This is a kids discovery center near the star on the blue ridge parkway. They have a nice little…read morebuilding to stop and explore. If you have young kids it's worth stopping in.

This was a really cool museum that my wife found online while planning our trip. We came to Roanoke…read moreon vacation and wanted to go here since it was close by where we were staying. I thoroughly enjoyed the Planetarium. The family really enjoyed the parakeet garden. That was a lot of fun to get that up close and personal with over 250 birds all at one time. I highly recommend this for the kids and some adults might enjoy it as well. They have tons of fun things to do and to learn about.

its been awhile for me since been there.i used to bring my grandkids there often.maybe changed i…read moredont know.but it was nice fun learning experience.take your little ones go.but as adult i enjoyed it too.

Loved this place! It's a 15 per person flat rate to get in and everything is free play. Lots of…read moredifferent vintage arcade games to choose from. We spent a few hours here and had a great time.

It is always a great time to hang out with friends or family, amazing way to kill time or an…read moreafternoon.

From the outside I never expected to see such an amazing variety of quality exhibits highlighting…read moreour nation's transportation history. Located in downtown Roanoke's historic freight station, The Virginia Museum of Transportation does a great job in preserving Virginia's transportation history with a major focus on rail, featuring iconic locomotives like the N&W Class J 611 and Class A 1218. It houses a vast collection of steam, diesel, and electronic locomotives, including famous Roanoke-built engines. The museum offers interactive family-friendly exhibits covering trains, automobiles, and aviation, featuring over 30 antique automobiles, aviation displays, an outside railyard with historical locomotives on the rail, and a U.S. Army Jupiter Rocket. In 2025 it also launched the Maritime Gallery, with the Naval History of Virginia, located on a second floor. There they also have an interesting exhibit of the Circus and America's Railroads. I invite you to view my photographs accompanying this review to get a better sense of the place and its amazing exhibits. The museum also houses the Traveler's Treasures Gift Shop with lots of desired item for sale, such as pins, posters, apparel, wooden trains, hats, toys, books, and tumblers, among other items. These can be also purchased from their website vmt.org Free parking is available for guests immediately adjacent to the museum. Also, cross from the museum is located the award winning Valley Metro Third Street Station, providing convenient bus transportation. Admissions prices are reasonable at $14.77 for adults, and discounted to $12.66 for Youth (13-17), Seniors, and Students with ID (17-59). Children (3-12) pay $10.55, and 2 & under are Free. I highly recommend you visit this museum if you have not yet done so. It is definitely an enriching experience.

Ever see the movie planes, trains and automobiles? Well that's exactly what the Virginia Museum of…read moreTransportation has all under one roof in Roanoke, Virginia. The displays are well done and offer some interactive features. The kids can have a ball getting up close too! Even the gift store was excellent! Made a few purchases. It's a one off for me, but was worth the visit to see the rich history of the railways the Roanoke community has. 4.5 rounding up. I can understand why it's a beloved local attraction.

Such a great space. Very clean to have so many kids in it every day. Very kind and helpful staff…read more Only $3 if you have WIC or nap/ebt! Hours worth of fun inside. You can leave and come back the same day also. We will be back.

Great for young children. I have been to several places like this one (in malls) and this one has…read morehad the least amount of things for kids to do when it comes to variety of hands on task. Benefit of this place, you can come back on the same day and not restricted to a time limit.

Before visiting this small, but significant museum in the history of the City of Roanoke and…read moreWestern Virginia, I will admit I had no idea who O. Winston Link was. I discovered it one day while visiting the Virginia's Blue Ridge Visitor Information Center, which is housed in the former Norfolk & Western Railway passenger depot, a historic building renovated by industrial designer Raymond Loewy, and located in front of the also historic Hotel Roanoke. The museum is dedicated to the work of photographer O. Winston Link, famous for his 1950s photographs of steam locomotives, and is integrated with the Roanoke History Museum, which covers Roanoke and the region's broader history. For a small admission fee of $6, ones gets to explore Link's iconic photographs, audio recordings, and memorabilia, finding out more about the person himself and his significance to this region and to the field of photography and steam locomotives. We find exhibits on local history, industrial design, and the impact of railroads in Western Virginia's past. Walking through this museum was truly a leaning experience for me. With over over 300 black-and-white and color images, interactive exhibits, audio recordings, original photographic equipment, and a 30 minute movie in the theater about Link's life and works. At the end I visited the Museum's Gifts Shop, where you can buy souvenirs, books, rail-road related items, local history resources, Link's recordings, posters, estate prints, and other merchandise related to O.Winston Link and his famous steam locomotive photography, among other things. I purchased a miniature oil painting by a local artist of Mill Mountain with the Roanoke Star. The I invite you to view my photographs accompanying this review to get a better sense of the place and its significance. The Gift Shop is operated by the Historical Society of Western Virginia and here are two links to their online shop and to other useful information: https://roanoke-history-museum.square.site/s/shop and https://roanokehistory.org/ I would highly recommend this museum to all those interested in steam locomotives, photography, Roanoke and Western Virginia's History, and the life of one man who played an important role in documenting all this for us and future generations to enjoy.

This is a museum dedicated to the photographer O Winston Link. His images of the steam engines…read moreduring the 1950s are amazing. On display is not only the artistic side of the photograph but also the engineering side. Link developed a series of flash bulbs that had to be precisely placed and timed in order to get the shot. Sketches detailing the exact locations of each flash bulb. The letters to various owners in order to get permission to use their property. The museum also features a 30 minute video. This is an interesting documentary about how these photographs became internationally famous. Combining a stop here with the Virginia Museum of Transportation makes a great half day of railroading history.

I was here for the Roanoke Pinball Museum…read morehttps://www.yelp.com/biz/roanoke-pinball-museum-roanoke?hrid=_aVRvVUx4AoYrhkv-k-7Cw but spent some time in the atrium and later at the Candy Store https://www.yelp.com/biz/the-candy-store-roanoke?uid=hWDybu_KvYLSdEFzGrniTw. Roanoke has gathered a number of different experiences into this one location and made it quite special. The Harrison Museum of African-American Culture, Kids Square Museum, Mill Mountain Theatre, Roanoke Pinball Museum, Roanoke STARCADE, and the Science Museum. All with one box office and one central atrium. Converted from an abandoned warehouse, it was initially just the art museum, theatre, history and science museum. But it's expanded its tenants and brought a cultural star to the Star City. Awesomesauce. You might find street parking but you'll probably do better with one of the nearby parking decks. [Review 13799 overall, 1120 of 2020, number 1233 in Virginia.]

Stopped by here on my way to my hotel stay and so glad I did! There is so much inside to explore…read moreand check out! Centrally located within walking distance of tons and tons of stores and shops, restaurants, cafés and hotels. The perfect place to spend a day while on your stay in Roanoke Virginia

One of the required elements of a great city is to have a quality Art Museum. Here in the Star City…read moreof Roanoke that quality Art Museum is the Taubman Museum of Art. Art is what makes our lives ritcher and Art appreciation brings great joy to an otherwise boring life. For this reason is the important role that this Art Museum plays in our community. A couple of days ago I decided to become a member of the Museum, go visit it once more, and write this review for people to read, view my photographs and decide for themselves whether it's worth it to put aside some time to go visit it and what they could get out of it. First of all I would like to mention that the award-winning architectural design of the building by the internationally renowned architect Randall Stout is in of itself a Masterpiece work of art. At first sight it might look like a modern rendition of Noah's Ark. But if you look closer you can see that the architect took special care to honor naturalistic elements of the Roanoke region, such as its beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains and the Mill Mountain Star. The building itself is something to admire and visually enjoy. Expensive gems come in small sizes. I consider this as one of the most beautiful and valuable assets of the City of Roanoke. As I entered its doors and introduced myself at the guest station in the entrance, simply as a new member who had just joined, I was warmly welcomed and given a ticket for the Special exhibition of Eternally New: The Art Nouveau World of Alphonse Mucha. The general admission to the public is free, but to see the Special exhibition there is a modest fee, unless you're a member. On the first floor they had everything set up for a wedding reception dinner. The area looked so elegant and inviting. I was amazed at how this Museum used some of its space for private or public gatherings and activities to involve members of the community. They also had a nice Museum Shop and a Cafe and patio on this floor. On the second floor they have eleven galleries to exhibit artworks from their respected permanent collection as well as a special space for rotating special annual exhibitions showcasing the best of the best. On the third floor they have the City of Roanoke Atrium and a wonderful Auditorium and other meeting and activities rooms. Besides all these spaces for exhibition and social events, the Museum has excellent programs for the community as well as hosts a yearly Sidewalk Art Show that is very popular to meet local artists, see their work, and be able to purchase some quality original art pieces. Art is wonderful, I remember the joy I had the time I purchased my most valuable painting by Mary K. Trotter, an American woman artist who studied in Philadelphia before moving to Paris. I highly recommend this wonder of an Art Museum in all aspects. Go visit it, appreciate its masterpieces, attend one of its tours, take one of its classes, get involved in one of its programs, learn to love and enjoy art. For art is a wonderful and splendid thing, that brings joy and flavor into our lives.

You can't miss Roanoke's centrally located and architecturally distinctive art museum. It is free…read moreto enter, though they were working on a paid exhibit when I stopped in. The actual art was mostly on the second of three floors, while the first floor was a cafe and gift shop. The third floor was administrative space and a balcony overlooking the city. I found the utilization of space strange; you'd think a building this size could fit more exhibits, and the other facets of the building didn't seem busy. There was some good variety in the art that was there, and some kid-friendly interactive bits as well. One important positive was that they are open until 9 PM on the first Friday of each month. Art museums are often tough to get to for people who work normal hours, so I appreciate any evening hours I see.

Is there anything to dislike about over 75+ pinball machines at one price as long as you like? Had…read morea ball for hours going from machine to machine that looked appealing. The one time admission for adults is $15. They offer senior discounts. The museum is on the second floor wgich is accessed by stairs, or elevator. Restrooms are on the first floor as well as a candy shop. I found all the machines that I played in good working order. Thankfully it was not too busy on a Saturday afternoon and had no wait for anything. I took a photo of everything I played, around fifteen pinball machines in around two hours and had a ball. Unfortunately my childhood machine "Time Warp" was not in their collection. A few favorites were Star Wars, Elton John, Mandalorian and Fun House which pastas there most popular. Easy recommendation and full 5 stars. My wrist got a workout, but was fun!

We had a great time playing pinball. Some of the older machines were better than the newer ones,…read morethough all of them were at least 30 years old. It was a bit surprising that they didn't have any historical information about the machines. The machines were in great working condition.

I love visiting museums because they take us back in time and through real objects of the time and…read moreexhibits of such, we get to better understand the period and the significance of that time period. The Salem Museum and Historical Society is a local history museum located in the historic 1845 Williams-Brown House, in Salem, Virginia. The museum features exhibits across five floors that trace the area's history from early Native American settlements to the Civil War and modern era. It features permanent and rotating exhibits, such as "The First People of the Roanoke Valley," and offers educational programs, the Logan Library & Archive Room, and a gift shop. Admission is free but donations are gratefully accepted. Also, ample free on-site parking is available for the convenience of all those who visit the museum. When I arrived a very knowledgeable and friendly museum staff member greeted and welcomed me. The young gentleman quickly explained a little bit about the museum and some of the exhibits located on each floor. I was particularly interested in the Roanoke College History. I had the opportunity of visiting the college last year when I was invited to attend the Sister Cities dinner there, and was very impressed with its buildings and landscaping layouts. Garrett Channell, the Museum's Executive Director, came out of his office to personally greet me and also welcome me to the museum. After visiting the museum I had and opportunity to see him again and complement him for the well organized and clearly labeled exhibits. I then visited the Gift shop, which had lots of books and framed prints for sale, among other things. I invite you to view my photographs accompanying this review to get a better sense of the place and its exhibits. And I highly recommend that weather you're a local or a tourist passing by, you stop and give them a visit. I can assure you that you'll be glad you did.

Mainly went to see the exhibit on Lakeside amusement park. They had some cool pictures, souvenirs…read moreand a model of the Shooting Star wooden rollercoaster. No fee to enter. Donations only.