Maggie L Walker National Historic Site

Address:3215 East Broad Street
Richmond, Virginia
Tel: (804) 771-2017

Invest in a fascinating experience with a free visit to the Maggie L. Walker National Historic Site, the home of the first female president of an American bank. The Walker National Historical Site includes Maggie Walker's house, restored to its 1930's appearance by the National Park Service, as well as a visitor's center exploring her life in the neighborhood of Jackson Ward in Richmond, Virginia, the community in which she lived and worked.

Born to a freed slave and a white abolitionist, Maggie Walker went on to become a leading member of the black fraternity, the Independent Order of St. Luke, turning it into an insurance company. It eventually grew into a full-fledged bank, the St. Luke's Penny Savings Bank, which survives today as the Consolidated Bank and Trust, the oldest surviving African American-operated bank in America. The house, which served as Maggie Walker's home from 1904 until her death in 1934, has maintained its original furnishings since the National Park Service purchased the property from the Walker family in 1979.

Half-hour tours of the Maggie L. Walker National Historic Site are given by National Park Service rangers on a first-come, first-served basis, though visitors should allow at least 90 minutes to get the full experience. Kids between 8 and 12 who visit the Maggie L. Walker National Historic Site have the opportunity to participate in the Junior Ranger program, receiving a certificate and a patch for filling out at least eight pages of the Junior Ranger booklet. After the tour, visitors to the Maggie L. Walker National Historic Site can treat themselves to a meal at any of the dozens of restaurants in the area, serving a variety of culinary delights ranging from soul food to seafood.

To get to the Maggie L. Walker National Historic Site, visitors should take I-95 north to exit 76A, or I-95 South to exit 76B, turn left onto West Leigh Street, and continue to 2nd Street, where the national historic site is located on the left. Parking on the street is available, free of charge. The history of America's progress towards equality comes alive here at the Maggie L. Walker National Historic Site. You can bank on a fun and interesting visit.