The Science Museum of Virginia, located in Richmond, Virginia, features dozens of exhibits as well as other features that may not be found in other science museums.
The Museum, located at 2500 West Broad Street in Richmond, opened its doors in January of 1977. Since that time, the museum has continued to add exhibits and grow in many ways.
Below is a small sampling of what can be found among the permanent exhibits in the museum.
Science Unplugged
This exhibit allows children to participate in hands-on experiments that test engineering, science and physics theories.
Space Gallery
At this popular exhibit, visitors can learn all about space travel. They can see the effects of zero gravity, view a real moon rock and help to build a part of the International Space Station.
Car ONE
Car ONE (pronounced "Car oh-en-ee'') is an example of the luxurious private railroad cars used by businesses and wealthy individuals during the time when railroad travel was among the most popular means of transportation.
Reynolds Aluminaut
On display in this exhibit is an aluminum submarine built in 1964. This sub was the first of its kind and set world records for the deepest dive of the time and conducted emergency salvage and scientific missions.
There are also many demonstrations where visitors can actually see how something works from start to finish. As the Stomach Turns gives a view into the digestive system. You Make Me Sick shows how the human body was created to fight infections. There are dozens of these demonstrations throughout the museum.
There is also an IMAX theater as well as the Carpenter Science Theater where live performances of plays with a science theme are put on by the Carpenter Science Theater Company.
Most of the exhibits have been geared in such a way that they line up with what students need to learn in order to pass their Standards of Learning (SOL) tests.
Many Saturdays from noon-4 the museum features "Science Saturday'' where visitors get an even closer look at some of the exhibits and demonstrations and more hands-on opportunities are provided.
One visitor from Colorado said that the museum was appropriate for visitors of all ages. She said, "Our two science-oriented boys are 13 and 15, but there are many exhibits/activities for younger children also. We thought we would be there a couple of hours, but we ended up staying most of the day.''
Another visitor said that she enjoyed the museum in general, but was a bit disappointed because many of the exhibits were not working during her visit. She also felt that many of the exhibits were designed with younger children in mind.
Check for current admission prices and event schedules before planning your visit.
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