House, an outstanding Stuart House filled with rare 17th century furniture and textiles, is visible slightly up river. Below, the River Thames flows through an ocean of trees with rowing boats and passenger craft wending their way upstream. Beyond the hill lies the 2,500 acre Richmond Park, enclosed by Charles I as a favoured hunting ground, where large herds of red and fallow deer wander freely.

Richmond’s shopping streets offer an enticing mix, bringing together top designer names with small specialist and boutique shops. A lively cultural calendar offers the finest entertainment outside central London, with many West End shows previewing at Richmond Theatre and at the exciting Orange Tree Theatre, London’s only permanent theatre in the round.