Best Art Galleries in Richmond
Richmond, Virginia — updated August 21, 2026
From a museum open 365 days a year to a nonprofit venue in a former fire station, here is where Richmond shows art, ranked by how well the reviews hold up.
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Richmond's gallery scene runs along two axes: Arthur Ashe Boulevard, where the state art museum sits, and West Broad Street, where a contemporary art institute, a hotel gallery and a private arts club are within a few blocks of each other. Ratings here range from a settled 4.8 across nearly 10,000 reviews to a 4.7 backed by fewer than 20, so the list below separates what is proven from what is only promising. Several of these spaces double as music venues, cafes or restaurants, which affects when they are open.
1. Virginia Museum of Fine Arts
The most thoroughly tested art institution in the city: 4.8 stars from 9,925 reviews, a figure large enough that the rating is unlikely to move. It is open 365 days a year, Saturday through Tuesday from 10 am to 5 pm and Wednesday through Friday from 10 am to 9 pm, which makes it the only entry here reliably available on a weeknight evening. The museum's restaurant, Amuse, serves lunch daily from 11:30 am to 3 pm and brunch on Sundays over the same hours. The Best Cafe and Espresso Bar runs an ongoing Friday offering from 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm. Address is 200 North Arthur Ashe Boulevard.
2. Gallery5
A 501(c)3 community arts venue housed in the historic Steamer Company No. 5 firehouse at 200 W Marshall Street, combining art exhibits with live music and free community events. At 4.7 from 329 reviews, it has the second most substantial track record on this list, and the reviews reflect a mixed-use space rather than a quiet white cube. Ticketed shows typically run on a doors-then-music schedule, with doors at 7 pm and music at 8 pm; the current calendar is posted at gallery5arts.org. Go on a night with an exhibit opening if you want the visual art and the crowd at once.
3. Institute for Contemporary Art at Virginia Commonwealth University
The city's dedicated contemporary art venue, at 601 W Broad Street, and free and open to the public. Its 4.4 from 369 reviews is the lowest average here but rests on a real sample, and the split is what you would expect from a non-collecting institution: some visitors want permanent holdings, others come for the rotating exhibitions and the programming. Events range from midday openings to evening author talks, and the ICA closes for some holidays with hours posted on icavcu.org. Check the calendar before you drive over, since programming rather than a standing collection is the reason to visit.
4. Quirk Gallery
A commercial gallery at 207 W Broad Street attached to the Quirk Hotel, rated 4.6 from 25 reviews. That is a small sample, so treat the score as promising rather than settled. What it does offer is the widest weekly window of any dedicated gallery in this guide: Monday through Friday from 9 am to 5 pm, and Sunday from 10 am to 4 pm, which makes it one of the few Richmond galleries open on a Sunday. The hotel's cafe runs daily from 7 am to 2 pm, and happy hour is served daily from 4 to 6 pm, so a visit folds easily into a meal.
5. Reynolds Gallery Inc
A long-running commercial gallery in the Fan at 1514 W Main Street, with a second space on Libbie/Grove. The 4.7 rating comes from just 14 reviews, the thinnest evidence in this guide, so the number says little either way; the gallery earns its place on program and longevity rather than on ratings volume. Both locations keep Tuesday through Saturday hours, 10 am to 5 pm, or by appointment, and summer hours shift to Tuesday through Friday. Closed Sundays and Mondays. Call ahead at (804) 355-6553 if you are making a trip for a specific show.
6. Black Iris- Social Club, Art Gallery, Event Space
The highest rating on this list, 4.9, but from 106 reviews and with a significant caveat: it is a private social club at 321 W Broad Street, combining an art gallery with performing arts, a music venue, a restaurant and a cigar lounge. Members may bring one guest per visit, with additional guests by reservation, so this is not a walk-in gallery. The club is open Wednesday through Saturday from 5 pm to midnight, with extensions for weekends and some events, and hours are subject to change. Listed last for access reasons, not quality.