An aerial view of the 100-acre Maymont estate
With 100 acres of historic sites, gardens and native wildlife, Maymont offers plenty of experiences for visitors of all ages. But thanks to an $11.75 million infrastructure project, guests will soon find even more to love.
Part of the Maymont 2025 campaign to improve the visitor experience and expand accessibility, recent renovations have been made to the Children’s Farm and The Robins Nature Center. Additionally, Maymont’s plans include projects that will restore the park’s historic mansion and enhance its native Virginia wildlife habitats.
In 2021, Maymont submitted proposals for post-COVID-19 projects to the U.S. Economic Development Administration, which allocated funds from the American Rescue Plan. Projects must promote and expand regional tourism. The following year, Maymont was selected to receive the $8 million federal grant and set about raising an additional $3.75 million in public and private funds.
Maymont selected Commonwealth Architects to lead the infrastructure improvement projects. Renovations to the historic mansion began in November 2023. The building was closed for public tours, and the Victorian-era artwork and furniture were placed into storage. Some updates are taking place behind the scenes, including the installation of museum-quality climate control and fire suppression systems, which will allow the building to comfortably accommodate more visitors and better preserve Maymont’s collections.
One major — vividly colored — change will be visible the moment guests arrive.
A watercolor painting of Maymont Mansion featuring the original red roof
When the Gilded Age mansion was built in 1893, it featured several colorful accents, including red window trim, a pink sidewalk, pink marble columns and a red slate roof. During the 1960s, when the city of Richmond operated the park (a role it assumed from 1925 until 1975), they repaired and replaced the roof with a less expensive gray Buckingham slate.
“When we put the red roof back on, it will complete the look of what the mansion is supposed to look like,” says Kathy Garrett-Cox, curator and director of historical resources and collections at Maymont.
The mansion renovations are expected to continue through 2024, with hope of reopening in time for the holidays. In the meantime, visitors can still stop by the Stone Barn, which houses a handful of objects from the collections. Guests can also embark on audio tours for the gardens; a new architecture offering will debut in the spring.
Across the park, visitors can expect several changes to the wildlife habitats. Maymont houses more than 300 native and domestic animals — including over 85 different species — many of which are rescued and rehabilitated.
“A lot of our animals have interesting backstories,” spokesperson Melissa Abernathy says. “Our raptors were brought here because they had an injury and can’t survive in the wild. We have a bobcat with a digestive disorder and a fox that had encephalitis when he was a pup.”
Finnley the red fox
The wildlife habitats were built along existing pathways from Maymont’s time as a city park. The Maymont 2025 project will reconfigure those pathways to create a more cohesive flow and rename them the Virginia Wildlife Trail. Visitors will also find expanded viewing areas that can accommodate people of different abilities and larger groups for presentations by animal keeper staff.
Added signage along the pathways aims to tell a more comprehensive story of Virginia’s wildlife history and ecosystem, and two new species will further expand the narrative. A pair of coyotes will showcase non-native species that have expanded their habitats into Virginia, while a porcupine will demonstrate how animals have disappeared due to habitat loss.
“By putting these animals into our habitat here at Maymont, we’ll be able to teach children — as well as adults and families — that these animals had a place in Virginia or have recently come into Virginia,” says Krista Weatherford, Maymont’s director of programming and community engagement. “We can also educate them about the roles these animals play in our ecosystem and how everything is dependent upon each other. Even humans are dependent upon so many things in nature.”
Construction along the wildlife trail will take place in stages, and some animal habitats may be inaccessible at times due to the renovations. Updates about trail and habitat closures will be posted on Maymont’s website and social media channels, as well as on-site signage. Plenty of animals will remain on view at The Robins Nature Center and Maymont Farm, where visitors can find two recent additions, a pair of alpacas.
“These projects [aim to] preserve Maymont’s historic features and expand our ability to accommodate more guests, whether they’re here for the gardens or the mansion or the animals,” Abernathy says. “All of it is being done with the goal of building our resiliency into the future.”
