Such a nice museum. A little bit of everything and great assortment of dinosaur fossils. Would…read morenever had expected this in Martinsville. Took our Grandson and he really enjoyed it. Also was able to get a free day pass for all of us at the library

Awesome Attractions with the Life size replicas of the Animals, the Dinosaurs and We took some…read moreamazing photos. My Client really enjoyed Himself, We were also Greeted by such a Wonderful Staff, It was my first time Ever entering the Museum and I really enjoyed it too. I've been back several times and My Client and I are planning on visiting again. He's invited His family to come down from Christiansburg and they did, They too enjoyed it and purchased a lot of things which made my client very happy because He was the beneficiary of all the items.

One of a finite number of attractions, this art gallery isn't quite in center of Martinsville but…read morewas walkable from there or a short drive. There is an outdoor art garden next door. The building itself is a substantial complex that looks impressive from the outside. The space is mixed use, and only one floor houses exhibitions. The collections will probably be switched over by the time I've written the review, but they were intriguing and local. The rest of the space was for artistry and administration thereof, making this place of considerable value to the community. Just to walk around and look is free and worthwhile, but for the local there might be more reasons to come.

We really enjoyed this place. The woman at the front desk was very kind and engaged in conversation…read morewith us during our entrance and departure. My children are 4yrs and 2 yrs old and they were engaged by the artwork. Best of all, there is a room where children can paint on easels, engage in a puppet show of their choice, musical instruments, and other arts and crafts. I would definitely recommend this place. Plus, it's free!

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.

I was in Roanoke for work and work ended early for me and since it wasn't dinner time, I'd say to…read morestop at the Virginia museum of transportation. They have there planes, trains, and automobiles. Reminds me of a movie I once saw. The museum is very nice. They have a big area for trains lots of information about trains. They also have airplanes there. They have one hanging from the ceiling. They have a couple cars actually more than a couple cars. Some of them were very nice, but it's a good place to go for a couple hours and check it out.

The shape of this building is intriguing and, lucky for us, there is a very nice exhibit inside…read moredetailing how this came about. As you might expect, this museum is filled with of local artists. And instead of the usual cryptic information, most pieces have a brief biography of the artist and sometimes a bit more about the piece. It made each of these pieces come alive for me. The art placement seems very thoughtfully laid out. It's not a huge museum but it seems the perfect size for the art inside. Don't forget to check out the 3rd floor.

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.

Hubby and I wanted to explore Mt Airy on this lovely Monday early morning. Tickets are 10.00 a…read moreadult and plenty of parking around the museum. There are two small section one upstairs and the down stairs. I would say this museum is on the smaller side. We were done within 25 mins. It's nice to see things from the show since I did grow up watching this over at my grand parents house.

Nice museum with plenty to take in! There's beautiful…read moremurals outside for photo opportunities. Employees were friendly and both buildings were clean. You can get a deal on the museum across the street if you buy tickets for both places. It also includes the Earle theater. If you're in town definitely check it out.

I had a day to entertain my two year old by myself in Roanoke. This place was perfect! It was in a…read moregreat location, just down the street from our hotel, so we walked. It was a reasonable price. It was the perfect size for her to get through in two hours. She had a blast going from room to room playing in all the different themes. She loved the playground area for climbing and slides. She also loved the little camping area. The Kroger exhibit was quite a hit as well. I loved that she was learning about all the different trades and burning energy at the same time. I also loved the details they put into each station. The news reporting with the live broadcast and microphones were really fun. The working cash register experience at the Kroger experience was awesome. The black light area was a lot of fun too. I think I had as much fun as she did! Definitely recommend for anyone with a toddler and at least two hours to get through it.

My son absolutely loved this place and there were so many activities to do. It's well worth the $9…read moreper person and the price is nothing at all. You can spend hours in here. There isn't time did mission and you can stay as long as you want. There's activities for just about every interest your child can possibly have, a market place, a salon, trains, jungle gyms, digging, construction, sensory play, a black room, literally everything. The staff keeps it nice and clean, but your expected to clean up after your child as well, of course. There's even a section for kids two and below. The only thing I wasn't really fond of was when we first walked in, the employee was talking to my three year old autistic child, and telling him the rules, which he really doesn't understand, and she was expecting a response back from him. Just because you don't know the nature of younger children, I think it's better to direct rules and everything to parents, so they can direct it to the child.

Very interesting for all ages. Great use of the natural landscape for animal enclosures and…read morehabitats. My personal favorite was the butterfly house. Especially loved the pollinator garden outside the insect building. Climbing feature was well loved by the little in our group. The digging for artifacts and fossils was appreciated by the teen in our group. Red wolf exhibit was awesome once we spotted the mom dad and baby on video. Also appreciated the sensory room.

Museum was pretty big but not fit for children above the age of 10-11. Cool activities but the kids…read morethere hog all of the main games and the parents dont really care. Overall not bad and costed 40$ for 2 people adults pay 24 and 5-15 year olds pay 19$ the quality of the museum was cool but they dont let you pet the animals outside . Paper airplane launches but train wasnt there. Overall kinda pricey for what it is but the space section was pretty cool. Avoid the kids,as a kid myself they were pretty rude and even stole the activity i was in the middle of doing,shame on the parents for letting that happen.

Wow!! The architecture and design of this memorial was top-notch! The exhibits are amazing, and the…read morescene is a bit surreal. There are guided tours, or you can walk and take it at your pace. Check out the exhibits on the outer rims of the monument! And you can also safely board your dog in a temperature controlled environment as you visit, for free!!! Amazing!! There's also a walking trail through the woods, nice and shaded, and some interesting artifacts in the Q room. For the best deal, grab the combo ticket with Poplar Forest. You can go any time in a year, so you don't have to go the same day, but why not??!

This is without a doubt one of the most powerful memorials I've ever visited. The depth of history…read morebehind it is incredible, and the designers did an outstanding job capturing every aspect through the memorial itself. From the way they depicted the scale of the wall, to the soldiers climbing, the beach layout, simulated gunfire hitting the water, and even the landing ramp from the boats--every detail was thoughtfully designed and deeply impactful. I spent a good 20-30 minutes just taking it all in. The statue and the story of the Bedford Boys were especially moving--truly powerful and emotional. I also stopped by the gift shop and picked up a small souvenir. This place is absolutely worth a visit!

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.

The movie was with it. Please see the movie. I enjoyed the entire experience. The staff was…read morehelpful, the atmosphere amazing and art was beautiful. I cannot wait to see how this museum evolves.

American Civil War Museum @ Appomattox, VA…read more This place is a gem for people that love history! Cleburne's coat that he was killed in at the battle of Franklin had me in absolute aweeee! Thank y'all for preserving these artifacts for the people to enjoy. I would highly recommend this place! On April 8, 1865, Lee's Army of Northern Virginia paused its march a mile from the small village of Appomattox Court House. Lee intended to resupply there before heading to Lynchburg, Virginia, and then south to Danville, Virginia. Unanticipated was the arrival of Union cavalry coming from the south under Gen. Philip H. Sheridan's command. That evening Union Brig. Gen. George Armstrong Custer successfully led some of the cavalry against the Confederate supply trains at the nearby Appomattox Station. Although shaken, Lee hoped to break through to Lynchburg the next day. On the morning of April 9, Lee ordered his cavalry, under the command of Gen. John B. Gordon, to attack Sheridan's cavalry, which had blocked the Richmond-Lynchburg Stage Road. Lee commanded an army of nearly 27,000 soldiers, which paled in comparison to Grant's force of some 63,000 troops, but he still intended to force his way through Union lines. The Confederate cavalry initially held their own and even succeeded in driving the Union horsemen from their position atop a nearby ridge. However, Gordon saw thousands of Union troops quickly approaching and sent word to Lee that his position was hopeless unless the infantry supported them. Lee's infantry, however, was engaged with Grant's Army of the James, which had approached the Confederates from the west under cover of night. Faced with no route of escape to Lynchburg, Lee agreed to negotiate terms of surrender. In a statement about her husband, Mary Custis Lee remarked that "General Lee is not the Confederacy." Her assessment was spot on, for the Confederacy still lived. Gen. Joseph E. Johnston's army--the next largest after Lee's still at war--was operating in North Carolina. Lt. Gen. Richard Taylor controlled forces in Alabama, Mississippi, and part of Louisiana. Lt. Gen. Edmund Kirby Smith's men were west of the Mississippi, and Brig. Gen. Stand Watie was in command of an Indian unit in the Far West. Nathan Bedford Forrest had men in Tennessee, Alabama, and Mississippi.

This was an amazing museum with many beautiful pieces. Do y'all a favor and take a look. It gives a…read morebeautiful perspective and shows how far we have come since as a nation