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.

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.

Absolutely lovely historic venue. The staff here is friendly, engaging, and extremely…read moreknowledgeable. We were here for the holiday activities and we had a blast. My wife and son loved the wreath making. The fact that it has snowed the day before was just a cherry on top of a perfect afternoon. Cannot recommend it highly enough for anyone who is even remotely a history enthusiast.

I thought this place would be more popular as a Founding Father, but we were the only visitors when…read morewe attended, so it was nice to have a private tour. You can buy tickets online, but it isn't likely necessary. A lot of the furnishings are original, even though Henry didn't live at the house very long. The tour guide went over the history of the Henry family, including the death of his first wife and remarriage. The guide reenacted Patrick Henry's famous "give me liberty or give me death" speech which was very engaging. The house tour only covers the first floor, but there are signs around for QR scans/additional audio for the outbuildings. They were a bit repetitive and sometimes speculative about things or people who may have lived there, so that was hit or miss. The gift shop was small but pleasant and there was plenty of parking. It is a bit off road, but it's worth the visit.

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!

What a hidden small town gem! We have a reptile loving kiddo. One rainy day we decided to visit in…read more Jake and his team were SO knowledgable and friendly. They clearly have a passion for what they do and love sharing that with all who visit. We had the best time! Lots of creatures to see, feeding time observations, and hand on experiences! If you have a reptile lover, this is the place for you. We will most definitely be back.

So much fun. They are so knowledgeable about the animals and you can tell they really care about…read morethem. We got to touch and hold 2 snakes. Definitely will come back when in the area.

This was a little hard to find, especially if you're not from the area like me. I passed it…read moreinitially because of my GPS. But once you see it, the sign is clear as day lol. It's a pretty small museum but it has a lot of stuff inside. It's two trailers, one has donated artifacts from trains and railroads. The other trailer has motorized trains running, and it was amazing. They have about four train cars that you can look at and some you can walk through. They also have a little yellow train that you can ride, depending on the weather. We couldn't ride it today, because it was raining, so that was unfortunate.

Our visit to the Railroad Museum was incredible - we will, undoubtedly, be back! It is entirely…read morerun by volunteers - who are so helpful and friendly that it's impossible not to have a great experience. Our entire family was actually having a not-so-great day (because of some unrelated events) and left there feeling so uplifted and energized... really, though, I have to say that none of us wanted to leave. I also use a wheelchair and they went out of their way to help in anyway they could with accessibility. There is a gravel parking lot - that they hope to pave one day - and ramps to two trailers. They also have a train that can be entered if one can climb stairs. And, they were willing to help me onto the little yellow maintenance car. There are model trains and equipment to view as well as an area for children to play but I thought the best part was actually chatting with the volunteers. Free, but they accept donations.

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.

Amazing piece of colonial history where George Washington's mother lived. This is a must see site…read moreamong many in Fredericksburg.

We stopped by Fredericksburg on our drive. Super cute town. We went by the Mary Washington House…read moreand walked the grounds. A few people were outside and one lady gave us a lot of history on the house and area. I would definitely come back to do a whole tour!

Lovely Henrico County owned venue. Great facility for meetings, workshops, hosting special events,…read morebirthday or anniversary parties, bridal/baby showers. Beautiful grounds and landscaping, carriage house and gazebo area! Would recommend this venue!

We had our wedding here in July of 2021 and it was beautiful the staff was also really helpful! we…read morereceived so many compliments. the location was really affordable with plenty of parking. perfect unique location

The RF&P along with its N scale and HO Scale model railroad clubs are a great source of…read moreentertainment and all around good for the model railroad hobby. This group puts on multiple train shows and displays in and around the Richmond area. They are the host for the Virginia Science Museum's train show in November and also the Keystone Truck and Tractor Museum show in July. The clubs meet year round and host scout groups and other organizations at the layout rooms.

From the owner: Richmond Freelance & Prototype Model Railroaders. A non-profit educational organization seeking…read moremodelers of all scales and skill levels with love of trains. Open to the public for Open House the 2nd Saturday each month from 12pm - 5pm. Contact us to join our membership and our extended schedule of hours.