Last week, we traveled to New Jersey and brought you our favorite spots for family fun in Cherry Hill. Today we’re going to continue down the East Coast to Richmond, Virginia’s capital and a city steeped in American history.

Our Picks For Family Fun In Richmond, VA

Richmond Virginia Main Street StationRichmond is a major destination for tourists, primarily due to its central role in the formative years of our country.

The ubiquitous phrase “Give me liberty or give me death,” a rallying cry for the American Revolution, was first uttered here by Patrick Henry in 1775. During the Civil War, Richmond served as the Confederacy’s capital. With the Union preserved, Richmond now offers plenty of family-friendly fun for tourists and locals alike!

Riverfront Canal Walk

When I visit Richmond, I always take my friends on the Riverfront Canal Walk first. Stretching more than one mile along the James River canal, between 5th and 17th Street, strolling the Riverfront Canal walk isn’t just a great way to unwind after a busy day with your family and take in more than four centuries of Richmond’s storied history.

More than that, using the Riverfront walk is a way of accessing Richmond’s best attractions. From the Edgar Allan Poe Museum (for the scare-seekers in your group!) to Virginia’s National Battlefield Park (for the history buff!), Richmond’s Riverfront walk leads to numerous fascinating sites.

Richmond’s Riverfront Canal begins at 139 Virginia Street.

Children’s Museum of Richmond

With a constantly rotating roster of fully-interactive exhibits made just for kids, the Children’s Museum of Richmond is sure to delight inquisitive, curious children. The exhibits are designed for children to learn through play, the “natural and spontaneous way for children to learn about the world around them.”

The Children’s Museum of Richmond was created for children from birth to eight years old, with specific exhibits meant for specific age-groups. For younger children, the Children’s Museum’s Little Farm and Living Tree House exhibits foster unstructured play. As kids get older, their preferred types of play become more structured. The Museum’s Town Square allows for numerous role-playing opportunities for bigger kids.

The Children’s Museum of Richmond has two locations in the city itself, and another in Midlothion, VA. The Richmond Museums are at 2626 West Broad Street and 2200 Old Brick Road.

Metro Richmond Zoo

Everybody loves the zoo. And the Metro Richmond Zoo is hard to beat! With over 600 animals, from giraffes to chimpanzees, multiple playgrounds, and their new Treetop Zoofari, which allows adventurous older kids to experience nature high in the forest canopy, the Richmond Zoo has fun for all ages.

Metro Richmond Zoo is located at 8300 Beaver Bridge Road in Moseley, Virginia, a short drive from Richmond.

Rockwood Nature Center

Rockwood Nature Center Richmond VAThe Rockwood Nature Center is Chesterfield County, Virginia’s oldest park. 161 acres of beautiful hiking trails, ball fields, an interactive nature center, archery range, and picnic areas, perfect for a weekend trip into the wild!

Rockwood Nature Center has hosted a popular series of toddler and pre-school appropriate nature programs for several years. For a run-down of their offerings for little nature explorers, check out Rockwood Nature Center’s Nature Programs page. They’re fun, educational, and affordable. For sign-up information, visit the Chesterfield County Parks and Recreation’s Registration page.

The entrance to Rockwood Nature Center is at 3401 Courthouse Rd.

Science Museum of Virginia

For the curious child, The Science Museum of Virginia is heaven on earth. With inspiring, educational exhibits too numerous to mention, Richmond’s Science Museum seeks to spark creativity in young mind’s – all under the guise of fun, of course!

The Science Museum of Virginia is a place where young explorers can blast-off to the farthest reaches of the universe or delve deep into the past and meet dinosaurs.  Where exploring the world around us is always linked to joy.

The Science Museum of Virginia is located at 2500 West Broad Street

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 Adoption Agency In Richmond, VA

For 30 years, the adoption professionals at Adoptions From The Heart have helped build beautiful families in offices from Wynnewood, Pennsylvania to Richmond, Virginia. To learn more about Adoptions From The Heart’s office in Richmond, VA, visit our Richmond, VA Contact page. We also have an office in Chesapeake, VA and you can find more information at our Chesapeake, Virginia Contact page.