The Tredegar was a large industrial complex that made most of the weapons and canons for the South during the Civil War. This is the primary visitor center now for the Richmond Battlefields comprising over 700 acres in several places and battlefields like Gaines' Mill, Malvern Hill, and Cold Harbor. This, one of the last buildings standing, is beside the James River in downtown Richmond. It is now a beautiful place with several islands and a pedestrian bridge across the rapids of the James River. You are a short drive from several neat spots in American history including the church where Patrick gave his "liberty or death" speech.