Your Guide Might Be Lying About These Carytown Murals
A storytelling walk past more than 25 Richmond murals, where the group guesses whether each story is true before the host says.
At each mural on this walk, the host tells the story behind it, and then the whole group has to guess whether it was true. A story can be true, partly true or invented, and nobody finds out until everyone has guessed. Richmond Magazine described founder George Tisdale as a self-proclaimed unreliable narrator, and the two travelers who named their host in 2025 and 2026 both named him.
As of October 15, 2026, this listing sold one start time a week, Thursdays at 9:00 AM, with October 22 the next open date. Tickets are mobile, and confirmation is instant.
Would I Lie To You? Mural WalksGeorge Tisdale's storytelling walk past more than 25 murals from Carytown, Richmond. Guess true or false at each stop. Starts at South Sheppard and West Cary streets.www.viator.comEveryone Guesses Before the Truth Comes Out
Richmond Magazine joined one of these walks in 2023 and described the vote as a thumbs-up for a story the group believed and a thumbs-down for one it took to be made up. The same piece says Tisdale draws on an advertising background and a knowledge of art. By the operator's account, by the end of the walk you know who in your group is a true believer and who can be won over by a tall tale well told.
The About page says Tisdale built a list of murals, walked it, found walls that were not on the list, learned that others had been painted over, and tracked down titles where he could. Most of the murals had none.
Three Routes, and This One Starts in Carytown
The operator runs three mural walks around Richmond, and this listing meets at the corner where its Carytown, Fan and Museum District loop begins. That route page lists a giant dancing skeleton, bee-cycles, a huntress in armor, an entangled man, a lion-headdress conjurer, the goddess Athena and a Tour de France great among the stops.
The photos on this page come from the operator's portfolio across all three Richmond walks. Only the skeleton at the top of this page and the conjurer on the booking card are on this specific Carytown loop. The other murals pictured in the galleries below—including the elephant, the woman in a jar, the portrait hiding her eyes, the tiger-man, and The Fighting Editor—belong to the operator's other two routes. Beyond the headliners, the walk turns up pieces that even locals overlook; one traveler noted that the tour revealed hidden murals they had walked past for years without noticing.
How Far, How Long, and Who Can Come
Budget two hours for the outing, though the walking itself takes about an hour and a half at a casual pace. Expect to cover two to three miles; the listing advises against the walk for anyone who cannot comfortably handle three miles or who has cardiovascular conditions. Its FAQ calls the walks wheelchair friendly, since they stay on sidewalks for most of the way, apart from crosswalks. It recommends supportive shoes and water, especially in hot weather.
Tickets on this listing start at age six, with ages six to thirteen priced below the adult rate. The operator's FAQ says children five and under walk free, and that well-behaved dogs on a leash are welcome. One booking can include up to twelve people; the operator says its groups have run from two people to twenty or more, and it calls four to eight ideal.
Restrooms, Rain and Parking
Use a restroom before you start. The listing says there are no public restrooms on the walk. The operator says there usually are some along the way, depending on the route, but the group won't stop for them, and it suggests going beforehand.
Light or on-and-off rain does not cancel the walk, by the operator's account, so bring a rain jacket or an umbrella. For heavier weather, it says it sends the cancellation by email. On this listing, a full refund needs cancellation at least 24 hours before the start.
The closest public parking the operator names is the city's South Colonial garage, a block and a half from the start, between West Cary Street and Ellwood Avenue. The city's 2025 rate sheet lists two dollars there for any part of the 7:00 AM to 6:00 PM day.
📍 Meet on the South Sheppard Street side of Luxor Vintage Clothing, at West Cary Street and half a block from the Byrd Theatre. Look for the host in a white hat. The loop ends back in Carytown, with restaurants in every direction.