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.

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.

Witnessed a truly fantastic sold-out performance. The music was truly exceptional. The talented…read moremusicians not only delivered a beautiful performance but also engaged the audience effectively. The only downside was the parking situation at the Richmond venue. Implementing a parking fee seemed unnecessary and could be reconsidered.

If you're into history and/or call Virginia home, the Virginia Museum of History & Culture is worth…read morea visit. Open every day from 10am-5pm, tickets are between $8 and $12 with children five and under free. Located next to the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, the Virginia Museum of History & Culture is inside a historic building erected to commemorate the Confederacy. Now it's a museum honoring all Virginians, regardless of background. Here's why you should visit: 1) Entrance: There's a large parking lot near the main entrance. Walk inside and you'll see a well-designed cafe that serves local coffee and food, a bookstore with books and products from Virginia, restrooms, and the ticket area. Staff are helpful and the entire space is kept clean. 2) Exhibits: Start with the 15-minute film about the history of Virginia starting 16,000 years ago to today. It's worth the time. Then explore the exhibit halls where you can find art, artifacts like letters George Washington wrote, and more. One exhibit walks through history of Virginia from 16,000 to present day. Another honors all five regions of Virginia. Another talks about the original murals in the building and another showcases art of Virginia. Little rooms are filled with more exhibits displaying some of the 9,000,000 objects in their collection. There's even an area for kids to play in a little market, try on colonial clothes, and more. Interactive exhibits are part of every room. 3) Experience: It's not an overwhelming museum, but you can easily spend a few hours seeing most items and reading most displays. I learned a lot!

I visited Maymont on a recent trip to Richmond and was surprised at the size of the estate,…read moreespecially considering that the gardens and outdoor areas function as a free public park. The grounds are beautiful with plenty of areas to relax and picnic. There were lots of people out enjoying the good weather but it never felt crowded. It's a little confusing trying to figure out what things require a ticket/paid admission. On the map they provide, there's no indication that a ticket is needed for the mansion, but one is in fact required. However you have to buy a ticket at the Stone Barn by the entrance. You can try buying on the website but I didn't have great signal. Instead I backtracked to the Stone Barn to get a ticket but the prices were higher than what I was told at the Mansion and they appeared to be limited to timed entry and all the time slots were sold out. Long story short, I didn't see the inside of the mansion, but still spent a good couple hours exploring the outdoor areas. Which was all free so I count that as a win.

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 great summit at the Valentine. The set up was perfect and the staff were very attentive to…read moreour needs the meeting area was clean and well ventilated. After the event we were able to move about the museum that at some interesting items relevant to Richmond modern and older history. Great little museum to visit.

The Valentine, aka The Wickham House is located in downtown Richmond, and a stone's throw from the…read moreJ. Marshall House. It was a special tour that brought me to the Wickham House. Don't be confused by the name, The Valentine. This 19th-century home was purchased in 1898 by Mann Valentine Jr. who added a museum to the property and renamed it The Valentine. My visit was part of a dual tour with the John Marshall House (treason trial of A. Burr). The tour started promptly at the appointed time, and we began our tour of the home. Our guide was very knowledgeable about the Wickham house, the family and the history of that time. Her tour was much more than a simple recitation. She brought the home to life through her descriptions, easily fielded questions and encouraged discussions. We all gained a clear picture of life at that time as well as the role that John Wickham played in history. The house is kept in beautiful condition with many examples of how the family lived, from clothing to imagined food out on the table. I was truly impressed by the beauty of the home. After the tour we were able to meander through the museum that is a part of the property. It is an interesting stroll through Richmond's history from the early 1800's to the present. I would definitely suggest a visit here if you are a history fanatic. Check out your options for parking before you get here (I parked in one of the local garages and spent about $15).

I had no idea this was here until my friend indicated he wanted to come here, so quite a neat find!…read more While you will need the patience of a saint to get the parking down (park in the big hospital lot and get parking validation inside the museum), everything else about this visit was excellent. We had a great tour and a very personalized one since only three guests (including my friend and I) were on the tour. The white house of the confederacy is full of history and our guide provided a ton of background on Jefferson Davis and his family, which was particularly cool since I had recently gone with my parents to the historical naval base where he was held prisoner for several years after the end of the civil war. The furnishings were very beautiful and nicely maintained, amazing how often these estates of antiquity had to sell their things to make ends meet and then organizations have to chase them down later to bring everything back together. Still, very cool to be in the rooms where so much history was made. It's so unusual for such an important part of history to be surrounded by hospital buildings, though that is the nature of Richmond: a whole lot of stories in a relatively compact region. Lucky to have been able to learn a bit more about it here! Overall: 4.5 stars ----- Pros: - Excellent tour guide who clearly had made a study of the many features of the house and its former occupants. - White house and its furniture were in beautiful shape, clearly the organization is doing a great job keeping everything maintained. - Price for the tour wasn't too bad considering you get a personalized tour for it. Cons: - The parking situation here is a pain but doable if you plan ahead.

I came to Richmond for the week for a work trip and had some free time so I wanted to check out…read moresome Civil War stuff. Richmond is an amazing city with a rich and vibrant history, so you should make your way here! I was too late to go inside but the exterior oozed history. I could picture the South's generals huddled inside trying to plan their next move. It's a bit weird to see this relic in the heart of the medic district but fitting for such A city.

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.

A friend and I visited last week. This is a small museum that tells the story of Poe's life and has…read moremany artifacts from his life. I really enjoyed learning about his life and especially seeing his monogrammed pocketwatch that was the inspiration of "The Tell-Tale Heart". It doesn't take too long to walk through the three buildings and garden, and is a great place to visit in Shockoe Bottom. The gift shop also has some cool items for sale.

You ever wonder - How was Edgar Allen Poe's personal life?…read more Question answered! I am a fan of museums, history, and poetry. So, this really was a treat. I made it past the last entrance time but the staff was accomodating and allowed me to enter. The museum was both a fun and informative experience. I learned a few extra nuggets from the staff as well :) Although the museum is self paced, at the end - the staff excitedly shared personal stories (like the resident black cats and how they came to live there). Please visit if you are in Richmond, VA

I love this museum! The building itself is an architectural beauty which opened in 2018 with…read morenationwide recognitio.. Bright, open space with multiple floors to explore. The museum features contemporary art....very unique and thought provoking works. It is a noncollecting contemporary art museum, so note, the exhibits change multiple times a year It is relatively small, so depending on time to take to enjoy each piece, you could see the whole place in 1-2 hrs. There is a small Cafe and gift shop. Restrooms on multiple floors, with an elevator and stairs. Small rooftop garden too! Free admission. Some events require registration

I always enjoy a visit to ICA. I typically go during an event so I can also interact with other…read morelocal artists. There are 3 main floors, including an auditorium for speakers/viewings and a balcony. It's free, so worth a visit if you like contemporary art, or like to get lost in public local spaces (like me).