Abbitt Planetarium & Observatory
Travel the universe in the digital Abbitt Planetarium Theater. The 71-seat planetarium theater, renovated and upgraded in 2008, offers a fully digital simulation of the sky, allowing us to travel anywhere in our known universe at the touch of a button. It is able to project the sky as seen from anywhere on the Earth, […]
Wild & Well
Calling future animal keepers and vets! Come play, learn and dream in Wild and Well, the exhibit that offers hands-on exploration and learning about animal health with a secondary message about human health. Designed primarily for PreK to 3rd grade, children will be able to cook, clean and care for native wild animals that live […]
Discovery Centers
Two different interactive Discovery Centers await your exploration. These hands-on centers are brimming with specimens from the worlds of life science, space science and geology. From a visible bee hive buzzing with activity to our Chesapeake Bay Touch Pool, each Center is sure to engage visitors.
Appalachian Cove & Cypress Swamp
In the two-story, glass-covered walk-through habitats visitors immerse themselves in natural environments. The cool, moist Appalachian Cove features a waterfall, a swift-running mountain stream and lake filled with mountain fish, plus free-flying birds where the sounds, sights and communities of native plants and animals are like taking an instant field trip to the mountains. The […]
Underground Gallery
In the Virginia Underground Gallery, journey back through Virginia’s ancient past by learning about fossil remains preserved beneath our feet and marvel at the beauty of rocks and minerals that formed deep under the Earth. See colorful coral and fish species that thrived in the warm, sun-drenched sea that once covered this area. Visitors walk […]
World of Darkness Gallery
In Virginia’s World of Darkness, visitors come eye-to-eye with tiny sharks, burrowing pine voles, scurrying ghost crabs, playful flying squirrels, eerie jellyfish, and other animals that adapt to nocturnal life. Screech owls, tree frogs and other nocturnal animals are active during the day in this fascinating area. Meet animals, such as lobsters, rays and moray […]
Piedmont & Mountains Gallery
In the Piedmont and Mountains Gallery visitors are “nose-to-nose” with a captivating variety of flying, crawling, swimming and climbing animals. The gallery is anchored by a display of the fall line of the James River in Richmond, filled with smallmouth bass, catfish, wood turtles and other aquatic creatures. Engaging exhibits such as spotted turtles swimming […]
Virginia’s Coastal Plain
The Coastal Plain Gallery explores the world’s richest nursery, the Chesapeake Bay. From the forests beyond Virginia’s coastal marshes to the waters of the Chesapeake Bay and beyond, the Coastal Plain Gallery highlights animals and habitats that characterize the eastern-most region of our Commonwealth. Exhibits range from the dramatic 30,000-gallon Noland Chesapeake Bay Aquarium, with […]
Conservation Command Center
The Conservation Command Center explores global issues such as habitat loss, pollution, and declining biodiversity through a local lens. Explore how to be a champion of Conservation! Located downstairs in the main museum building next to the Virginia Underground Gallery.
