We explored the Children’s Museum of Richmond Downtown, and here’s everything we learned. Check out our complete photo tour review!
The funniest thing.
A few days leading up to our trip to Richmond, Trevor began talking about a purple slide.
“Want to go puh-ple slide.”
He would just say this at random times throughout the day.
We don’t have a purple slide at home. Chris and I had no clue where he came up with this.
So imagine Chris’s and my surprise when we walked into the Children’s Museum of Richmond Downtown (the Broad Street location).
And there, in the center of the museum, was a giant tunnel slide that was deep purple in color.
Trevor, meanwhile, showed no signs of surprise.
His attitude was just, “of course there’s a purple slide here. Like I expected.”
He loved that slide though.
He must have done at least ten rides down before we explored anything else in the museum…
Here’s a complete photo tour of the Children’s Museum of Richmond Downtown, and everything we learned during our time there:
Living Tree House
Let’s begin our photo review with Trevor’s absolute favorite exhibit:
The Living Tree House!
This exhibit was basically an indoor playground.
There were stairs to climb, bridges to walk across, and a tree house high up near the ceiling.
Trevor, age two, was a little too small to ride the big and fast “puh-ple” slide without help.
The first time he tried the slide, he accidentally tumbled forward at the top and ending up flying face-first into the carpet at the bottom.
After that, I had to climb up to the top of the slide with him each time and help get him started.
Sun Tubes
Trevor’s other favorite: the Sun Tubes.
Here, kids place colorful scarves into tubes filled with air.
The exhibit sucks up the scarves, sends them through a see-through pathway of tubing, and then spits the scarves out again.
Trevor was fascinated.
And in love with this exhibit.
He could have spent all day here.
I had the chance to sit down and relax on a nearby bench for a few minutes…
Which brings me to another point about the Children’s Museum of Richmond.
This museum is an absolutely wonderful play space for young kids.
But don’t expect museum exhibits that are also engaging and interesting for adults and older kids.
The big treat for parents here is the opportunity to (maybe, if you’re lucky!) sit and relax for a few minutes while kids learn, explore, and burn energy.
The Apple Tree
Another similar attraction was The Apple Tree.
This exhibit also had tubes, and the towering “tree” was brightly decorated and colorful.
The exhibit included red balls, intended to look like apples.
Trevor had fun collecting the “apples,” putting them into the basket, and sending the apples flying through the tubes.
Silver Diner
I thought the Silver Diner was really cute.
It was a colorful mini diner complete with toddler-sized booths where Tru could comfortably sit.
Plus lots of plastic food so kids could pretend they were really in a restaurant.
Little Farm
Trevor also loved checking out the Little Farm.
This was a large play space with lots of safe, hands-on activities for toddlers (children 3 years and younger).
The coolest part, in my opinion, was the life-sized Dairy Cow perched right beside the farm.
Trevor was able to sit down on a stool and try “milking” the cow (i.e. squirting water into a bucket).
He was a little unsure about this one, but he was willing to try once.
Wegman’s Food Market
Speaking of farms and food, Trevor adored the Wegman’s exhibit.
Here, kids can select toy food to put into mini shopping carts, then go to the cash register to pay.
There were only a few shopping carts available at this exhibit, so Tru had a minor meltdown when another child grabbed Trevor’s cart.
But luckily, we found a water exhibit to distract him completely and immediately…
Water Play!
This indoor splash zone was so colorful and beautifully designed.
Tru liked cranking the watermills and splashing in the fountains.
Book Nook Library
I thought this library was a cool feature of the Children’s Museum.
There were lots of books on display, plus comfortable space for kids to take a quiet break.
Tru loves books but he had no interest in this exhibit. There were just too many other exciting things to explore!
I thought it was such an adorably designed space though.
Dino Dig Pit
Another exhibit that seemed to be really popular was the Dig Pit.
This was an elaborately designed sand box with a dinosaur theme.
There were plenty of plastic “fossils” to discover in the sand!
Carousel
There was also a gorgeous carousel in the center of the museum.
Tickets to ride the carousel cost $2.
I was surprised carousel rides were an additional charge on top of the museum entrance fee.
But then I learned that all proceeds go toward a fund offering free museum memberships to families in need.
There were a few exhibits that Trevor didn’t choose to explore.
These included an auto service station with a car to “drive”, a playhouse with a stage and costumes, an art studio with crayons and paints, and a news reporting station.
Outside, there were also a couple of playgrounds and a water fountain/splash park.
Plus an organic garden and plenty of picnic tables.
It was too cold for us to explore the outdoor exhibits when we visited in late October, but I can imagine Tru would adore these outdoor features in warm weather!
Overall, Trevor loved the Children’s Museum of Richmond Downtown.
It felt open and spacious, with a wide variety of interactive exhibits to entertain and teach.
Although there wasn’t anything of interest for parents, we liked that this museum was such a fun treat for Tru.
(And, p.s., he took a nice long nap afterwards!)
Here’s everything we wondered about before visiting the Museum of Richmond Downtown, plus all of the answers we learned while exploring the museum:
Children’s Museum of Richmond Downtown
2626 W Broad St, Richmond, VA 23220
What Age Group Is the Children’s Museum of Richmond Geared Toward?
In our opinion, the museum is definitely geared toward younger kids. Trevor, age 2 1/2 loved the museum. We’d say toddlers and preschoolers (ages 1 through 5) would get the most enjoyable experience out of this museum.
How Much Time Can We Expect To Spend at the Children’s Museum of Richmond?
All of the exhibits at the Children’s Museum Downtown are located on the ground floor of the building. There are enough exhibits to keep kids busy for about 2 or 3 hours. We spent about 2 hours at the museum with Trevor. But he happily would have spent all day at the Tree House playground/climbing area with the slide!
One note: admission tickets are good for the full day. So you can go to the museum in the morning, leave the museum for lunch (for example) and then return later in the afternoon.
Are There Crowds at the Children’s Museum of Richmond?
There weren’t any crowds at the museum on the day that we visited, which was wonderful. Tru often had to share and take turns at the exhibits, but mostly he was free to explore without lines. We visited the museum on a cold but pleasant and sunny day. We can imagine the museum does become crowded on rainy weekend days!
What Does Admission to the Children’s Museum of Richmond Cost?
Admission costs $9 per person. Note that children age 1 and older must pay admission (infants under age 1 are free). And adults pay admission too. Parents and caretakers don’t get in free here!
One other note: if you think you’ll visit the museum more than three or four times, you’ll get a better value from an annual membership.
Tip: If you think you’ll only spend about an hour at the museum, go at 4pm. Discounted tickets are available from 4pm until the museum closes at 5pm, and only cost $4 per person.
Is There Parking at the Children’s Museum of Richmond?
One great benefit of this museum is that there’s plentiful free parking! There’s a huge, free lot right in front of the museum.
Are There Places to Eat at the Children’s Museum of Richmond?
There weren’t any cafeterias or quick service restaurants at the museum. And food isn’t allowed in any of the exhibit areas. But we did notice tables set up in the lobby/entrance area for families who pack snacks or a lunch. Also, there are beverages and snacks for sale in the museum gift shop.
For More on Traveling to Richmond, Check Out:
Richmond For Kids: 5 Sites Families Will Love
5 Stunning Sites You Absolutely Must See In Richmond
Take A Photo Tour of The Jefferson Luxury Hotel
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