Children’s Museum of Richmond, a non-profit children’s museum located in Richmond, Virginia.
Children love this place, where they can run wild, and you won’t find a sad face in sight. It’s the perfect spot to let them burn off some energy.
I have been to a half dozen children’s museums with my five year old and felt that I was done with kid’s museums. However, being the good mom that I am, I still wanted to check it out for my daughter’s sake.
Founded in 1977, Childrens Museum or Richmond has two locations – downtown Richmond and Chesterfield County.
Their mission is to engage families in learning through play and inspire growth in all children.
The museum offers a variety of exhibits and programs that are both fun and educational, making it an ideal place for kids of all ages.
What to expect
With a wide range of activities and exhibits, there is something for every child to enjoy. On average, families spend about 4 hours immersing themselves in the various attractions and interactive experiences.
From role-playing as a doctor to participating in interactive exhibits, children can learn fascinating facts in a fun and interactive way.
The museum is great for kids aged 2-8, but older children may not be as entertained for long.
Exhibits
Both locations of the Richmond Children’s Museum offer a variety of educational and interactive exhibits that are designed to be fun and engaging.
Aside from the carousel and art studio, the museum exhibits are more for the younger kids.
IN WALKING DISTANCE: The Science Museum of Virginia
We spent about 2 hours exploring and playing at the different exhibits. Here are some of the highlights of the exhibits.
Water Play
When we got to the museum, the first thing my kiddo noticed was the simple, water play area. Of course I forgot to bring her swimsuit!
Located on the second floor, this area is open year-round for children of all ages to enjoy.
Once inside, you’ll find a mini-whirlpool, water slide, and a variety of engaging water features. It’s a good splashing time for everyone!
Water play offers a fun way for kids to learn about water and its properties. They can experiment, observe, and have a blast while staying cool on hot days.
There are two areas for water play.
Outside the museum by the entrance is an area with simple sprays.
In the great big backyard, there is a smaller water area with sprinkler sprays and a kayak, although the kayak doesn’t have any water to make it move.
Rounding out the backyard are:
- 2 playhouses
- Garden hopscotch
- A giant sand box with a partial canopy cover
The Little Farm
The Little Farm is specifically designated for babies to age 3. There are ride-on toys, a vegetable garden, and a simulated cow.
It offers hands-on learning about farm animals, plants, and the environment.
Children can feed and pet animals in a pretend barn, plant and harvest vegetables in a garden, and use a water pump to water the plants.
It’s a great place for children to learn about how to create a positive impact on farm life and taking care of the environment.
They can also use their imaginations to create their own farm stories.
Living Tree House
The Living Tree House made little sense. A two level tree house consisted of a purple, spiral slide. At the base of the house were different living animals such as mice, frogs, turtles and Dominique chickens.
My daughter had a fun time climbing the tree house and sliding back down.
Wegmans
At Wegmans, children can explore the world of groceries with mini shopping carts or baskets. They get to learn about food options and nutrition.
The Wegmans section brings the grocery store to life, offering a playful experience where children do playful grocery shopping.
The grocery store has always been my favorite in a children’s museum. However, only one cart was available at Wegmans, making shopping baskets the disappointing option.
The adjacent cafe offered a drink station and cash register.
The Bank
Watch the mechanics of cranking the clock outside the bank.
Kids can learn how to use (gasp!) an ATM machine. The safe was cool, but it was filled with foam blocks of coins and no paper currency.
Hospital and Ambulance
There is also an ambulance to climb aboard in the town square.
The little ones can explore a pretend doctor’s office, an ambulance, an X-ray machine, and a triage area.
Inside the ambulance, an association of children can role-play as paramedics and experience the excitement of saving lives. The exhibit also includes a pretend doctor’s office where they can learn about medical instruments and examine patients.
Children get to see their own bones using the functioning X-ray machine, learning about medical imaging and diagnosis.
The News Studio
Kids can learn to be a news broadcaster at the WCMOR television studio. While looking in the camera, a large screen TV is outside showing the reporter.
They can learn about the fundamental concepts of news media and practice their public speaking and socialization skills.
Note: the dark room may not be appealing to some children.
The Dino Zone
The Dino Zone consisted of a dinosaur you could slide down, numbered foam blocks, wooden blocks for building and an indoor sandbox filled with dinosaur bones.
Sun Tubes
Sun Tubes are basically tubes of air in which you insert different colored cloths that eventually shoot out the other side.
The Apple Tree
The apple tree was a fun interactive exhibit sending apples through various holes.
It kept my child’s interest in check for a good 10 minutes.
The Cave
The Cave exhibit was neat although it was a very small version.
The Cave is an interactive replica of a Virginia limestone cave, designed for children to climb through and explore.
Inside The Cave, you’ll find stalactites and stalagmites, along with lifelike animal models of bats, spiders, and snakes.
The exhibit also includes a touchscreen display that teaches the children about caves, such as stalactite and stalagmite formation, and the unique ecosystem.
Art Studio
Thankfully, the saving grace came in the form of the art studio.
The do-it-yourself studio is set up with a different project idea on each table. From watercolor painting to windsocks, a plethora of supplies are set up around the room.
Various pieces and textures of clothes, egg cartons, greeting cards and paint supplies had my little artist in heaven.
I think she made three different projects before I told her it was time to leave. Art smocks are ample and a giant sink is available to clean up messes.
Tickets & Pricing
For general admission, adults and children ages 1-12 can enter for $9 each. Seniors aged 62 and above can enjoy discounted admission fees at $8 each.
Children under 12 months enter for free.
Tickets are half-price on the first Wednesday of each month, making it a budget-friendly option for the whole family to visit.
Children’s Museum of Richmond members receive free admission, allowing them to visit as often as they’d like.
There is a separate $2 fee to ride the carousel. Parents can stand for free.
Hours & When to Go
The Children’s Museum of Richmond is open Tuesday to Sunday from 9:30am to 5pm and on Mondays during major holidays during the school year.
During the summer, they are open daily until 7pm.
Note: this is a popular place for school field trips so you may want to
Gift Shop
The museum also has a gift shop with a variety of items ike:
- Musical instruments
- Educational books
- Supplies for arts & crafts
- Project based kits
- And more
Good to Know Before You Go
- The best age group for the museum are 2 to 8; older kids will likely get bored
- The carousel rides start on the hour only
- There is no cafe, but there is a vending machine filled with healthy snacks and drinks.
- There are tables and high chairs inside, and a covered picnic area out front (adjacent to the water play area).
- Lockers are available to store items along with a coat rack. Strollers are permitted or you can rent one from the front desk.
- The museum has restrooms with changing stations and koala care seats for infants.
Locations
The Children’s Museum of Richmond has two locations: Downtown Richmond and Chesterfield.
The Downtown Richmond location has larger exhibits and a year-round water play area.
The Chesterfield location is smaller and more suitable for younger children, with a seasonal water play area.
Both locations offer a fun and educational experience for families.
Getting there and Parking
The Children’s Museum of Richmond has two locations.
Location 1
Downtown location is located at 2626 West Broad St, Richmond VA 23220 (CMOR Central location).
Location 2
And the CMOR Chesterfield location is located at 6629 Lake Harbour Dr., Midlothian, VA 23112.
The West Broad Street location is just across from the Science Museum of Virginia which is another great museum for kids.
There is plenty of free parking available on site.
