Virginia Living Museum...Family Fun!

We recently took a trip to Williamsburg, Virginia. We had a blast! Aside from less than restful sleep, the trip was absolutely wonderful. One of our favorite outings was our trip to the Virginia Living Museum.

If you've read anything about our prior trips, you'll know that we scope out zoos, aquariums and cupcake shops whenever we travel. While the VLM is not an official "zoo" or "aquarium" it is a great little mix of both. If you are in the area, I hope you'll take advantage of this family friendly gem. Here are a few highlights.

Digging for Fossils

This exhibit was so much fun! It has an area that caters to both younger and then to older children. The older kids dig through the dirt to unearth fossils. They then take them to the identification station where they can identify the fossils they've found. They get to take these home. For the younger kids, they have a sand pit that contains real whale bones. The bones are covered in sand and the little ones get to brush away the sand to uncover the bones. G loved it!

Animal Wellness Play Center

This was one of my favorite parts of the museum. The kids get to come in and either put on an Animal Keeper or Vet vest. There are different stations that they can freely play in. There is an adult worker that helps with any questions the kids have. Otherwise, they have full reign and can explore at will.

Keeper Kitchen (where the animals' meals are prepared)

The Lab (animals are weighed and an electronic magnifying glass can be used to see the details of fur and feathers)

Care Station (animals can be checked out and treated)

X-Ray Department

Animal Housing (animals are kept here to get well)
Each cage has a label identifying the type of animal and a label with the type of food each animal needs to eat. Stuffed animals are housed in the cages.

The Animals

They had multiple outdoor and indoor exhibits. The animals appeared to be well cared for. The exhibits were clean and the outdoor boardwalk was very stroller friendly. All of the exhibits are reflective of the various environments found in Virginia.

The otter loved showing off for us and according to our daughter, an otter says "meow".

A view of the museum from the boardwalk

The Dinosaur Exhibit

The museum currently has a dinosaur exhibit. It houses robotic dinosaurs with facts about each dinosaur displayed. There was also a fossil dig in the exhibit but the fossils had to remain at the station.

She was not a fan of the T-Rex

I was not compensated in anyway to share my opinions of this establishment but I do encourage you to visit if you get a chance. More to come on our trip soon!