The Branch Museum of Design

The Branch Museum of Design Virginia’s only design museum. Shifting perspectives since 1919. The Branch Museum elevates the awareness of the transformative power of architecture and design.

If you’ve visited Imagining Best Products, you’ve already met our next guest speaker, James Wines.From peeling brick cor...
06/02/2026

If you’ve visited Imagining Best Products, you’ve already met our next guest speaker, James Wines.

From peeling brick corners and collapsing facades to a storefront split by a giant notch, his designs helped make Best Products one of the most influential retail design experiments of the 20th century.

On Tuesday, June 9, join us at The Branch for a conversation with James and his daughter, architect Suzan Wines, principal of the New York-based practice and a longtime collaborator with , about the ideas behind their work and the question: What can design mean?

Suzan will join us in person, with James participating live via Zoom.

🎟️ Tickets at link in bio 🎟️

Images courtesy of SITE & Foscarini

A tote bag worthy of the sculpture garden.Inspired by our award-winning visual identity, our new totes look equally good...
05/29/2026

A tote bag worthy of the sculpture garden.

Inspired by our award-winning visual identity, our new totes look equally good slung over a shoulder as they do draped over a marble bust.

Low-key versatile.

And for those who missed them the first time around, a limited number of our BEST t-shirts by are back.

Both available in the Branch gift shop while they last 🛍️

📸:

In the 1970s and ’80s, Best Products turned suburban retail into something unexpectedly cinematic.On Thursday, June 4 fr...
05/21/2026

In the 1970s and ’80s, Best Products turned suburban retail into something unexpectedly cinematic.

On Thursday, June 4 from 7:30–9 PM, filmmaker joins us at The Branch for a rare screening of “Public Places” and “Grand Openings” - two films commissioned by Frances and Sydney Lewis documenting the iconic Best Products showrooms designed by

Complete with collapsing facades, giant peeling corners, and some of the boldest retail experiments of the late 20th century, the films capture the radical ambition that made Best Products an architectural phenomenon.

Admission is $20 (half-price for students) and includes popcorn, wine & beer, plus a conversation with Howard following the screening.

Tickets at link in bio 🎞️

In the 1970s and ’80s, Best Products turned suburban retail into something unexpectedly cinematic.On Thursday, June 4 fr...
05/21/2026

In the 1970s and ’80s, Best Products turned suburban retail into something unexpectedly cinematic.

On Thursday, June 4 from 7:30–9 PM, filmmaker Howard Silver joins us at The Branch for a rare screening of Public Places and Grand Openings – two films commissioned by Frances and Sydney Lewis documenting the iconic Best Products showrooms designed by SITE.

Complete with collapsing facades, giant peeling corners, and some of the boldest retail experiments of the late 20th century, the films capture the moment a Richmond company helped completely rethink what a store could look like.

Admission is $20 (half-price for students) and includes popcorn, wine/beer, and and a conversation with Howard following the screening.

🎞️ Tickets at link in bio 🎞️

This week’s concert may be sold out, but the next Live at The Branch is already calling…On Wednesday, June 17 from 6-8pm...
05/19/2026

This week’s concert may be sold out, but the next Live at The Branch is already calling…

On Wednesday, June 17 from 6-8pm, Richmond indie disco band takes over The Branch.

Big Fancy blends groove-driven rhythms with soulful melodies and subtle jazz influences, creating music that feels both nostalgic and fresh. Their songs feel just as right on a late-night drive as they do in a packed room.

Not a bad way to spend a Wednesday night.

Tickets include wine, beer and light bites. Branch members receive 10% off. Snag yours at the link in our bio.

Live at The Branch is sponsored by The E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Foundation.

What a night.Walking through the galleries during the opening of Imagining Best Products, the thing we heard over and ov...
05/12/2026

What a night.

Walking through the galleries during the opening of Imagining Best Products, the thing we heard over and over again was: “I remember this.”

For so many of you, Best wasn’t just a store. It was part of your life. A childhood memory. A first job. The place you picked out a wedding ring. A Richmond story so many of us shared without fully realizing it.

Frances and Sydney Lewis didn’t just build a retail company. Together with a remarkable group of architects and designers, they completely rethought what a store could look like. Decades later, their radical retail experiments are studied in architecture schools around the world.

We were blown away by how many people came out to celebrate that legacy and the emotion that filled the museum all evening.

A huge thank you to everyone who helped bring this exhibition to life, especially our lead curator Don O’Keefe, our advisory committee, our sponsors, and the Lewis family for trusting us with such an important piece of Richmond history.

Thank you as well to for transporting everyone back in time one snapshot at a time, and to for the incredible Best Products merch that flew off the shelves almost as fast as the memories came pouring in.

This one is for you, Eddie & Frances 🎈

Imagining Best Products is on display through Sunday, June 21, 2026

📸:

No notes.This year’s Mad Hatter crew brought it - the details, the vibes, the hats. The creativity blew us away. Thank y...
05/03/2026

No notes.

This year’s Mad Hatter crew brought it - the details, the vibes, the hats. The creativity blew us away.

Thank you to everyone who showed up, put their paddles up and supported the community we’re building here.

A special thanks to for the curated cocktails, to our DJ duo & for the soundtrack and for gorgeous photos.

✨ Mad Hatter 2027 save-the-date coming soon ✨

Live at The Branch returns Thursday, May 21 at 6pm with for a night that bends a few rules.Known as “The Professor,” Ba...
04/30/2026

Live at The Branch returns Thursday, May 21 at 6pm with for a night that bends a few rules.

Known as “The Professor,” Barry Bless is a Richmond-based musician who moves between accordion, piano, and instruments crafted from gourds. His work spans genres and geographies, with performances ranging from local kitchens to the Smithsonian Institution, along with appearances in Cuba and India.

For this concert, he brings “Transcending Time and Space through Rhythm and Place” to The Branch. An evening of music and storytelling inspired by local places, people, and events, viewed through a global lens.

Tickets include wine, beer and light bites. Branch members receive 10% off. Snag yours at the link in our bio.

Live at The Branch is sponsored by The E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Foundation.

📸: Barbara Shore | Dave Parrish

Color, demystified.Maker’s Studio continues Tuesday, May 12 with .eanes.studio leading Color: A Deep Dive — a hands-on w...
04/28/2026

Color, demystified.

Maker’s Studio continues Tuesday, May 12 with .eanes.studio leading Color: A Deep Dive — a hands-on workshop built on one idea: you don’t need dozens of colors to make something beautiful. You only need three.

Using red, yellow, and blue, you’ll learn how to mix your go-to colors and the ones you didn’t know you could make — and feel more confident putting paint down.

If you’ve ever chased the “right” color and couldn’t quite get there, this is for you.

Paint materials and wine included. No experience needed.

Color: A Deep Dive
Tuesday, May 12 | 6–9 PM
The Branch Museum of Design

Tickets at link in bio 🎨

This Maker’s Studio is sponsored by our friends at

Some of the most unexpected design ideas started right here in Richmond.If you grew up here, you might remember Best Pro...
04/26/2026

Some of the most unexpected design ideas started right here in Richmond.

If you grew up here, you might remember Best Products. Our new exhibition, Imagining Best Products, revisits the local company that became an unlikely platform for architectural innovation.

By inviting architects to rethink the traditional big box store, Best turned retail into a creative experiment. The result was a series of bold, unconventional storefronts that challenged expectations and expanded what commercial architecture could look like. Through drawings, models, and photographs, the Best story comes to life.

Join us for the opening reception on Thursday, May 7. Members get complimentary early access from 5–6 PM, followed by the public reception from 6–8 PM. $10 admission includes wine and beer.

We’ll also have a limited run of Best-themed t-shirts by and a pop-up with our friends at

Might be our Best one yet 😉

📸: Courtesy of SITE / James Wines, Best Products Inc., & Norman McGrath

Address

2501 Monument Avenue
Richmond, VA
23220

Opening Hours

Tuesday 10am - 5pm
Wednesday 10am - 5pm
Thursday 10am - 5pm
Friday 10am - 5pm
Saturday 10am - 5pm
Sunday 1pm - 5pm

Telephone

+18046556055

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