Shenandoah Valley Discovery Museum

The Shenandoah Valley Discovery Museum in Winchester is one of those smaller regional children's museums that often gets overlooked in favor of the big-city options — and that's a shame, because it delivers a genuinely excellent experience at a more affordable price point than many larger institutions.

Located in Old Town Winchester, the museum occupies a charming downtown space with exhibits across multiple floors. The focus is squarely on hands-on learning for younger children — climbing structures, science experiments, sensory play areas, and pretend-play environments that give kids 1-10 a full range of ways to engage.

For families traveling the Shenandoah Valley or stopping through Winchester on a Skyline Drive trip, this is an excellent morning activity, especially if the weather turns cloudy or rainy. The downtown location means you can finish at the museum and walk to lunch on the Old Town pedestrian mall, then continue your drive.

For families specifically based in Williamsburg, the distance (nearly 3 hours) makes this better suited to families already in the Winchester/northern Shenandoah area rather than as a standalone day trip.