List of museums in Virginia facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Virginia is a state in the United States with many interesting places to visit, especially museums! A museum is a special place where people collect and take care of objects that teach us about culture, art, science, or history. They show these collections to the public so everyone can learn and explore. This guide will help you discover some of the coolest museums in Virginia.

Science and Discovery Museums
- Children's Museums: Play and Learn!
- Science Centers: Explore the World Around You
History and Adventure Parks
- Colonial and Early American History
- Civil War Battlefields and Museums
Cool Houses and Historic Places
- Presidential Homes
- Other Historic Homes
Art and Culture Spots
Transportation and Aviation
Nature and Animals
Unique and Fun Museums
Images for kids
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Science and Discovery Museums

These museums are packed with hands-on fun, perfect for curious minds!

Children's Museums: Play and Learn!

Amazement Square in Lynchburg is a children's museum where you can explore and play. It's designed to spark your imagination!
The Children's Museum of Richmond in Richmond offers interactive exhibits for kids to learn through play.
The Children's Museum of Virginia in Portsmouth is another fantastic spot for kids to explore and discover new things.
The Children's Science Center Lab in Fairfax is Northern Virginia's first interactive museum. Here, kids and families can explore science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) concepts with fun, hands-on activities.
The Explore More Discovery Museum in Harrisonburg is a great place for young explorers to learn and have fun.
The Virginia Discovery Museum in Charlottesville has exhibits about arts, sciences, history, and nature.

Science Centers: Explore the World Around You

The Danville Science Center in Danville has hands-on science displays and exhibits about natural history.
The Science Museum of Virginia in Richmond is a big museum where you can learn all about science through exciting exhibits.
The Science Museum of Western Virginia in Roanoke also offers many ways to explore science.
The Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center in Virginia Beach lets you discover amazing marine life and learn about ocean science.

History and Adventure Parks

Step back in time and experience history firsthand at these incredible places.

Colonial and Early American History

Colonial Williamsburg in Williamsburg is like a giant outdoor museum! You can explore a re-created colonial American city, see historic buildings, and meet people dressed in 18th-century clothes. It includes places like the Governor's Palace and the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Museum.
Historic Jamestown in Jamestown shows you the original site of the first permanent English settlement in North America. You can see artifacts and learn about early colonial life.
Jamestown Settlement in Jamestown offers a living history experience, showing what life was like for the early settlers.
American Revolution Museum at Yorktown in Yorktown tells the story of America's journey from colonies to a nation. It includes re-created army camps and a Revolution-era farm.
Henricus Historical Park in Chester re-creates the second successful English settlement in the New World.

Civil War Battlefields and Museums

Appomattox Court House National Historical Park in Appomattox is where the Civil War officially ended. You can explore the village with its original and rebuilt 19th-century buildings.
The American Civil War Center at Historic Tredegar in Richmond helps you understand the Civil War from different viewpoints: Union, Confederate, and African American.
Cedar Creek and Belle Grove National Historical Park in Middletown preserves the battlefield of the 1864 Battle of Cedar Creek and a manor house used as a Confederate headquarters.
Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park in Fredericksburg covers several important Civil War battlefields.
Manassas National Battlefield Park in Manassas is another key Civil War site.
The National Museum of the Civil War Soldier in Petersburg tells the stories of the three million soldiers who fought in the American Civil War. It's part of Pamplin Historical Park.
Richmond National Battlefield Park in Richmond remembers over 30 Civil War sites around Richmond.
Virginia Museum of the Civil War in New Market focuses on Virginia's role in the Civil War.
Yorktown Battlefield in Yorktown is where the final major battle of the American Revolutionary War took place.

Cool Houses and Historic Places

Explore homes where famous people lived or that show what life was like long ago.

Presidential Homes

Mount Vernon in Mount Vernon was the estate of George Washington, America's first president.
Monticello in Charlottesville was the home of Thomas Jefferson, the third president.
Montpelier in Orange was the estate of James Madison, the fourth president.
Highland in Charlottesville was the early 19th-century estate of President James Monroe.
Sherwood Forest Plantation in Charles City was the home of President John Tyler.
Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library and Museum in Staunton is the birthplace of President Woodrow Wilson.

Other Historic Homes

Agecroft Hall in Richmond is a 17th-century Tudor manor house that was brought over from England!
Adam Thoroughgood House in Virginia Beach is a 17th-century house with charming English cottage style.
Bacon's Castle in Surry is one of the oldest brick houses in North America.
Carlyle House in Alexandria is an 18th-century mansion.
Gunston Hall in Mason Neck was the 18th-century mansion home of George Mason, one of America's Founding Fathers.
John Marshall House in Richmond was the home of Chief Justice John Marshall.
Kenmore Plantation in Fredericksburg was the late 18th-century home of George Washington's sister.
Lee-Fendall House in Alexandria is another historic home with a rich past.
Maymont in Richmond features a historic mansion, beautiful gardens, and even wildlife exhibits.
Rippon Lodge in Woodbridge is one of the oldest houses in Prince William County.
Stratford Hall Plantation in Stratford was the home of four generations of the Lee family, including Robert E. Lee.
Sully Historic Site in Chantilly is an early 19th-century Lee family house with original outbuildings.
Wilton House Museum in Richmond is an 18th-century house with period rooms.
Woodlawn Plantation in Alexandria is a historic plantation.

Art and Culture Spots

Discover amazing art and learn about different cultures.

Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Museum in Williamsburg has a wonderful collection of folk art.
Chrysler Museum of Art in Norfolk has huge collections of European and American paintings, sculptures, glass, and more.
Fralin Museum of Art in Charlottesville, part of the University of Virginia, has African art, American Indian art, and European and American paintings.
Kluge-Ruhe Aboriginal Art Collection in Charlottesville is the only museum in the United States dedicated to indigenous Australian art.
Maier Museum of Art at Randolph College in Lynchburg focuses on American art from the 19th and 20th centuries.
Muscarelle Museum of Art in Williamsburg, part of The College of William & Mary, has various art collections.
Peninsula Fine Arts Center in Newport News offers art exhibitions.
Piedmont Arts in Martinsville features exhibitions by artists from around the world.
Portsmouth Art & Cultural Center in Portsmouth showcases art and culture.
Taubman Museum of Art in Roanoke focuses on American art, especially from Western Virginia and the Appalachian region.
Torpedo Factory Art Center in Alexandria is a unique place where artists have studios and galleries.
Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art in Virginia Beach focuses on 20th-century art.
Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in Richmond has a huge collection of art from almost every major world culture.
William King Museum of Art in Abingdon exhibits fine world art and regional art.

Transportation and Aviation

Explore planes, trains, and automobiles!

Air Power Park in Hampton is an outdoor park with aircraft and rockets, plus a museum of aircraft models.
A.A.F. Tank Museum in Danville has an international collection of tanks and cavalry artifacts.
C&O Railway Heritage Center in Clifton Forge has equipment and artifacts from the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway.
Eastern Shore Railway Museum in Parksley focuses on railway history.
Fairfax Station Railroad Museum in Fairfax Station covers Civil War, railroading, and local history.
Military Aviation Museum in Virginia Beach features restored warbirds (old military planes) from around the world.
NASA Visitor Center on Wallops Island is next to the Wallops Flight Facility, where rockets are launched! You can learn about space exploration here.
Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly is part of the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum. It has a massive collection of aircraft and spacecraft.
Richmond Railroad Museum in Richmond has railroad artifacts, model trains, and historic cars.
U.S. Army Transportation Museum in Newport News at Fort Eustis showcases the history of military transportation.
Virginia Air and Space Center in Hampton explores space, NASA, and Air Force aircraft.
Virginia Aviation Museum in Richmond is dedicated to the history of flight.
Virginia Museum of Transportation in Roanoke has trains, planes, and automobiles.

Nature and Animals

Learn about Virginia's wildlife and natural wonders.

Virginia Living Museum in Newport News shows Virginia's natural history and ecosystems, with live mammals, fish, reptiles, and birds.
Virginia Museum of Natural History in Martinsville explores Virginia's natural heritage.

Unique and Fun Museums

Discover some truly one-of-a-kind places!

Birthplace of Country Music Museum in Bristol tells the story of the 1927 Bristol Sessions, which recorded some of the earliest country music in America.
Blue Ridge Music Center in Galax celebrates the roots of American music.
Camera Heritage Museum in Staunton has a collection of cameras, equipment, and photographs.
DEA Museum in Arlington teaches about the history of the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Frontier Culture Museum of Virginia in Staunton features five historic, re-created working farms from different cultures and time periods.
Gargoyle Manor - The Monster Museum in Claudville has movie, literature, and folklore memorabilia about monsters.
National Firearms Museum in Fairfax displays a collection of firearms.
National Inventors Hall of Fame in Alexandria celebrates American inventions and inventors.
O. Winston Link Museum in Roanoke showcases amazing railroad photographs.
Pocahontas Exhibition Coal Mine and Museum in Pocahontas lets you explore a historic coal mine.
Poe Museum in Richmond focuses on the life and career of the famous author Edgar Allan Poe.
Ralph Stanley Museum in Clintwood combines the career of Dr. Ralph Edmond Stanley with the history of traditional mountain music.
Ripley's Believe It or Not! in Williamsburg is full of strange and amazing exhibits.
Virginia Musical Museum in Williamsburg has rare, antique musical instruments and items from Virginia musicians.
Virginia Quilt Museum in Harrisonburg features beautiful exhibitions of traditional and contemporary quilts.
Walton's Mountain Museum in Schuyler has replicas of the house and settings from The Waltons television show.
Wolf Creek Indian Village and Museum in Bastian is a re-creation of a Native American village from the 1400s-1500s.