Wow, how my view of art has changed since my 2012 review!…read more For the last 10 or so years, I spend most of my time in the Modern/Contemporary areas of the museum. I definitely "get it" now! During yesterday's visit, I specifically went for the GIANTS exhibit showing the personal collection of Swizz Beats and Alicia Keys. A variety of amazing work both 2D and 3D, thoughtfully curated to showcase hip hop and black culture--and very generous of them to have it all on loan. The Basquiat was a must-see, though not one of the more impressive ones. The decommissioned prison uniforms was thought-provoking. The Kehinde Wiley paintings of Swizz Beats and Alicia Keys were everything. Gordon Parks and Jamel Shabazz photography. The Kwame Brathwaite photography were among my very favorites. Just wow. The color. The respect. The beauty. I would definitely go back to take it all in again.

Absolutely one of the most impressive art museums I've been to in the United States and, even more…read moreimpressive, is that it's free! If they have a special exhibit there is a ticket fee. On this visit, the special exhibition was Giants featuring works from the Deans (Alicia Keys and Swizz Beatz') collection. Fee was $12. It was a very large exhibit and was quite popular too. I really enjoyed the wide variety of modalities featured on display. The museum is currently undergoing a huge renovation but there is still a significant amount of art to see. The collections on display are diverse in both range and medium-ancient civilizations to contemporary and painting, sculpture, photography, textiles, Fabrege, decorative arts. I was really impressed with the extensive collections of American and European Art with paintings from many well-recognized artists: Mary Cassatt, John Singer Sargent, Van Gogh, Monet, Picasso, Edgar Degas, Boudin, Winslow Homer, Salvador Dali and several more. The Asian art collection is also significant and ranges from sculptures to drawings to ceramics with a significant amount of Buddhist art. Unique to this museum is the large collection of decorative arts: silvers, furniture, Fabrege, glass,etc. There was also a small area near the interactive family lounge area highlighting art completed by children participating in one of the many programs they offer throughout the year. The museum shop is worth visiting and is nicely curated. There's also a cafe on the first floor and a restaurant on the third. Parking is available in the parking deck adjacent to the building for $6. Another interesting thing to note: the museum is open 365 days a year!

I grew up visiting the Franklin Institute in Philly on school field trips, so I had to temper my…read moreexpectations ahead of visiting Richmond's Science Museum. I've visited twice within the past month -- once on a chilly weekend day to explore all the sights, and again this past weekend for Neon Night. The museum itself is pretty dense with exhibits. The Power of Poison exhibit was very well thought out and loaded with details and visuals. You could easily spend an hour in there. I enjoyed the Boost exhibit the most, as it was hands on. I don't have kids, so I can't speak for the kids-focused activities, but I did enjoy the reptile room quite a bit too -- especially the "search" for certain creatures in their tanks. Neon Night was well done and attended by seemingly half of the city. I kept running into people I knew. I'd definitely attend one of their after-hours events again in the future. At $25, admission was reasonable. Drinks were also cheap. A cup of wine was just shy of $7. I was shocked that the dome show was narrated, as I was expecting it to be more of a movie vibe. I do wish they'd add a coat check. It's nice they have a parking lot adjacent to their building, but it's still a decently long walk when it's 20 degrees outside.

I haven't been to the Science Museum in so long. Can't even remember the last time. Probably when I…read morehad an astronomy class there in college. I decided to take my mom to a dome show on a whim and was a little underwhelmed. I wasn't expecting it to be "live" and narrated by a person. I was expecting a recorded show. A movie, I guess. Documentary. The live part allows you to interact, which the kids seem to enjoy. But to me, that felt unorganized and not what I was there for. I know now, and will change my expectations. Maybe there are other "movies." I also didn't like how the navigation into the auditorium leads you to the bottom--the worst seating. It should lead you to the top where the best seating is. We didn't do the full monty and see the exhibits. Definitely would like to return to take it all in.

If you're into history and/or call Virginia home, the Virginia Museum of History & Culture is worth…read morea visit. Open every day from 10am-5pm, tickets are between $8 and $12 with children five and under free. Located next to the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, the Virginia Museum of History & Culture is inside a historic building erected to commemorate the Confederacy. Now it's a museum honoring all Virginians, regardless of background. Here's why you should visit: 1) Entrance: There's a large parking lot near the main entrance. Walk inside and you'll see a well-designed cafe that serves local coffee and food, a bookstore with books and products from Virginia, restrooms, and the ticket area. Staff are helpful and the entire space is kept clean. 2) Exhibits: Start with the 15-minute film about the history of Virginia starting 16,000 years ago to today. It's worth the time. Then explore the exhibit halls where you can find art, artifacts like letters George Washington wrote, and more. One exhibit walks through history of Virginia from 16,000 to present day. Another honors all five regions of Virginia. Another talks about the original murals in the building and another showcases art of Virginia. Little rooms are filled with more exhibits displaying some of the 9,000,000 objects in their collection. There's even an area for kids to play in a little market, try on colonial clothes, and more. Interactive exhibits are part of every room. 3) Experience: It's not an overwhelming museum, but you can easily spend a few hours seeing most items and reading most displays. I learned a lot!

Not sure what I was expected, but I was sorely disappointed with this museum. The fee is $12 and I…read morefeel I spent about 12 minutes in there, so one dollar for every moment spent? Idk, I didn't feel that price tag was worth it. The history and culture wasn't presented in a way I thought captured my attention, nor made me want to retain said information or learn more. Save your $$$ and go to the VMFA which is right there, amazing, and free.

Gorgeous home to tour! We really enjoyed our visit and all of the people working were super helpful…read moreanswering any questions we had.

We had a lovely picnic celebrating my daughter's birthday. With ample parking acres of lush grounds…read moreand animals to feed an interact with it was a great place for the family.

We had a great summit at the Valentine. The set up was perfect and the staff were very attentive to…read moreour needs the meeting area was clean and well ventilated. After the event we were able to move about the museum that at some interesting items relevant to Richmond modern and older history. Great little museum to visit.

The Valentine, aka The Wickham House is located in downtown Richmond, and a stone's throw from the…read moreJ. Marshall House. It was a special tour that brought me to the Wickham House. Don't be confused by the name, The Valentine. This 19th-century home was purchased in 1898 by Mann Valentine Jr. who added a museum to the property and renamed it The Valentine. My visit was part of a dual tour with the John Marshall House (treason trial of A. Burr). The tour started promptly at the appointed time, and we began our tour of the home. Our guide was very knowledgeable about the Wickham house, the family and the history of that time. Her tour was much more than a simple recitation. She brought the home to life through her descriptions, easily fielded questions and encouraged discussions. We all gained a clear picture of life at that time as well as the role that John Wickham played in history. The house is kept in beautiful condition with many examples of how the family lived, from clothing to imagined food out on the table. I was truly impressed by the beauty of the home. After the tour we were able to meander through the museum that is a part of the property. It is an interesting stroll through Richmond's history from the early 1800's to the present. I would definitely suggest a visit here if you are a history fanatic. Check out your options for parking before you get here (I parked in one of the local garages and spent about $15).

I came to Richmond for the week for a work trip and had some free time so I wanted to check out…read moresome Civil War stuff. Richmond is an amazing city with a rich and vibrant history, so you should make your way here! I was too late to go inside but the exterior oozed history. I could picture the South's generals huddled inside trying to plan their next move. It's a bit weird to see this relic in the heart of the medic district but fitting for such A city.

I had no idea this was here until my friend indicated he wanted to come here, so quite a neat find!…read more While you will need the patience of a saint to get the parking down (park in the big hospital lot and get parking validation inside the museum), everything else about this visit was excellent. We had a great tour and a very personalized one since only three guests (including my friend and I) were on the tour. The white house of the confederacy is full of history and our guide provided a ton of background on Jefferson Davis and his family, which was particularly cool since I had recently gone with my parents to the historical naval base where he was held prisoner for several years after the end of the civil war. The furnishings were very beautiful and nicely maintained, amazing how often these estates of antiquity had to sell their things to make ends meet and then organizations have to chase them down later to bring everything back together. Still, very cool to be in the rooms where so much history was made. It's so unusual for such an important part of history to be surrounded by hospital buildings, though that is the nature of Richmond: a whole lot of stories in a relatively compact region. Lucky to have been able to learn a bit more about it here! Overall: 4.5 stars ----- Pros: - Excellent tour guide who clearly had made a study of the many features of the house and its former occupants. - White house and its furniture were in beautiful shape, clearly the organization is doing a great job keeping everything maintained. - Price for the tour wasn't too bad considering you get a personalized tour for it. Cons: - The parking situation here is a pain but doable if you plan ahead.

The CMoR is a great place for kids of all ages with activities that are engaging and educational…read morefor infants up through school-age. There's free parking which is nice and then total for tickets for 2 adults and 1 kid was $39 so not bad. I was impressed for all the different rooms and play stations there were for kids. There's an outdoor play area too but it was too cold. We went on a Thursday afternoon like around 1:30pm and it wasn't too crowded, but could see how quickly it could get crowded since it's just 1 floor. They had Christmas picture options too with Santa but we didn't do that. There's a carousel in the middle that goes every hour but you do have to pay extra for that. I didn't think it was worth it cause it only lasted like a couple of minutes. Overall, a really fun time.

Great spot for kids, there's so much to do and it's a big place. The only 'bummer' for us is the…read morecarousel, it's only $3 but it says it runs for 15min but we timed it and it was only 3min. Also they only run on the hour every hour which we didn't know about but isn't unreasonable.

Great staff and friendly cats! This place has more to see than I originally thought! Great place to…read moreget photos which I'll include a few. They had a fun and interesting selection of souvenirs too. I feel like history nuts would like this place on top of those Poe fans. There's some rich history here with old timey furniture and other unique items. Deff worth a visit.

A friend and I visited last week. This is a small museum that tells the story of Poe's life and has…read moremany artifacts from his life. I really enjoyed learning about his life and especially seeing his monogrammed pocketwatch that was the inspiration of "The Tell-Tale Heart". It doesn't take too long to walk through the three buildings and garden, and is a great place to visit in Shockoe Bottom. The gift shop also has some cool items for sale.

I love this museum! The building itself is an architectural beauty which opened in 2018 with…read morenationwide recognitio.. Bright, open space with multiple floors to explore. The museum features contemporary art....very unique and thought provoking works. It is a noncollecting contemporary art museum, so note, the exhibits change multiple times a year It is relatively small, so depending on time to take to enjoy each piece, you could see the whole place in 1-2 hrs. There is a small Cafe and gift shop. Restrooms on multiple floors, with an elevator and stairs. Small rooftop garden too! Free admission. Some events require registration

I always enjoy a visit to ICA. I typically go during an event so I can also interact with other…read morelocal artists. There are 3 main floors, including an auditorium for speakers/viewings and a balcony. It's free, so worth a visit if you like contemporary art, or like to get lost in public local spaces (like me).

The canal walk is not safe to walk alone. There are homeless in the area. It is an interesting…read morewalk. There are restaurants but you have to check ahead to see when they are open. We walked early because it was extremely hot. There are no public bathrooms in the area. Lucky there was a porta potty. The walk is a bit of a walk make sure you wear sunscreen and carry water.

So much history! Great photo ops…read more Lovely scenery I really enjoyed it, even the creep scary part!