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.

Went here last minute to see some fine art. Im not too much into art, but the displays and painting…read morekept me entertained. Everything was super clean as well. Was able to move around freely even though it had quite a bit of people there.

This is a hidden gem…read more Located like exactly 20 minutes west of short pump is the cutest reptile museum. I cannot recommend it enough. The staff were SO knowledgeable and kind. They do regularly come to Henrico library visits but you need to go in person to get an up close and personal visit with the reptiles. Very excited to see how they expand in the future.

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.

This museum is very well done ! They had a great kids area, many things to look at and a beautiful…read morelocation. I want to go back and bring kids to play in the kids area, take a boat ride and or see the xmas trains.

We were looking for things to do and we found out about this museum. We had the pleasure of meeting…read moreDenise and let me tell you she made our experience so much better. She was so sweet and gave us all these kind of fun and neat facts that we would want to hear about. If you have time, go ahead and check it out!

VLM is such a fun place to spend the day! They have fun interactive exhibits, a touch tank, animals…read moreand an amazing nature trail! Oh and can't forget dinosaurs! We spent a good portion of our day getting lost in some of Virginia's history, seeing native animals and plants, along with having some fun exploring the interactive areas. This is an amazing spot to check out as a family or even as adults if you have an adventurous gene. They also have a planetarium which was closed when we visited but has since been opened! Excited to return to check it out. They have great Groupon deals for tickets but even without it we found the tickets to be fairly priced for the experience.

This is a fantastic place for children to explore! I came here with my 4m daughter at the time…read morealong with friends and their children. They were mesmerized by every exhibit! Unfortunately at the time we went, a lot of exhibits were being switched out indoors and it was very cold so a lot of animals were not out. The otter is extremely friendly and my daughter loves going to see Nora! Well worth the membership if you and your family consider going more than once. We did eat at the cafe, and the food was not that good. It gave me a terrible stomachache.

Although Port Royal is small, it's packed with history. Here you will not only learn about the…read moreorigins of this tiny town, but you will also see some wonderful artifacts. You may have a guided tour of the rooms, or you can peruse the exhibits yourself. I chose the latter. They have a Native American collection, exhibits from Colonial Port Royal, a Toleware collection, a White House China collection, a lighting/lamp progression display, and a lovely gift shop with many historical books. I enjoyed looking at the many portraits and dioramas and arrowhead artwork. Their claim to fame of the area is that John Wilkes Booth was killed here after the assassination of President Lincoln. The lady minding the museum was knowledgeable and helpful. There was a lot to see despite this museum diminutive size. I also took a little tour of the historic buildings across the street on the guide's advice. I'm so glad the town has worked hard restoring and preserving this little corner of the world. If you happen upon this dot on the map, it's worth a gander!

A hidden gem! Friendly, knowledgeable staff, excellent exhibits, great kid section on the top…read morefloor, neat options in the gift shop. All with no admissions fee!

What a well done museum in an unexpected place!! We were looking for a day trip from our home in…read moreNorfolk and saw this one on TripAdvisor. Since it is only about 20 miles from the bridge tunnel up the shore (one of my favorite places on earth!), we decided to check it out. SO glad we did! And since admission is free, it made the bridge tunnel toll worth it! When you walk in you are greeted by the most friendly docent who gives you a brief background of the museum and what it's about. She told us they have several films and asked if we wanted to watch any of them. We did - "Our Island Home" gives you a terrific view of what life on Hog Island was like before it was abandoned from people who were actually born there. After whatever movie(s) you want to watch, you are "free range" to explore the museum. It is SO well done. I could have roamed around for longer than the 2 hours we were there (but I'm a museum reader - I have to check out everything!). Definitely allow yourself a couple of hours to explore. The exhibits are fantastic and laid out well. All artifacts were donated or on loan from actual island families - they don't purchase their artifacts. I like that. Shows the love for the community that these people have. Definitely check out the attic! There are hands on things for the kids - it's hot up there in the summer though! I was fascinated by the twisted chimney (not going to tell you why it was built that way - you'll have to go find out for yourself!). This is a GREAT little stop if you are looking for something cool to do on your way up or down Rt. 13 on your way to your vacation or a great day trip from the VA Beach area. With all their many activities and programs, we will definitely be back!

This little spot is tucked away in the tiniest of towns but I was absolutely astounded by how well…read moredone this museum was. It was modern and fresh, in well kept order, and the exceptionally restored pilot house was the absolute gem. Not large by any means, but this museum had our attention on a VERY hot Sunday when we headed on right after opening around 1300. We had our own tour by an expert, and it made the museum 100x more enjoyable and we learned a lot. My kiddo absolutely loved the pilot house and being able to actually put her hands on some of the exhibit and she learned a lot too. Truly, a hidden gem and well worth the nearly hour we spent in the museum and gift shop. I was highly impressed!

This museum was fascinating. It is not very big, but it has some very interesting and cool exhibits…read morethat you won't find anywhere. It is amazing how few people probably know how essential steamboats were for transportation along the Chesapeake Bay and up and down the many rivers of Virginia from the late 1880s until the 1930s. They were a quintessential transportation mode during the Gilded Age. I highly recommend this museum. I won't spoil it for you by describing what they have inside but it was definitely surprising!

A great museum for the kids, and it is very well done. There have been several Calvert County…read moremuseums that are much nicer than I expected, and this one is awesome! The Drum Point Lighthouse is so cool and a lot of fun to explore. But honestly, the stars of the show... the otters!!!

Cute little museum! The best part are the otters, you can see them swimming around and they are…read morepretty active. They also have some other aquatic life like turtles and fish that are cool. You can spend a hour or two in here if you wanted to

To start the young man at the front desk was very welcoming, professional, and knowledgeable. The…read moregrounds outside were well kept and extremely clean. Closed toed shoes for walking around the park is a must, I went unprepared with flip flops. The restrooms inside were also clean. There's a gift shop and a library as well. The exhibit was very well done and I absolutely loved how interactive it was, it's also handicap accessible and self guided! I definitely recommend checking out the wildlife drive across the street at blackwater refuge, we saw the statue of Harriet Tubman catching a muskrat to then seeing one at the refuge!

Beautifully done. This National Historical Park is well maintained and full of interactive…read moreexhibits. The space is handicap accessible and most exhibits include easy to read fonts and braille. I would definitely recommend this educational experience to learners of all ages.

Absolutely love this one! I was in the area and had an hour before I needed to hit the road... I…read morewas late hitting the road! There is so much to see you cannot possibly see it all in an hour. There are a ton of aircraft displays, engines, and even a few videos. A good mixture of indoor and outdoor displays. Wear comfortable shoes so you can walk around a lot. I am a history buff, and was stationed at NAS PAX in the 1980's so I was very interested in all the historical information the museum presented. I WILL be back!

My wife and I took a Saturday drive and ended up at the museum mid-afternoon. Approaching the…read moremuseum, we saw all the aircraft parked outside on their ramp. A bonus for EV drivers is their onsite fast charger. Driving here from NoVA, we could use the charge. Admission to the museum is $10 per person. There are a couple of displays inside along with a gift shop. We quickly headed outside though to check out the aircraft. My wife's favorite was the A4 Scooter with its skinny head-on profile and Blue Angels heritage. My favorite was the Osprey. I had no idea the rotors were that large on it. We took a lap inside the gift shop before heading back on the highway with a full charge. We spent about 90 minutes checking out all the aircraft there and enjoyed our visit.