4 minute read
TOURISM SPECIAL EVENTS 25
Riddick’s Folly House Museum
Hours: 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM (Wednesday - Friday); 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM (Saturday); and 1:00 - 5:00 PM (Sun). Closed on major holidays. Cost: $7 Adults; $6 military and seniors 55+; $3 students 18 and under; free for children 5 and under; $4 for partial tours. Group tours are available. Location: 510 North Main Street. For more information, please contact 757-934-0822 or visit RiddicksFolly.org.
While Mills Riddick’s contemporaries may have mocked his Greek Revival home when it was built in 1837, the house now stands as a beautiful reminder of the past and is one of Suffolk’s most popular attractions.
The impressive structure features striking architectural details. The five frieze band windows across the front of the house are rarely seen in eastern Virginia. The front of the mansion is bricked in Flemish bond, and double chimneys rise from both ends of the stately historic landmark. Slender columns of the Greek Revival period frame the main entrance. The interior showcases intricately carved moldings and elaborate ceiling medallions throughout the house.
Riddick’s Folly has four floors, 21 rooms, and 16 fireplaces. All four floors are open to the public. The building features elegantly furnished double parlors, a gentleman’s library, and adult and children’s bed chambers. Also open are the laundry, dining rooms, and kitchen.
Registered with the Virginia Historic Landmarks Commission and the National Register of Historic Places. During the Civil War, Riddick’s Folly served as headquarters for the Union Army.
Suffolk Tour Program
Suffolk Tourism offers a variety of guided tours, with something for history buffs, nature lovers, adventurers, and even for those folks who are seeking the “supernatural’ side of Suffolk. Suffolk Tourism tours depart from the Suffolk Visitor Center (unless otherwise noted). Reservations are required. Custom group tours are available and may require a partial deposit. To reserve your space, please contact the Suffolk Visitor Center.
Cedar Hill Cemetery Guided Stroll
Departs at 4:00 PM; please arrive by 3:45 PM.
Departs from Train Station at 11:00 AM; please arrive by 10:45 AM.
Please check the website for departure time. Plan to arrive 15 minutes early. Departs from Cedar Hill Cemetery gate adjacent to Train Station parking lot.
Headlines and Footnotes: A Downtown Suffolk Walking Tour
Departs from Nansemond Brewing Station (212 E. Washington Street). Plan to arrive 15 minutes early.
Historic Suffolk Narrated Bus Tour
Bus board at 1:45 PM and departs at 2:00 PM.
Legends of Main Street: A Suffolk Ghost Walk
Please check the website for departure time. Plan to arrive 15 minutes early.
Kayak Excursions
Bus boards at 9:15 AM (transportation for the Nansemond River at Constant’s Wharf and Bennett’s Creek Excursions are not available. Participants must meet on site for these particular tours.)
Great Dismal “Swamp Safari”
Bus boards at 9:15 AM and departs at 9:30 AM.
Cedar Hill Cemetery Guided Stroll
Dates: May 2 & 21; June 6 & 25; July 30; August 1 & 27 Time: 4:00 PM Ages: 8+ Cost: $7 adults; $5 seniors (60+), military, and children. Not recommended for children under 12. Enjoy a 60-minute stroll of Cedar Hill Cemetery’s 32 acres of hilly terrain and ancient cedar trees. Home to one of Suffolk’s official Virginia Civil War Trail sites. Comfortable shoes and weather-appropriate attire are recommended.
Dates: May 14; June 11; July 9; August 20 Time: 11:00 AM Ages: 8+ Cost: $7 adults; $5 seniors (60+), military, and children. Not recommended for children under 12. This 60-minute walking tour highlights and honors the graves and memorials of soldiers from Suffolk and old Nansemond County who died in combat during the two World Wars, Korean War, and Vietnam War. Comfortable shoes and weather-appropriate attire are recommended.
Dates: June 4; July 16; August 13 Time: Check website Ages: All Cost: $7 adults; $5 seniors (60+), military, and children ages 12 and under. This 75-minute walking tour explores the hidden meanings buried in Suffolk’s Historic Cedar Hill Cemetery and features Victorian-era symbolism, burial practices, funerary industries, and mourning rituals. Highlights include how the residents of Suffolk both lived and died in the 19th century. This intriguing and educational excursion brings into focus the fascinating world of Victorian America, the obsession with death, dying, and living beyond the grave. Comfortable shoes and weatherappropriate attire are recommended.
