12 Best Museums In Virginia
Virginia is known for many great things, including its diverse landscape and seafood, but its museums stand out for being among the best in the country. These museums are worth visiting as they preserve and showcase the state’s rich history as well as the earliest periods before the United States was even formed. Across these best museums in Virginia are exhibits, artifacts, and documents about a wide range of topics from the state’s transportation history and natural heritage to North America’s first English settlement, life in the colonial era, and the most consequential wars in the U.S. and the World. Others focus on the history of firearms, military aircraft, science, and space. Plus, some of these best museums in Virginia host unique artifacts, like the actual aircraft that dropped the first bomb on Hiroshima, and one of the largest glass collections in the US. So, it’s truly an experience like no other in these museums in Virginia.
Virginia Museum of History & Culture, Richmond
Richmond, Virginia’s capital city, packs so many museums, but the Virginia Museum of History & Culture stands out for its laser focus on the state’s history. This museum has the largest display of Virginia artifacts, covering all of the state’s history from its American Indian tribes to its landscape, and more. Reserve a full day to explore this museum and be sure to check out the Commonwealth Exhibition to learn about the people, foodways, industries, and landscapes that make up the Old Dominion. Afterward, enjoy a delicious meal at the nearby Amuse Restaurant for delicious Virginia-sourced specialties. This restaurant is located in the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, which is also worth visiting on a separate day.
The Frontier Culture Museum, Staunton
The Frontier Culture Museum exists to preserve and showcase the history of the earliest pioneers in colonial America. Here, several exhibits complete with costumed interpreters detail the daily lives of American Indians, immigrants from England, Germany, and Ireland, and slaves from West Africa. This museum is considered the biggest open-air living history museum in the Shenandoah Valley and is worth visiting to learn about the cultures and diverse people that shaped Virginia into what it is today. A short walk from this museum, Mrs. Rowe's Restaurant is a great place to relax and enjoy Southern staples and baked goods.
Jamestown Settlement, Williamsburg
After several failed attempts to establish colonies in the Americas, the Jamestown colony was successfully established in 1607 as the first permanent English colony in America. Today, the Jamestown Settlement Museum has galleries with hundreds of artifacts and exhibits detailing the history of those early English settlers, the Virginia Indians who inhabited the area for centuries, and the Africans who came later. The museum also features reenactments of a Native Indian town and three recreated ships, which are open for boarding to give visitors the experience of being among the first English settlers in North America. From this museum, visitors can head to the nearby Jamestown Glasshouse in Jamestown to learn about glassmaking, which was introduced by glassmakers in the colony in 1608 as America’s first English industry.
Military Aviation Museum, Virginia Beach
The Military Aviation Museum delights all lovers of aviation and technology with one of the largest collections of World War I and World War II-era military aircraft on the planet. Over vintage 70 planes are on display in this museum, with many pulled from battlegrounds and painstakingly restored to showcase the evolution of aviation technology. Even more exciting, visitors can ride on one of the restored vintage aircraft and also witness weekly flight demonstrations from May to September. Just outside the museum, Jurassic Park invites visitors to check out its impressive collection of dinosaur sculptures and other creatures, including the saber-tooth tiger and the woolly mammoth.
Virginia Living Museum, Newport News
The Virginia Living Museum offers a detailed look into an interesting part of Virginia. This open-air museum highlights the state’s ecosystem with exhibits covering all of its geographic regions, from the mountains to the ocean. Exhibits include native wildlife like red wolves and beavers in their natural habitats, an aquarium, a planetarium, and a conservation garden. The museum also has an outdoor boardwalk trail offering close-up views of these native animals and a Butterfly exhibit full of colorful butterflies. After a satisfying look at this museum, visitors are invited to enjoy sumptuous seafood dishes at the nearby Fin Seafood Restaurant.
American Civil War Museum at Historic Tredegar, Richmond
Step back in time to the 1860s when some of the bloodiest battles took place in the U.S. at the American Civil War Museum at Historic Tredegar. This museum holistically explores the Civil War with exhibits highlighting the causes, course, and consequences of the event, as well as how it reshaped American society. The museum features two floors and over 500 artifacts are on display. Notably, where the museum stands, Tredegar Iron Works was the production site of the bulk of the Confederacy’s munitions, which just adds more significance to the museum. Nearby, visitors will find the Fall Line Kitchen & Bar, one of Richmond's best places to eat, featuring delicious comfort food and regional craft brews and cocktails.
NRA National Firearms Museum, Fairfax
The NRA National Firearms Museum is an interesting museum housing one of the most comprehensive collections of firearms in the country. This 15,000 square foot area facility houses 15 galleries where about 3,000 firearms are on display. The museum’s collection, which includes everything from shotguns and pistols to sporting rifles and machine guns, details over 700 years of firearms history. Each gallery also focuses on a specific period in American firearms history, from the start of the American exploration when Old World guns reigned supreme to the modern era when all kinds of advanced rifles and pistols are in circulation. Visit this museum to learn about the evolution of firearms and then head to the Coastal Flats restaurant later to refill with classic seafood, steaks, and pasta.
Chrysler Museum of Art, Norfolk
The Chrysler Museum of Art is one of the best art museums in Virginia, and it is worth visiting. Here, 50 galleries showcase over 30,000 objects, ranging from paintings and sculpture to photography and decorative arts. Notably, the museum has a glass studio and one of the largest glass collections in America. Despite its incredibly rich collection, the Chrysler Museum of Art is free and has plenty of free parking. The museum also has a gift shop where visitors can grab some gifts and accessories before leaving. Less than a mile away, the Saltine offers a good selection of delicious seafood and spirits in an airy setting to delight everyone.
American Revolution Museum at Yorktown
The American Revolution Museum at Yorktown is an incredible place to delve into America’s struggles for independence from the start of colonial unrest to the drafting and signing of the Constitution, and beyond. Several galleries in this 22,000 square foot facility display permanent exhibits from dioramas and films to period artifacts, and many more. The museum even has outdoor exhibits, including a recreated Continental Army encampment and a recreated 18th-century farm featuring an actual farm, house, and log kitchen where visitors can learn about dishes from the Revolutionary War era. Near the museum, the Yorktown beach is a great place to relax and just reflect on the American Revolution and how it inspired other independence movements around the world. Enjoy some carrot cakes and other delicious dishes like soups and deli salads later at Carrot Tree Kitchens.
Virginia Museum of Transportation, Roanoke
Transportation has come a long way from the once popular horse-drawn vehicles and steam locomotives. At the Virginia Museum of Transportation in Roanoke, visitors are presented with a host of materials detailing the long and interesting history of this industry and its impact on American society. Dozens of locomotives are exhibited in this museum, as well as vintage cars, trucks, horse-drawn vehicles, and aircraft. Additionally, the museum has a shop stocked with transportation-themed items worth checking out. Meanwhile, the award-winning Regency Room at Hotel Roanoke invites visitors to enjoy Southern-inspired dishes in a fine setting, fit for royalty.
Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, Chantilly
The Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center is a paradise for space and aviation enthusiasts. Located near the Washington Dulles International Airport, this museum displays thousands of aviation and space artifacts, including the Space Shuttle Discovery, which became the first operational spacecraft to be retired. Its collection also includes the Enola Gay, which dropped the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima in WWII, and many rare exhibits offering insights into sport aviation, World War II era aviation, space science, business aviation, rockets, and missiles, among others. Year-round, the museum hosts several events to further delight visitors, and it also has an Airbus IMAX Theater, featuring one of the largest screens in America and a simulator ride. After a satisfying discovery of the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, a visit to the nearby River Sea Chocolate Factory & Cafe is recommended for a chocolate-making tour and to taste delicious chocolate.
Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center
The Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center is a massive facility in Virginia Beach with so much to offer animal lovers. This museum is home to over 10,000 animals representing hundreds of species found across the waters of Virginia and habitats around the world. Visitors here will see a variety of marine creatures such as tiger sharks, barracudas, eagle rays, and green sea turtles. Additionally, the museum features other unique creatures like Komodo dragons, Egyptian cobras, and hedgehogs. The museum also offers boat tours in winter to see whales and in summer to see dolphins. Plus, an adventure park onsite features over 30 ziplines to thrill visitors of all ages.
These Museums are Among the Best in America
As the site of the first permanent English settlement in North America, Virginia has had a long-running history and witnessed some crucial events that shaped the country now known as the United States of America. Across these varied museums, learn more about this state and why it is historically the most important in the country. In addition to the history, some of these best museums in Virginia appeal to art enthusiasts, gun lovers, and animal lovers, proving there’s something for everyone.
