Spring break will be here before you know it for Central Virginia students and their parents. Whether you have the week off from work, are taking a few days off or are sending your littles to Camp Grandma for the week, day trips are a great way to break up the week without breaking the bank. These 10 day trips will keep the kids busy and you'll still be home in time for dinner.
Virginia Discovery Museum is located at 524 East Main Street on the Downtown Mall in Charlottesville. Kids must be accompanied by an adult and little ones under 1 year old are free. The museum is open from 10-5 Monday through Saturday. Exhibits include: Gravity Wall, Automoblox and Train Table in the Discovery Garage; a 1700s house and stable in the Virginia Heritage Area; Open Studio for creating artistic masterpieces; a kid-friendly Post Office, Discovery Station Firehouse, UVA Children's Hospital and Panera Bread where your little one can have fun trying out a career and lots more.
Maymont Park is located at 1700 Hampton Street in Richmond. The 100-acre Victorian estate of Maymont was gifted to the city of Richmond by James and Sallie Dooley to be preserved for new generations. The grounds, gardens, children's farm and wildlife exhibits are open daily from 10-5. Maymont Mansion, Carriage Collection, Nature and Visitor Center and snack and souvenir shops, is closed on Mondays. Admission to Maymont Park is free; however, donations are suggested and appreciated. Register in advance for special spring break programs including: Behind the Scenes at the Nature Center, Family Scavenger Hunt, Animal Encounters, Geocaching and more. Pack a lunch to enjoy on the grounds, stroll through the gardens and enjoy a day of family fun.
Easter on Parade takes place each year on Easter Sunday along Richmond's Monument Avenue. Put on your finest Easter attire and join in the fun parading up and down Monument Avenue. The event is free and also includes live music, arts and crafts, children's activities, a petting zoo, balloon artistry and the popular Pet Bonnet and People Bonnet Showcases. Easter on Parade hours are 1-5 on April 1 with Pet Bonnet at 3 p.m. and People Bonnet at 4 p.m.
Amazement Square was awarded the National Medal for Museum and Library Service, the nation's highest honor. How lucky are we that Amazement Square is located right here in Downtown Lynchburg at 27 Ninth Street. Spend a few hours or all day with hands-on learning activities that kids of all ages will enjoy. The museum is closed on Easter Sunday and open from 10-5 Tuesday through Saturday. Amazement Tower is one of the tallest climbing structures in the nation, connecting all four floors and extending into the roof. Slides, ladders, tunnels and zip line will keep your kids busy for hours. When the climbing's done, visit the other exhibits, including: The League of Healthy Heroes, Raceways and Voltageville, Native American Gallery, Shipwreck Cove, Imagination Studio, Kaleidoscope Gallery, Once Upon a Building and the ever-popular On the James. The little ones will enjoy their own hands-on adventures in the Big Red Barn.
An Appalachian Trail adventure awaits your family this spring. Whether your kids are toddlers or teens, the 2,190 mile AT will bring you face-to-face with nature. The AT stretches from Springer Mountain in Georgia to Mount Katahdin in Maine, with approximately one-quarter of the AT's miles located in Virginia. There are many AT access points within an hour's drive, including: James River Foot Bridge off Route 501 near Big Island, Tye River parking lot on Route 56 in Montebello, and multiple parking areas on the Blue Ridge Parkway and Skyline Drive. Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu said, "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step" so hit the trail for spring break.
Mill Mountain Zoo is located in Downtown Roanoke, atop Mill Mountain. Open daily from 10-5, Mill Mountain Zoo can be accessed from I-81/581, downtown Roanoke and the Blue Ridge Parkway. Some of the animals you'll see at Mill Mountain are: the Red Wolf, Eurasian Lynx, Red Panda, Snow Leopard, other mammals and a variety of reptiles and birds. Kids ages 2 and under are free. While you're on Mill Mountain, check out the Mill Mountain Star. You've seen it from a distance, but it looks much bigger close-up.
Virginia Museum of Transportation is closed on Easter Sunday and other major holidays, open 10-5 Monday through Saturday and 1-5 on Sundays. The museum's collection includes 2,500 transportation items, including the largest collection of diesel locomotives in the South. Children ages 2 and under are admitted free. In addition to a number of rail transportation exhibits, kids of all ages will also enjoy road transportation exhibits, air and space exhibits, a maritime gallery, transportation-themed playground and much more.
The Frontier Culture Museum, located at 1290 Richmond Road in Staunton, is open daily from 9-5 with "living history" interpreters to bring history to life for your family. Exhibits include: a 1600s English Farm, 1700s German Farm, 1700s Irish Forge, 1700s Irish Farm, 1700s West African Farm, 1700s Ganatastwi (Native American exhibit), 1740s American Farm, 1820s American Farm, 1850s American Farm and Early American Schoolhouse. Kids under 6 years are free and school-age kids receive discounted admission. Kids and adults can learn a lot about the history of thousands of people who migrated to Colonial America at the Frontier Culture Museum.
Virginia Museum of Natural History is located at 21 Starling Avenue in Martinsville. Open Monday through Saturday from 9-5, exhibits include: Exploring Virginia, with artifacts and specimens donated by several individuals and organizations; Hall of Ancient Life, featuring dinosaurs and other ancient specimens; Ice Age, with full-sized casts of a saber-tooth cat, muskox and giant beavers; Uncovering Virginia, featuring hands-on recreations of six Virginia research sites complete with scientific tools to use for interpreting the evidence found; How Nature Works, an interactive exhibit featuring plants, animals and rocks; as well as exhibits on biodiversity, fossils, Virginia's watersheds, animal skeletons, three cultures of Native Americans, and the Discovery Reef play area. Kids under age 3 are admitted free.
Danville Science Center, located at 677 Craghead Street, is open Tuesday through Saturday from 9:30-5 and Sundays from 11:30-5. Digital Dome Theater showtimes are 10, 11, 1, 2 and 3 Tuesday through Friday; 11, 1, 2, and 3 on Saturdays; and 1, 2 and 3 p.m. on Sundays. Exhibits include: Science on a Sphere, with computers and projectors displaying animated data; Fundamentals of Science, where you'll learn about biology, gravity, friction, force, light and magnetism; the Estelle H. Womack Natural History Collection; and a special hands-on learning area for ages 3-7. Kids under 3 years are admitted free.
Choose one or more of these day trip destinations or have fun around Lynchburg at Kids Cove, Nature Zone, Lynchburg Museum, Bounce About, Jump Lynchburg Trampoline Park, FunQuest, Putt-Putt Fun Center, Rise Up Climbing, Snowflex or one of the many parks or trails in Lynchburg. However you spend the week, enjoy making memories together.
