Children's Museum of Virginia

Coordinates: 36°50′06″N 76°17′56″W / 36.8349°N 76.2988°W / 36.8349; -76.2988

The Children's Museum of Virginia is the largest children's museum in the state of Virginia. It is located in the heart of Olde Town Portsmouth at 221 High Street. The Children's Museum of Virginia highlights:

• Life size tug boat for children to play with
• Bubble play area
• Life size house
• Lancaster train area for the little ones to play with trains
• An exhibit that allows children to learn how food goes from farm to house

History

The museum first opened in December 1980 when the Lancaster’s donated their personal collection of 5000 toys and trains, lovingly collected for more than forty years. The museum was born in the basement of the Portsmouth library. In 1984 the size of the museum doubled and moved to 1846 Courthouse on the corner of High and Court Streets. At the museums 18th birthday it moved to the 221 location on high street where it is today.

Renovations

• 1998- Renovations were made by adding over 30+ interactive exhibits, 63,000 square feet (5,900 m²) and re-arranging the Lancaster Train Set.
• 2009- The entire building was gutted to make a more new, modern museum. Adding all new exhibits and adding over 9,000 square feet (840 m²) to the existing building.^[1]
• 2011- The museum reopened in May 2011.

Update

The Museum reopened in May 2011. “It’s the only museum where you can come and touch things. [At other museums] you have to walk around, keep your hands in your pockets. Here we say go up, touch it, play with it, push it, figure out what makes it work.”

References