Science Museum of Virginia

Richmond, VA

We recently took a trip to the Science Museum of Virginia and we were impressed.

Parking is free and there is plenty of parking. Fun fact: the museum is located right next door to the Children’s Museum of Richmond.

You do have to buy tickets but children 2 and under are free. Ticket options are available for the museum itself plus the dome experience. There was a discount for purchasing both.

Now when I originally was looking to visit, the reviews said you had to purchase the dome tickets because it was an experience you did not want to miss out on.

Our family did not enjoy the dome. My husband had to leave with my toddlers because they were freaking out within the first 10 minutes. (The show was on whales and it lasted for 45 minutes, which we were not aware of how long until we were seated). My eldest and I stayed to finish the show. Our seats weren’t great causing us to have to look in a weird angle. The screen lights hurt my eyes and I got motion sickness. It wasn’t a good experience. My daughter enjoyed it but I don’t think I would personally do it again. If we do go again I think I’ll hang out with the toddlers so my husband can experience the dome next time. Fun fact: the steps leading to the dome are a piano and it was a lot of fun to make music while walking to our seats.

While we were in the dome, my husband took the toddlers to the 5 and under section. This section was super cool. There were light tables, magnatiles, and a science wall of cool things, among others. My toddlers enjoyed it. We practically had to drag them out of there to experience the rest of the museum.

Outside they have trains to look at, unfortunately, you couldn’t go in them unless there is a special event. However, the train tracks and a giant chess board were a lot of fun. There was tons of space for my kids to run around and some people were sitting in the grass with their littles.

Almost everything there is interactive. The water-bottle wall, the track lanes, the pulley systems, building blocks, and the musical instruments were our favorites. The amount of information, technology, and interactive systems were awesome. Unfortunately, we couldn’t do it all. The kids were tired and hungry. I believe there are 3 or 4 levels that we explored.

They have an animal lab with real animals, an art lab for the kids to draw, a giant pendulum when you first walk in, and this other giant lab for special events. From what I could see, the workshops and events available were amazing and I would love to do one with my oldest.

This wasn’t a museum I was afraid of my child touching things. It was interactive and fun. I’m sure we’ll be back soon.

Have you ever been to the Science Museum of Virginia? What was your favorite exhibit?

love & light,

Jalesa