Great Historical Site! We went back in 2017,…read moreSo it's been a minute. We loved it. Ask questions to the guides as they are very knowledgeable!

Wow! Monticello is amazing, and worth a visit for literally anyone and everyone. My husband and I…read morewere in the area for a wedding, and had a few hours to kill before the ceremony. We decided to explore Monticello, and booked the 45 minute Highlights Tour. If you read through the website, they'll let you know that you could spend all day here. They are correct! There are several guided tours of different lengths and prices, and the grounds, gift shop, and self-guided exhibits are expensive too. They mean it when they say you need to be on-site 30 minutes before your tour begins, because it takes time to get up to the house from the visitors center! Lauren was our guide for the Highlights Tour, and she was great. A solid mix of informative and engaging. This quick tour was just enough to get a taste of history, and definitely leaves you wanting more. I especially appreciate the steps they've taken in recent years to educate and address slavery at Monticello, including the addition of the Burial Ground for Enslaved People. Instead of taking the shuttle back to the visitors center, we walked through the garden and it was just lovely. We also passed the gravesite of Thomas Jefferson himself, which is a great spot for reflection. The gift shop had a wide variety of books, home decor, and collectible trinkets, and we found everything to be pretty reasonably priced. Monticello is operated by the Thomas Jefferson Foundation, which is a 501c3 non-profit.

I really regret not spending more time here. If we had realized how awesome this place would be, we…read morewould have spent more time in virginia. love that the parking is free and it is right next to the childrens museum so you can do multiple things in one day. but really, you could spend all day here and love it! we got to see a sloth! I don't know who was more excited, me or my kids. so much to do that was so fun! Definitely recommend

There was something for everyone at our trip to the Science Museum of Virginia!…read more My preschooler loved the large scale pterodactyl flying in the air and the lego replica of the museum while my nine-year old loved all of the interactive exhibits and fun facts that went with it. Because the Virginia Science Museum is a reciprocal member of the Children's Science Museum in Fairfax we got free admission. It is also right next door to the Children's Museum of Richmond so you truly could spend a whole day in the area just exploring, learning, and having fun.

Jam packed with Virginia history as well as history specific to Rockingham County. I spoke with the…read moredocent quite a bit during my visit and she was very engaging and knowledgeable. Gift shop has lots of books on Virginia history, some by local authors. Quite a few value-priced used books also! Restrooms were clean and there were a few places to sit. It's about 3 large steps to enter the museum, then 6-7 steps down to the exhibit, or there is an elevator. The suggested donation is $10, but it is pay what you can. Support local!

During my stay in Virginia I visited this fun and educational museum. One of the first things you…read moresee upon entering is plaques narrating the burning of the bread basked, a brutal time during the civil war. Afterward you enter a room with a felt art wall where you can exercise your creativity. Great for kids and even better for me. I made a surfing girl. It was the highlight of my visit. Other notable features of this museum include garments worn and weapons used during the time period. Other knickknacks were also on display like old school flasks. The museum was not very large but you could still spend a chunk of time there of you enjoy reading about history. The museum ends where it began, in the gift shop. The lady at the front desk said it gets busier on rainy days. I think there was only two other people there during my visit.

Shout out to Scott, our guide for the 830am tour. We had such a wonderful time. Highly recommend to…read moredo the guided tour. It's about 60 mins. Only 1 tour per day starting at 830am. The temperature of 54°F (12°C) year-round. I brought a light jacket. We walked thru the paved loop. Scott talked about history and the discovery of the carven. He pointed out many different shapes of limestones around us. He also mentioned lots about minerals, Stalactites, Stalagmites etc. I enjoyed his jokes and he definitely made the early tour worth it. With the ticket, you can also visit Car & Carriage Caravan Museum, Shenandoah Heritage Village, and Toy Town Junction. The cafe sells some snacks and chocolate. All the staff were very nice and friendly. Bathroom is clean. You can stay there as long as you want. visit all the museum and the carven . No time limit. Big parking lot in the front. Very convenient. Highly recommend if you are in the area.

Free parking outfront…read more Your first stop, is thru the Welcome Center/Tickets. GO HERE! You can buy tickets here or show your emailed purchase. Bathrooms are right outside of here. The Car/Carriage museum is cool. It's a gift shop on my side. Middle section is where you can buy Amish lemonade, chocolates, pretzels etc. The Car museum is behind here. Awesome collection of old school cars!! You have to follow a long path to get to the entrance of the cavern now. There is only 1 GROUP tour everyday at 830a. After that, it is all self guided. We did not need to wait to enter. You get a pamplet of the Stops to see & information on the sites to see in the cavern. Took about 1 hour to get thru. Go at your own pace. Not really good for people in wheelchairs or have a seriously hard time walking. I did have to stop a few times and sit. But right now, it's good for me to walk as much as possible during a personal time. I was exhausted after it :)

What a great place to learn about the aviation history of our country and the rest of the world…read more Very fitting that some of the most iconic aircraft of generations past are housed at our capital. It was really cool to see an authentic space shuttle, concord, blackbird and some many war birds including the Enola Gay herself. Living history that you can see with your own eyes, all with fascinating stories to share with those who visit. My kids had a great time exploring each nook and cranny, lots to see here. I will admit that I lasted longer here than my family, but I really enjoy aviation history so I was like a kid in a candy shop. As a plane enthusiast, I appreciated seeing some very unique, one-of-a-kind prototypes and test aircraft. Some of the planes housed in this museum are found nowhere else in the world. Very cool. On top of the great museum, staff are very welcoming, helpful and engaging. You can tell they love the planes and their history just as much as any other enthusiast. The gift shop was pretty big and offered a lot of items to browse through. There is a cafe that serves deli and quick grab and go items and a Shake Shack that has an exclusive menu to this location. The museum is free and close to the Dulles airport. You can't walk or bike into the museum, so you will either need to drive our get a bus/car app ride to visit. Well worth it though, especially if you are looking to spend some layover time from the airport.

This was a free and fun place to visit. I came with my sister, brother and his family. He had two…read moreyoung children, both under the age of 5, and they were pretty entertained. A staff member told me they usually have something for children, but with a busy holiday weekend, they didn't have those activities available. The volunteers that work there are very knowledgeable about the topic they are explaining, and it makes for a great learning experience. It's worth coming back when the children's activities are available.

always relaxing to walk through the gardens! summer 2026…read moreexhibit earth and sky sculptures by marguerite elliot

Best ever ! Art , Music, hiking and more !…read more Well kept trails filled with plants , sculptures and views. MSV at Night shows are awesome not to mention the many beautiful acres to explore. It's always a pleasure to visit and see what is new. Become a member and support the Museum- it has many perks and is well worth it.

Delightful. During…read morethe school season, it's a pleasure to have somewhere to take my 3 year old son that's not crowded. We can spend an hour daily going back to his favorite exhibits and exploring new ones. As an adult, I've learned so much already and would love to spend a day here alone. Their "Everyone is Special" initiative focuses on autism with trained individuals in the field--a great opportunity to reach out to others in the Autism community. Spend some time browsing their website. There are a lot of valuable resources here. The staff is wonderful.

We had a great time. Our kids had a wonderful time. I would definitely recommend Amazement Square.read more

The kids (ages 7 & 9) went with my husband and they loved it. They talked for days about how cool…read moreit was and it was a good adventure on a cold winter day.

This was a nice small museum, mostly entertaining for young kids. The ticket price was cheap for…read moreboth adults and kids ($10). They had four floor, with part of top floor having an open terrace with some toys in it. Alongside museum, they also had summer camp and activity classes. The first floor had the reception desk, small gift shop, obstacle course, and a plasma sphere that really passed electric shock, we felt it in our fingers lol. Second and third floors had lots of play space for kids. Fourth floor had few things around space. All the staff members were very friendly. Most of the area of was clean and maintained. We spent about an hour here. Seemed really popular with locals as many families were there with their kids.