Favorite Science Museums & Daytrips for Kids

Virginia has a bumper crop of hands-on, cutting-edge science museums for kids and and centers to engage the curious and entertain all ages. Encounter wildlife, get an insider’s look at a space station, take a techie challenge, walk through a rainforest, get messy, learn about the night sky, and much more in these hands-on science daytrips that both kids and parents will enjoy. Are you into science and technology and looking for the best science museums in Virginia? We’ve got you covered with this great collection that spans the Smithsonian to children’s museums that welcome babies and toddlers to get hands-on with their learning about how the world works. We hope our guide will inspire wonder and stimulate creative exploration through fun interactive science for your whole family. Have fun!

Scientific Daytrips in Harrisonburg & Shenandoah Valley

John C. Wells Planetarium

Prepare to be star-struck. The John C. Wells Planetarium at James Madison University (JMU) is a state-of-the-art hybrid facility that offers a look into where no one has gone before. In 2013, the planetarium upgraded the video system that makes journeying through the solar system possible through a Digistar 5 system that displays full-dome videos that are two-and-a-half times sharper than high-definition television. This upgrade makes the JMU planetarium one of only a handful of facilities in the world currently to have both the Digistar 5 ultra-high resolution digital projection system and a Goto CHRONOS opto-mechanical star projection system. The planetarium can display the nighttime sky as it would appear from anywhere on earth at any time of year. Imagine seeing what the nighttime sky would look like without interference from lights, something that’s practically impossible from just about anywhere on Earth. It’s possible just down the interstate in Harrisonburg. The planetarium offers free Saturday public shows from early September through May (except during JMU Breaks)

Explore More Discovery Museum

The Explore More Discovery Museum offers kids an interactive, multi-sensory experience that gives them a greater understanding of their minds and the world around them. Stroll into the museum’s “CK’s Kitchen and Farmer’s Market” exhibit, where your child can handpick his or her own fruits and veggies and then cook up a culinary delight in the kitchen. Build skyscrapers with Keva planks in the Construction Zone. Discover what organs look like inside the body as you perform surgery in the Friendly City Medical Center or keep teeth squeaky clean in the Friendly City Dental Exhibit. Take the kids to the theater, which is complete with curtains, costumes and lighting that even little stagehands can manage. There is no shortage of educational fun at this science museum for kids with its variety of exciting programs. The museum has expanded its space to include a TV station where little journalists can deliver breaking news, and the fully-functional lab has all the tools young scientists need to perform experiments and make new discoveries.

Science Museums for Kids in Richmond

Science Museum of Virginia

Take a day to explore the Science Museum of Virginia in Richmond. The museum works to inspire kids to think big with hundreds of experiential exhibits on topics such as space, health, electricity, the Earth and more. When planning your trip, make sure to check online for current exhibit information and to see what’s playing in the museum’s Dome Theater–the largest screen in Richmond, measuring at nearly a quarter of an acre. Throughout the  223,000-square-foot space, live science demos can be seen as well as live science labs, including eco, animal and art labs. One of the best science museums in Virginia, Charlottevsille residents are only one hour away from the ultimate learning adventure. The museum’s newest exhibit, Playing With Light, offers visitors the opportunity to explore our world and how it is illuminated through 22 exhibits with a multitude of outcomes. Make your trip extra easy with our story on visiting SMV with kids.

Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden

The Children’s Garden at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden was created so that kids of all ages can enjoy the great outdoors by observing wildlife, digging in the dirt, climbing a hundred-year-old mulberry tree, or simply doing nothing at all. You can also “climb” the easily accessible Klaus Family Tree House. It’s 13 feet above ground, but a series of sloping ramps make climbing easy, even for wheelchair users and strollers. Everyone may enjoy a spectacular bird’s-eye view of the lake and adjacent gardens. Children are invited to plant and nurture healthy fruits and veggies in the Farm Garden, with several hundred pounds of fresh foods donated each year to help feed central Virginia’s poor children. Open during warm months, the Waterway splash pad is the perfect place for children to keep cool (best for toddlers to age 10), Enjoy strolling through the rose garden, Japanese garden, a prairie, butterfly meadow, and evergreen environs, Seasonal art exhibits in the garden as well as special events like a butterfly pavilion and the holiday GardenFest of Lights make each visit unique. There is even a nice cafeteria for taking a snack break!

Maymont Nature Center, Farm & Virginia Wildlife Trail

Themed “Run of the River,” The Robins Nature Center highlights the remarkable ecology of the James River in Richmond. Two virtual shallow pools with touch responsiveness, teeming with wildlife and native plants waiting to be discovered fill the main hall. After exploring the streams and wildlife, take a seat and watch the river otters play in their indoor/outdoor exhibit. At the charming farm area, drop some coins in the feed machine and watch your kid become the little goats favorite person! There are also bunnies, chickens, miniature pigs, a donkey and more. Nearby you can walk on the Virginia Wildlife Trail and see some especially shy native critters including a red fox, black bear and bald eagle. Bonus! Maymont is free with a small suggested donation at the Nature Center. If you want to extend your visit their is also a Victorian Mansion and formal Italian Gardens (photo opp!). The house tour has a fee and reservations are recommended but nowhere else are you going to find a swan-themed bedroom like this!

Science Centers for Kids in Hampton Roads

Virginia Air & Space Center (Hampton)

Many people do not realize the Virginia Air & Space Center in Hampton is the official visitor center for NASA Langley Research Center. The facility features interactive aviation exhibits, more than 30 historic aircraft, a hands-on space exploration gallery, unique space flight artifacts, and much more. The Center is also home to the Apollo 12 Command Module and the Orion PA-1 Test Vehicle. The new Space Exploration Gallery and Adventures in Early Learners Gallery The SPACE (Smile, Play, Achieve, Create, Explore), invites guests of all ages to celebrate the spirit of exploration through state-of-the-art exhibits that explore our solar system. The Center also recently renovated the IMAX theatre, where visitors can see shows like the Grand Canyon, Great Bear Rainforest and The Story of Earth making this a wonderful science daytrip for families.

Virginia Living Museum (Newport News)

Just down the road from Hampton is the Virginia Living Museum in Newport News–Virginia’s Animal Attraction and Dino Destination. The museum is home to over 250 species of animals that live in the state, and one of the largest displays of native plants in the Commonwealth. The museum’s Underground Gallery allows visitors to experience geology in action, and the state-of-the-art Abbitt Planetarium Theater offers a fully digital simulation of the sky in the 71-seat space. Young palentologists will want to visit just for the permanent outdoor dinosaur exhibit. Walk through the woods to discover realistic one-third to full-size dinos from the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods. Enjoy a photo opp with a baby T. Rex and get little hands dirty searching for fossils in the dig pits. If you haven’t visited in a while, the dinosaur area has been greatly expanded in 2023 – you can spend hours here with your little ones playing in the shade.

Science Museums for Families in Washington DC

Museum of Natural History (Washington DC)

Do your kids love the movie, Night at the Museum? While the Smithsonian wasn’t the setting (New York’s Museum of Natural History) it certainly would have been a fine choice. Families are greeted by an African Bush elephant in the Rotunda and be sure to see the Hope Diamond in the gem hall, a mastodon, the 52-foot model of a mega-toothed shark, insect zoo and butterfly pavilion. Tips for planning your visit. Extra fun for visiting with kids – try the new touchless scavenger hunts for kids. Free timed entry passes should be reserved in advance for all Smithsonian Museums.

National Air & Space Museum

Take your curiosity to new heights and explore the world’s premier collection of air and space artifacts, stories, and expertise. From the first flight, to the first steps on the moon, and beyond, discover stories of air and space in these unique exhibitions. Free timed entry passes should be reserved in advance for all Smithsonian Museums. Located near Dulles Airport, the Air and Space Museum’s annex, a second location, includes some of the larger items from the collection spread out over 340,000 square feet. An IMAX theatre, Dulles flight observation tower and flight simulator are popular exhibits.

National Arboretum

Outdoors-loving families can explore the National Arboretum’s 446 acres by bike, car or on foot. The Arboretum includes dogwood and magnolia collections, a bonsai and penjing museum, and a grove of state trees. As in the Botanic Garden, parts of the Capitol’s former east porch may be discovered here; marble columns exist around a reflecting pool in the center of the grounds. The arboretum is well known for its stunning array of azaleas in Spring. The Perennial Collection features blossoming peonies, day lilies, and daffodils, while the National Herb Garden features holly, juniper, pansies, and over 100 stunning rose varietals.

National Geographic Museum

This museum, located on the first level of the National Geographic Society downtown, features hands-on and technologically advanced displays. The programs, as expected from the acclaimed century-old society, focus on science, nature, history, and global cultures, with many child-friendly themes. This is a relatively quick stop whereas you could spend easily spend a full day at the Smithsonian Museums.

Science Museums for Kids in Baltimore

Maryland Science Center

There’s no shortage of fantastic science museums in Virginia, but for even more fun, head north to Maryland. The Maryland Science Center’s signature brand of science education celebrates the “how come?” and the “what if?’’  From astronomy to paleontology, the human body to physics and phenomena, the facility is packed with innovative exhibits that demonstrate the wonders of scientific discovery with a focus on open-ended exploration. Exhibits include, Math in Nature, Newton’s Alley, SpaceLink, Dinosaur Mysteries, and The Shed, where kids can learn a new skill, create an invention and find a solution to a design challenge through various drop-in activities. Located in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor, the Maryland Science Center is worth the trip! Pair your visit with a stop at the National Aquarium for extra science learning and fun.