The 2020 train exhibit was the smallest train exhibit i have seen there. One of the larger train exhibits was not working. Not worth paying to see. The museum exhibits were partially opened. Second floor has NOTHING to view. Only the first floor is open. The fake BUG exhibit is unrealistic and too fake poor exhibit. The main bathrooms were shut down and they had one bathroom open which was FILTHY NASTY. I will not forget. Were in a pandemic and the bathrooms where viruss are transmitted was horribly nasty. Definitely no cleaning or prevention of the virus. I was in shock. I complained to a employee and they did not care and had no desire to escalate my concerns to management.I will not be renewing my membership and will return to the museum. Very sad for we loved the museum in prior visits. The pandemic has taken a toll on the museum. Very professional educational management is needed. This was the worst visit.

This is really a kids experience museum. Not what we were expecting. The building architecture and its history are lovely. While I think parents who are accompanying their children can certainly enjoy this museum, it is definitely children centric. If youre 7 to 13 years old youll love it!!

This place was amazing even during a pandemic. Staff were amazing and friendly I had 5 kids with me and they all said their experience was awesome!!! Definitely will be back! Thank goodness we bought a membership!

Very disappointed to be limited to two hours, but could easily have spent more time. We Are Stars is quite a well done show. What they call the planetarium, though, is technically not a planetarium. The staff all seem to be quite positive and pleasant, and Tinshel is a particular gem!

A solid protocol to Covid 19. Clean, classy and concise with their events as usual

I certainly enjoyed my visit to the science museum of Virginia. Its a very child-oriented museum, but has great experiences for someone who was an adult. My fiance and I went through the entire museum, experienced their workshop (Created a Toolbox), seen a great astrology presentation, as well as watched rat basketball. The ticket prices were very reasonable at only $15 per adult. The parking is free which is an added bonus. The staff is very knowledgeable. This is a very highly recommended museum, and I will be returning in the future.

Very cool experience! My 14 and 4 year old both had a great time! Honestly, so did I!

We went on their first day reopening during the Pandemic. They did EXCELLENT taking precautions! I was so impressed. My 3 year old was so happy to be back there!

It had been years since I visited, so I wasnt sure what to expect. I decided to take my daughter to check it out. I was only aware of one childrens exhibit, so I was worried she might get bored. However, what I liked about this museum is the amount of interactive exhibits they have! The museum offers a variety of different and interesting learning experiences. There is something for kids of all ages to do. A few of the exhibits were not functioning properly and/or outdated, otherwise I wouldve given it 4 stars. I would also suggest having audio for the exhibits where younger children who cannot read, can hear the information regarding the exhibit or what to do. It is a little on the expensive side. I paid $30 for both of us to get in, 13.50 for my daughter. If you are able to get in a workshop it may be worth it but not for the exhibits alone. Its definitely not a place I could imagine going to alone or with a group of adults.

1st Time Seeing The Railroad Model Exhbit... and My Kids Always Enjoy Themselves Whenever We Visit #MEMBERSHIPHASITSPRIVILEGES

Cool museum close to downtown. Lots of interactive exhibits. Not the largest science museum in the world but it is located in an old train station so there is a nice historical element. There are ALOT of kids here, which is good for the future of our country but not great if you are looking for a quiet museum stroll.

Still lots of fun exhibits despite a few areas being closed down. Plenty of hand sanitizer stations placed around the facility. A fun place for the whole family.

The place itself is great! Very nice exhibits. Wonderful staff. But some of the parents need to teach their children how to not be so mean towards other children and share. I had to teach a kid today, mines is not the one to be rude to, especially while mommy standing by. I did it nicely the 1st two times. But afterwards, I was more so upset bc the parent was right there, and did nothing. The vibe I picked up from the parent was that he felt his child had the right to be rude and disrespectful towards mine, idk. But I taught that kid TUHDAY. Sick of the sense of entitlements going on in this world lately. Yall got the right parent tho.

A really good experience. Cant wait till the virus is behind us and everything can open up.

Very nice place for kids in the 5-12 year range. After the spectacular entrance, we could see the magical SR71 stealth aircraft. Very good decision by the museum folks to move it inside. They have live animal exhibits, which is cool. There are folks who could answer any questions you might have, which is very good. Kids loved the science challenges. There are nice exhibits about current day problems such as plastic, pollution, etc which are so relevant and useful for everyone to know.

Absolutely amazing to go see the exhibits with hardly anyone there! Great sanitation precautions, fun exhibits and an all around good time.

Great exhibits. Fun for kids. The speed and light exhibit is a lot of fun. You can race different kinds of animals to see how fast you are (kids love this). The slow motion videos are really cool too. The Boost exhibit lets kids try different puzzles, strength tests, music, and other things. Then they can go look at their data. The new maker space called The Forge has lots of potential too.

My wife & I had our wedding reception here in the Rotunda in 2018. The staff was professional and for 150 people, this location was the best choice. On top of that, the museum has so many great exhibits and fun activities for children & adults. Membership has many benefits and we’ll stay members forever!

This is one of the better science museums I have been to. It is, of course, kid friendly but as an adult with no children and a love for science I love coming here when I have some free time on the weekend. Usually its not too crazy busy.

Came for the SR-71, was not disappointed. Flew it all over the country. Would recommend.

Science Museum of Virginia is a renovated train station. The museum is loads of fun. There is something there for all ages and interests. A lot of hands on participation and experimentation. Get there early, you can spend the day there. A Planetarium show. Northern Lights.

We took the kids here and this is by far the best science center I have ever been too. The kids had so much fun playing around and learning. I would have to say one of my favorite parts were playing air hockey with a robot, probably the nearest thing Ive ever done. I would love yo go back. They do offer military discount, free for the active duty member and a dollar off for their dependents. We really enjoyed our day here and would love to go back. We traveled 2 hours to get here and it was well worth the trip.

This is one of the most kid friendly museums I have ever seen.

Wife and grandson went to see Curous George and the trains and the rest. Had a great time.

Kind of smaller than expected but we still had fun. 4/5

In 1906, the Virginia General Assembly approved funds for the construction of a simple exhibits center to display mineral and timber exhibits being assembled for the Jamestown Exposition of 1907. After the exposition ended, many of the items were moved to Richmonds Capitol Square. The State Museum as it came to be known opened in 1910, adding displays of natural historical specimens from a variety of state agencies to its collection over the years.

It’s not a big museum, two hours are enough but if you purchase a dome movie then you will probably stay longer. Kids love the interactive labs, they enjoyed the time here so much.

The museum itself is definitely five stars. The exhibits are wonderful and the outdoor area is spectacular! It’s always been clean and everything in working order when I’ve visited. We’ve enjoyed the toddler room in the basement especially. And train day every year is wonderful!Their nighttime events I’d give 3.5 stars. They’re always overcrowded & staff is very unresponsive. I asked for help at the last one (slime night). Asked 3 different employees a question, and each one just shrugged or walked away and disappeared. Field trip days are also a mess - chaperones are very poor & children go CRAZY. Last time we experienced this, a bunch of middle schoolers and their chaperones invaded the clearly marked 5-and-under area - dangerous for the young toddlers. Thankfully, I called the front desk and they sent someone down to clear the room.

Amazing place for kids and adults alike. More of a set of interactive exhibits and activities than the museums I grew up with. Nice assortment of robots if you explore: air hockey, painting, 3D printing and embroiding. Also an automated band of instruments you can program.

Purely amazing! You could easily spend the entire day here. The interactive displays were just as exciting to the adults as they were to the kids.

Pompeii exhibit, coupled with the standard long-time exhibitions. Really enjoyed the steam locomotive and train cars outside.

Fiancé and I love science museums and this one was awesome! The “Speed” exhibit had some really interactive areas. Air Hockey against the robot arm was so fun! I loved the SR-71 exhibit. Makers floor was also pretty neat, but we couldn’t explore much since a program was running. Beautiful building as well; they did a great job preserving the history of this rail road station.

Everything was amazing. This was a awesome learning experience. This dome made you feel like you were rite there, as if you was walking the bridges.

We went here for my sons 8th birthday.. We absolutely love it! The staff are super nice and very educated about what they are working with. Its easy to spend hours here. Lots of interactive things to keep little ones (and the kid at heart) interested. I cant say I have I favorite exhibit because they were all wonderful. I hope to visit again soon!

So much science!! My Girl Scout Troop had a blast!! Five Stars

Friendly staff, some great exhibits and great price.

Wonderful science museum with a great, ever-changing collection of exhibits and hands-on activities. We especially loved the live dissection of a cows eye! The only challenge of visiting the museum is the limited parking, though there are lots on the side off Broad and you can park in front of the childrens museum next door. Definitely worth a visit or membership, especially if you have children!

There are so many incredible exhibits for ALL ages! I hadnt been there since I was a kid and was definitely blown away. We went for the Final Fur, March Ratness Event and it was everything! The rats were literally getting slam dunks! I cant wait to go back when we have more time to explore all 4 floors.

Very informative and awesome place for kids.

This is a wonderful museum with great exhibits. It wont be the last visit for my family and I.

Great museum with lots of hands on activities to keep children engaged. The special event space is large and they always have great exhibits in there as well. I also appreciated the live cooking events that they do. I will say that their Cafe is pretty lackluster. It is all microwave food and premade sandwiches. For the price and the number of people (four) they had working behind the 10ft long counter they could have actually prepared some food. Overall, though a great way to spend a day.

We went there when it was less busy than usual and all the interactive stuff was really fun! We even watched a film at the IMAX dome, which was fantastic and grand to say the least. The whole building is a great place for kids and to spend the day exploring!

An extremely fun and informative museum for individuals of all ages. The exhibits here are time-honored and exciting. Staff is very knowledgeable and friendly, especially with children. If youre looking for a fun place to take the kids on a Saturday afternoon, this is the place.

I have been going to the science museum since I was a little kid, I recently took my fiance here and we had a blast! Almost everything you can interact with at the museum so I would highly recommend this for anyone and definitely children! It is a FUN way to learn about all sorts of stuff. Check out their website to see what exibt is currently being held, because the exibts change. The price to go I believe is a little high at $15 for an adult, and the military discount is next to nothing only taking off $1.50. But overall its a fun experience. Go check it out and have fun!

Pretty good. Nice exhibits. A train yard in the back! A robot you can play air hockey against! Not the cheapest for a science center.

Pompeii exhibit was a once in a lifetime event. It was moving, interactive experience that was spectacular! One of Richmonds best!!!

I love visiting this museum and so does my 7 year old son. He has to check out the instuments in the basement every time we visit. I like science after dark they do a few times a month with star gazing. I do wish the changed or added new things more often.

I finally visited with my 16 month old after living in Richmond for 7 years. It was great! So much to do for all ages--from pre walking to adults. Would have easily kept our 16 month old engaged all day. The tickets were a little pricey for adults but it does look like if youre able to visit multiple times a year they have s nice membership program where you can get free guests.

Have watched the museum grow, modernize, expand and become ever more relevant. The staff has a heart for what they do and it shows. The director is a talented man committed to the ideals and efforts of their mission statement. Even the behind the scenes people work toward making this a great destination and experience. Looking forward to all the exciting things the museum has to offer in the future.

I understand this building used to be the train station. The rebuild was very respectful and it looks great. The exhibits are interactive. Its aimed at a much younger audience but I still had a good time. Veterans are admitted free.

Excellent place to bring children. My grandkids who are 4&5 found it engaging.

This is one of my favorite places in RVA! Theres always something new and exciting to experience. I make it a point to invite family and friends from out-of-town to come with me.

This place was absolutely amazing! I have been to several science museums before but this one was by far the best so far. Almost everything was interactive. And it was unbelievable! Something for all ages

This is an AWESOME place for adults and kids!! The hands-on Nitrogen lab is a great experience. Science at its best. First time there, but it wont be the last

Visited on a field trip with my son and we had a great time. There was so much to do and learn, we just didnt have enough time to really look at everything. We will be visiting again to take our time and see all the museum has to offer

I loved going here when I was a kid, and I still do to this day! I loved the human body exhibits, the animal display they have on the second floor, and their newly redesigned exhibit just down from the front door. Science Museum of VA is the best place to go for fun!

I was surprised that I had so much fun at a museum. The kids enjoyed it to. There was a little room that allowed you to experience different weather conditions, I got to play air hockey with a robot, music games, games to test your knowledge, and more!

It a fun place to learn and take the family to see

It has been years since I visited. This is a very nice resource Richmond. If youre in the area join for the year and visit frequently. We came to see the model train show. Very nice. Veterans and active military can visit for free.

Always a fun time when we go! My daughter has a blast with all of the activites and exhibits, which are also fun and entertaining for parents as well! Weve recently been attending the Friday night science after dark, and its been a wonderful idea for bringing the whole family out!

Enjoyed to field trip very interesting .The 3 D lab the young man was very helpful. The Imax theater the ladies was attentive because I did not like heights the offered another seating option.

Husband truly enjoyed it here. Very big into the front exhibit. And my 4 year old adored the trains. I only have one complaint I personally felt theres not enough. The big exhibit was the eye catcher and everything was kinda meh. I loved the original stuff from the train station but there isnt enough to keep you here for awhile. Especially for the price point. While parking here is free we luckily got in with free admission (Childrens museum membership) but if we didnt have the membership we wouldnt have come here to be honest.

Great place to take kids to learn about science and take part in interactive activities.They have a gift shop that is average compared to other similar museums. The staff is great and very accessible.

Went with kids ranging between 5-10 years in age and other adults. The museum had something for all of us. Very interesting & the information was presented in a way that could be explained to the 7 years and older kids. There were a number of hands-on experiments or tinkering that could be done in the exhibits. The kids really enjoyed the Speed, Boost, & the various labs. The movie presentation on the Dome (76 ft spherical screen) was awesome & totally worth the additional $4 for it. We spent close to 5 hours including about half an hour for lunch in the small cafeteria within the museum. I believe we could have easily spent the entire day here & seen the other exhibits and sections.

This place was by far the best museum Richmond has to offer: my children love how hands on everything is and very interactive. We had such a good time. They also offer a military discount. We have 4 kids ranging from 13 to 7 months and they had something for everyone!!! We will def continue to go to the museum

This kept my kids busy for hours in the cool on a HOT Virginia day. Educators get in for free with id.

Fantastic experience, will continue to bring the kids as they get older

Great place to bring kids, and there are enough exhibits to consume your whole day

Great time a nice way to spend 2 hours ony our quick trip and back to Richmond.

Great place to gather with family and friends.

I dont go to museums often but I do love museums when I do get to go. This museum was extremely interactive and fun! Great for all ages to be honest, the staff was helpful and friendly! Theres lots to do and a lot to learn while doing it! You can test yourself and see how you compare to others. Also theres a movie similar to IMAX, we watched Planet 9 which was pretty interesting and the person talking us through the show was fun! Overall this museum is worth the visit! 10/10 would definitely recommend giving it a go if youre around!

Went for the bug exhibit, really alot of fun and well done. Impressed by the size of the museum and the events they offer. Great for indoor activities with the family on days when the weather is to nasty to be outdoors.

This place is the best!!! I love coming here with my family and kids. It is great for people of all ages and the Trainyard is the best place for kids to exercise out there Yaya’s before you get in the car and head home. If you’re in the area the Season pass is well worth it.

This museum is a lot of fun and very interactive for kids. Definitely recommended!

A whole days worth of adventure! It was absolutely packed with stuff to check out. We happen to be there during some model train event which was very entertaining! They also offer military free admission

Always a fun and educational experience. Check out rat basketball! The dome planetarium is also a must see! Great movies and live sky presentations..

A great museum to visit with family and children. Has lots of interesting exhibits, and practically everything there is an interaction be exhibit. The only parts that arent interactive are the live animal attractions, but the whole basement and first floor are completely dedicated to interactive exhibits, and theres a lot to choose from. You could spend all day in this museum playing on the VR exhibits or trying to activate computers with the power of your brain. Not only are they interactive but I came out of the museum with new exciting knowledge that I was ready to share with me friends (even though I had only heard it once and didnt really understand it). Definitely a most visit place if you live in the Richmond area!

Excellent & very educative for growing children. It will create interest on Science for the youngsters. Volunteers explanations on exhibits are great. Every one must spend their valuable time in this science center with their family members.

Fun place for the whole family! Loved the various participation activities like see how fast you can through a baseball, sprint racing, make your own video. Lots of other learning activities.

Great place for kids and Adults! Real fun! They currently have the Pompaii Exhibit- 80% of items are real.

I came for the giant floating globe. I stayed for the interactive exhibits. Part was closed off for a private event so I cant vouch for everything.

Took a group of High School students- looked at exhibits and went to the IMAX on a Saturday. Everyone enjoyed the day.

Great place to bring kids. There were a lot of great things for my 5 year old and even some great things for my 9 month old.They have an interactive play area for small toddlers and my 9 month old really enjoyed standing at the mirror and scooting along on the padded floor to reach more toys.We will be back sometime soon.

This is one of the newest exhibits.....GIANT BUGS!!!!!

Love the new sports theme exhibits running right now. My 10 yr old was having a blast!

I loved this museum as a kid but its so much better now. Its more like an educational arcade. I played air hockey against a robot!

Okay so this my my first time going here and it was amazing! So much stuff to do! And dont get me started on the people that work there! The guy that helped me get a membership was very patient and the man standing at the entrance helped my screaming calm down! I love this place eo much!

Great time with the family. Took us about 45 minutes just to make it down the first hallway. So much interactive things to look at and enjoy. Great place to take kids.

Its a decent science museum, especially if you have kids. And if you havent been there for a while. Admittedly, Ive been spoiled. It doesnt in any way compare to my beloved Boston Museum of Science, but then, Richmond isnt Boston! Pound for pound, though, it doesnt compare to the VMFA down the road, either, which offers three (not one!) special exhibitions a year.

My favorite museum in RVA.

The building and bathrooms are kept extremely clean. Staff is helpful and welcoming. Safe, fun, educational environment for all ages. Has wheel chair accessible entrance, exhibits, elevators, etc.I love this place and have been going since I was little.My only criticism is that certain exhibits (like boost and speed) have missing pieces to many of the activities, or the electronic activities dont work.I would recommend this place to anyone!

Kids loved all the hands on activities.

Somewhat small museum, but pretty packed with cool stuff. The kids area looked very interactive and fun- nice way to spend a rainy afternoon in Richmond VA!

My wife and I visited today for the first time and this brought me back to my childhood. Great place to learn facts and history. Kids will love it.

Over all kinda of under welming. I figured for the money it cost there would be more. The few exhibits they had were good. I am just used to museums being bigger. I wished there was more to it.

Excellent interactive museum. Great place to take the kids.

A lot of people say that there isn’t enough to do for adults/older people at the museum, but there really are a lot of exhibits which parents and adults can enjoy on the second floor, and a couple more tucked away in some corners. Take some time to look around on the second floor, see the ecolab with a live honeybee hive, the animal lab with all sorts of turtles snakes, lizards, bugs etc. Make sure to check out rat basketball in the third floor, a really cool presentation with real rats really playing basketball 2-3 times a day. And make sure to stop by the theater tucked in the back of Speed to the right at certain times (ask or look on one of the screens around the museum) and see a presentation of Science on a Sphere, a really cool piece of technology that uses three projectors seamlessly projecting onto the sphere.

My family enjoyed our visit to the Museum.

A very interesting place for young children with lots of energy! Unfortunately I did not take any pictures on this trip, however there was lots to do. We stayed primarily on the first floor so there is a lot more for us to discover on our next trip!

I have a family membership which o received because I get benefits. So if you get food stamps or medicaid you may qualify. Great exhibits and activities for the family