Richmonders got a first look at the upcoming Shockoe Institute on Thursday, July 25.last week in NL The 12,000-sqft exhibition and educational space at Main Street Station is scheduled to open in 2025.

The Institute is part of the larger Shockoe Project, a long-term development to transform 10 acres of Shockoe Bottom into a destination to reckon with Richmond's history with slavery. The city announced the plans in February.

At the preview, large LED screens displayed photographs, newspaper clippings, and other artifacts alongside writing about what visitors should expect when the Institute opens.

The Institute will take visitors through the evolution of slavery on the American continent before specifically exploring Virginia and Richmond's central role in the creation and expansion of American slavery. Through exhibits, first-person accounts, and interactive learning opportunities, participants will delve into the legacy of slavery, from immediately after its abolition to the modern day.

When it opens, the Institute plans to use its exhibition space, learning lab, and both in-person and digital programming to engage visitors and serve as a gateway to the forthcoming memorial campus.

Visitors also got a look at the city's plans for the whole Shockoe Project through renderings and maps of the future space. Plans for the Shockoe Project include a 47,800-sqft National Slavery Museum with a memorial site, amphitheater, and garden. The campus will extend north of Broad Street via a pedestrian bridge. The tunnel under Broad will also be retained.

The entire Shockoe Project will take many years to be realized, but Richmond will be one step closer when the Institute opens next year.