The Arts District station on the GRTC Pulse bus route is located in the very area from which its name was derived - the Arts District. This station celebrates of the eclectic artistry of the area.
Richmond’s Arts District / Empire Theatre:
The Strand Theater, 1920s (The Valentine)
100 Block of West Broad Street, late-1910s (The Valentine, Cook Collection)
Beginning in the mid-2000s, the area surrounding the Arts District GRTC Pulse Station experienced a revitalization that has culminated in an eclectic mix of galleries, theaters, shops, restaurants, businesses and residential spaces. Richmond’s Arts District is anchored by the 1911 Empire Theatre, which in 1915 was converted into a vaudeville/film theater called The Strand. From 1933 to 1974, the Empire Theatre was known as the Booker-T, a cinema and performance venue for African-American audiences during the Jim Crow era. Now renamed the Sara Belle and Neil November Theatre, the facility is the headquarters of Virginia Repertory Theatre, Richmond’s regional professional theater. Public art installations in the Arts District include the 2017 statue of African-American civic and business leader Maggie L. Walker at Broad and Adams streets and numerous murals, such as the depiction of civil rights activist, newspaper editor and Strand Theatre owner John Mitchell Jr. on Adams Street facing the Walker statue. The First Fridays Art Walk, which takes place from 5 to 9 p.m. on the first Friday of each month in the area roughly bordered by Laurel, Clay, Seventh and Franklin streets, features gallery openings, street musicians, pop-up vendors, and shop and restaurant specials. (November Theatre, 114 W. Broad St., <0.1 mile.)
Explore More of the Past for Arts District!
Estimated Time: 4.3 hours
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