x
AAHA! Virginia Gets Heritage Explorers Walking Black History
The African American Heritage Association of Virginia (AAHA! Virginia) runs the Walk In Their Footsteps Challenge on Seeker XP, mapping 50+ historic sites, museums, and cultural landmarks across the Commonwealth into a single, seven-month digital heritage trail. Each check-in surfaces the history behind the stop and routes heritage travelers to the Black-owned businesses and cultural sites keeping those stories alive.
Overview
AAHA! Virginia runs the African American Heritage Tourism Network (AAHTN), connecting over 200 heritage sites across Richmond, Hampton Roads, Northern Virginia, and Central Virginia. For the Walk In Their Footsteps Challenge, the association built a check-in-driven passport on Seeker XP: explorers visit any of 50+ participating sites and check in to collect one of 15 badges. Each visit earns heritage points toward rewards, and bonus points go to stops at Black-owned businesses along the route.
At a Glance
- Activation: Walk In Their Footsteps, AAHA! Virginia Heritage Challenge
- Location: Virginia (Richmond, Hampton Roads, Northern Virginia, Central Virginia)
- Timeline: 7-month statewide challenge
- Audience: Heritage travelers and Virginia residents exploring Black history
- Use Cases: Cultural and Heritage Trail, Visitor Experience
- Experience Type: Digital Passport, Check-in Challenge
- Industry: Associations & Communities
- Key Features: Digital Badges, Geolocation Check-ins
- Platform: Seeker XP
About AAHA! Virginia
Since 2003, the African American Heritage Association of Virginia (AAHA! Virginia) has worked to preserve and elevate African American heritage across the Commonwealth. The nonprofit runs the African American Heritage Tourism Network (AAHTN), connecting over 200 documented African American heritage sites that span Virginia history from 1619 to today, organized into active trail networks across Richmond, Hampton Roads, Northern Virginia, and Central Virginia.
AAHA! Virginia runs scholarship programs and a heritage tourism network that drives $28.9 million in annual economic impact for Virginia communities. The challenge facing the organization wasn’t a shortage of stories. It was getting travelers to actually visit the sites already mapped, not just read about them.
AAHA! Virginia chose Seeker XP to convert that trail network into a real-world challenge: check-ins to confirm a visit happened, badges to mark progress, and heritage points to give travelers a reason to keep moving from one site to the next. Walk In Their Footsteps launched as the network’s seven-month flagship activation, inviting explorers to put the AAHTN map into motion one heritage site at a time.
How it Works
Explorers save the Walk In Their Footsteps Challenge straight to their phone and start anywhere on the AAHTN map. There’s no app download and no waiting for a printed brochure. The challenge surfaces a curated list of activities, so a first-time visitor in Richmond and a longtime AAHTN member in Hampton Roads see the same statewide list of stops.
Each stop works the same way: check in at the site, and the system logs the visit toward one of 15 collectible badges. A check-in at a participating Black-owned business adds bonus heritage points on top, building local spend right into the challenge instead of leaving it to chance. Categories included:
- Civil War and emancipation sites, including Fort Monroe’s Freedom’s Fortress
- Historically Black colleges and universities, including Hampton University Museum
- Museums and education centers across the Richmond Region
- Black-owned businesses throughout Central and Northern Virginia
- Arts, music, and cultural landmarks statewide
Heritage points keep the challenge moving past a single visit. Every check-in adds to a running total that unlocks rewards, giving repeat travelers, and existing AAHTN trail members, a reason to come back for the next badge before the seven-month window closes.
Activities
Heritage Site Check-Ins
Travelers visit any of 50+ historic sites and museums across Virginia and check in to log the stop.
Black-Owned Business Stops
A check-in at a participating Black-owned business earns bonus heritage points on top of the badge.
Badge Collecting
Check-ins across Virginia's four trail regions add up toward all 15 challenge badges.
Badges
Heritage Explorer
100 points
Check-in at 1 place
Journey Planner
200 points
Check-in at 2 places
Heritage Storyteller
1,000 points
Check-in at 10 places
Ancestral Heritage Guide
1,500 points
Check-in at 15 places
Legacy Builder
2,000 points
Check-in at 20 places
Culture Keeper
2,500 points
Check-in at 25 places
Heritage Guardian
3,000 points
Check-in at 30 places
Cultural Ambassador
400 points in
Arts, Music, Culture
Community Supporter
500 points in
Black-Owned Business
Central Virginia Pioneer
500 points
Check-in at 5 places in Central Virginia
Freedom Walker
300 points in
Civil War & Emancipation
Hampton Roads Navigator
500 points
Check-in at 5 places in Hampton Roads
Heritage Scholar
300 points in
Museums & Education
Northern Virginia Heritage Scout
500 points
Check-in at 5 places in Northern Virginia
Richmond Heritage Steward
500 points
Check-in at 5 places in Richmond Region