Science Museum of Virginia

The Science Museum of Virginia in Richmond is a top-tier attraction for families with curious kids — the kind of place where the drive from Williamsburg (about 1 hour) is genuinely worth it. Housed in the magnificent Broad Street Station, a 1919 Beaux-Arts railroad terminal, the museum combines an extraordinary building with excellent educational content.

The centerpiece is the Dome, a 250-seat immersive theater with a 76-foot curved screen that delivers full peripheral-vision experiences. Documentary and educational films about space, nature, and science play throughout the day — the visual scale transforms what could be classroom content into genuinely cinematic experiences. Book Dome tickets online in advance, especially for weekend visits.

The exhibit floors cover an impressive range: human biology (including gross-out favorite sections on digestion and the brain), electricity and energy (the Van de Graaff generator demonstration is a perennial kid-pleaser), space science, environmental science, and technology. The interactive elements are well-maintained and genuinely hands-on rather than push-a-button-and-read-a-placard.

For older kids and teenagers, the museum has enough depth to keep them engaged — it's not condescending or purely focused on elementary-age content. The space and astronomy exhibits in particular work well for scientifically curious teens.

Notes for practical planning: the museum is closed on Mondays, so plan accordingly. Parking is free in an adjacent lot. The building itself is worth arriving 15-20 minutes early to appreciate — the main hall's rotunda is stunning.