There are plenty of spots like this one for kids to get out of their shell!
Spring break week found us hangin’ ’round home so we poked around several spots, old and new, and one of them we hadn’t visited in a year, The Virginia Living Museum. It’s a pretty cool spot so I wanted to share our trip with you as summer approaches and rainy days and long pool days leave gaps perfect for this type of day trip.
We hopped in the car and headed to Newport News, at just over an hour, an easy escape. The day
Watching ducks at close-range inside the museum.
was overcast and cool but warm enough to hang outside, one of the things I love about this museum: there are great walking paths with animals like bald eagles, coyote, red fox and others to view along the way.
After walking for an hour or so outside we headed to the planetarium where, for just a couple of bucks additional each, we had a 30-minute guided tour of the Virginia sky with a local astronomer. We were all pretty mesmerized by Orion, Beetlejuice and the other mystical clusters of light we learned about.
One stop right in the middle is a must-see: the honeybees that fly in and out of the encased beehive. What a fun way to check out that queen bee and her hard-working teammates!
There are a ton of nooks and crannies here and one of my personal faves are all the little “learning centers”
My little biologist at work.
with microscopes that kids can check out to closely inspect fish scales and other wildlife. My five-year-old was super-intent on this spot where we spent twenty minutes or so checking out every little detail.
Sea life abounds here in both open-air spaces where ducks swim by atop eye-level see-through aquariums and enclosed fish tanks as well with signs sharing
The friendly helpers at the VA Living Museum even let us touch some of the tough shells of local creatures.
Virginia history and wildlife along the Chesapeake and other local waterways.
One of the new friends we got up close and personal with at the VLM.
The kids were a little squeamish about touching them but I actually had to check out every one–what a treat to get this close-up! I learned that this little guy to my right has a gooey body and a tough round shell attached that acts as his “trap door” so he can completely protect himself from predators.
After over three hours and covering tons of ground, we ducked into the gift shop for a hot second before heading on back to Route 64 towards Richmond. It was the perfect way to end the Friday of spring break.
There are a bunch of programs for kids to check out, too. Hope you get to visit soon! Let us know what you think.
