Science museum with hands on exhibits and learning for kids!…read moreWe spent a good morning playing with family at the museum. We went to the human body exhibits and the magnatiles, blocks and dino dig upstairs. They also had fish in an aquarium on the ground floor.

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.

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.

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.

Beautiful venue for an outdoor wedding or just any party. Rehearsal dinner was by the barn area,…read morewith a fire going in the outdoor pit. Wedding under the large tree and reception in the tent. Very convenient to get to, and again a great venue.

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.

Used CoLab for a month when I needed to be in Roanoke. I typically work remotely. I found it to…read morebe welcoming and suited my needs. Talk to them about your timing and how you would need to use the space. I usually used an open space in the front and then reserved a huddle room when I wanted or needed more privacy. Huddle room and conference room hours are included in the membership. I will definitely come back when I want more community or need to be in the area.

This was the perfect space to host an early-December "done with chemo" celebration for friends and…read morefamily! Good price, flexible space, and prime location. I expect that the conference rooms would be solid options to host meetings, if you work remotely or simply want a change in venue from your office, but the main atrium/front room provides a welcoming environment for a mix-and-mingle cocktail reception. We were able to arrange some tables for food, a self-serve bar, photo "booth" area, and both low chairs and high top tables for a variety of ways to connect. The double front doors provided an easy entry, with plenty of natural light, and we appreciated the private kitchenette area and separate individual bathrooms. Plenty of working spaces in the back of the building and convenient to post-party drinks and dining options. It was nice having a gas station around the corner for extra ice and the co-op next door to get extra drinks. Brad was great with getting us set on our own with the space. I highly recommend considering the Roanoke CoLab for your next small event or also to use during the working hours.

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.

Really this is the place to meet a friend for coffee. They have pastries from Breadcraft and a nice…read moreselection of beverages. The space is comfortable and nice outside seating options. They have art supplies to choose from or you can bring your own, they also have different sets to choose from. the staff have all been nice and excited to help you.

What an innovative idea, to come up with a neighborhood café where you can enjoy delicious coffee…read moreand pastries, and at the same time create beautiful art. After being awarded the NC Triad Yelp Squad Yelper of the Year 2024 Award at the Yelpies Award Ceremony last year, an event that honored the highest-performing Yelp Elites, celebrating their contributions and accomplishments throughout the year, I decided that this year, as an All-Star Yelp Elite, I not only wanted to be the first to discover new restaurants and businesses, and bring them to the attention of the public, but also to uncover those found in hidden paths that for one reason or another have not reached the public in its totality. And Canvas & Coffee Art Café that very reasantly opened in Roanoke, Virginia, is a perfect example. I woke up one day inspired to go have breakfast in an out of the ordinary café and while searching the net just happen to find this place that just opened, located at the Grandin Commons off Grandin Road, right next to the Post Office, and off I went with the enthusiasm of the adventure of the journey and thinking what I would find there. And what I found was amazing. Housed in a beautiful restored Victorian house turned Mini-Mall, named Grandin Commons, with six other businesses, was this cozy little café with its entrance on the first floor of the house. As I entered I was impressed with the simple yet elegant decor and its beautifully restored hardwood floors. On one of the walls were three artworks from a local artist in exhibition and for sale. On the other walls were framed blank canvases representing them being open to your artistic imagination. Small square tables and chairs filled the room for customers to sit and enjoy their coffee as they get their creative juices flowing. In the following room was the Café station neatly organized with the menu on the wall and pastries from the very well known bakery Bread Craft, inside a square glass dome. Next to it were the art supplies and different size canvases with price list. Sarah, a friendly and lovely young lady greeted and welcomed me to the Café, and kindly explained how everything worked. You could purchase and size canvas and were provided with the paints. They had both oil paints and watercolor paints. I also found out that you were welcome to come just to have coffee and a pastry and watch how others painted. I explained to her that my art was Photography and that I was there to have breakfast and review the place so that others would find out about it. She loved the idea and took my order of a Mocha Coffee and a Chocolate Croissant. While she prepared my breakfast I looked around and talked with her. The idea to open this place came from her and her husband Esteban. They shared a dream to have a place where creativity, coffee, and community met. A place where people felt truly welcomed and discovered the joy of creating. "Coffee brings us together, and art gives us room to express ourselves." Very true indeed. They also plan to hold events and workshops there, as well as have a rotating exhibition of local artists on the walls of the place. Needless to say, my coffee and chocolate croissant were delicious and I got to meet a very special person with very noble ideas. I highly recommend this place and encourage the community to give them your total support.