Virginia's slogan is "Virginia is for Lovers," but when you look at all the Commonwealth's kid-friendly places and activities you realize that it could just as well be "Virginia is for Children." The state is rich with U.S. Civil War and Revolutionary War sites and is home to Mount Vernon, Montpelier and the Custis-Lee Mansion. It is also home to one-of-a-kind places that are great for kids to learn and have fun at the same time.
This museum allows kids to observe and have a hands-on experience with nature. Living exhibits depict Virginia's natural past and present, from the land to sea, with 250 species that are native to this state. The museum also offers an observatory and state-of-the-art digital planetarium. A visit will also give kids a chance to touch fossilized dinosaur tracks, view the endangered red wolves, a loggerhead turtle and moon jellies.
Kids can have a close-up encounter with safari animals here. According to the state's tourism website, this is Virginia's largest zoo and its only drive-through one. Located on a 180-acre preserve, animals, including camels, herds of zebras, elk, llamas, bison and ostriches, are free-roaming. Take a three-mile drive through the Safari Park to watch wildlife in its natural habitat. There is also a 10-acre walk-through area designated for petting and feeding animals such as tigers, kangaroos, giraffes and tortoises.
Dinosaur Land in the Shenandoah valley brings kids back to the time of the dinosaurs. Kids see scenes of these animals, both big and small, roaming the land and waters and have a chance to see how large the animals were and how they lived. Animals featured include the mammoth, gigantosaurus, triceratops, oviraptor, a 60-foot-long shark, 20-foot-long king cobra and many others.
This place holds over 800,000 gallons of water with animals in their underwater habitat. From the Bay and Ocean Pavilion, to the March Pavilion, kids have a chance to learn about oceanography and see and learn about the animals that live in the Chesapeake Bay and the birds, microscopic animals and plants in the marshland areas. The center also offers a number of hands-on and interactive exhibits.
