Design, Build, Sail at Nauticus

Nauticus is currently in the middle of a $21.5 million campaign to increase STEM- focused programing and relevant and compelling interactive exhibits, and explore real-world jobs. They previously opened Aquaticus, an indoor play area for kids that we love, and Norfolk In Time which explores the history of Norfolk and allows visitors to think about the future of our area. 

The newest exhibit, Design, Build, Sail is located on the third floor and overlooks the Elizabeth River. This exhibit is full of STEM principles (lots of Virginia SOLs hit here!) that engages kids in interactive fine and gross motor activities. Learn about push and pull, hydrodynamics, aerodynamics, buoyancy, and play with several different simple machines. 

The next exhibits to come include "Our Port" and "Heart of the Navy" which will both open on November 9th. Also upcoming for Nauticus is their Winterfest event which takes place on and inside the Battleship Wisconsin. 

Cirque DeParis

In town from Europe, and here in Norfolk for the first time, Cirque DeParis features jugglers, tight-wire walkers, laser dancers, clowns, and more. We all really laughed a lot during this show, which I didn't expect. Another highlight for the kids was the laser show which had all the kids in the crowd up and screaming. There is crowd participation, and the show has several interactive parts. 

The show is in town September 5-15th, and is performing in the back side parking lot of the Norfolk Premium Outlets. There are both afternoon and night time shows available. Tickets are $35 for adults and $25 for kids for general admission bleacher seats. You can pay a little more and get floor chair seats also. Popcorn, Nachos, and Cotton Candy are for sale for $10-$15. The show was 90 minutes with an intermission. 

Glass Light Art Gallery

Stop by the Glass Art Gallery inside the Glasslight Hotel in downtown Norfolk next time you're in the area. The museum is completely free, and it's open daily from 8-8. With over 65 pieces and rotating exhibits, it's worth it to pop in for a visit a few times a year. We spent about 40 minutes inside the museum and the boys enjoyed it.

The museum is located inside of the Glasslight Hotel on Granby Street. It is walking distance to MacArthur Center, Slover Library, and Nauticus. There is lots of paid parking available on the street or in any of the downtown garages. 

Virginia Fine Arts Museum

Open 365 days a year, the Virginia Fine Arts Museum is free and has over 6,000 years of art. We spent a little over an hour at the museum, but we only visited two sections. The Museum is situated into geographical sections. We focused on the Ancient Art section in the Mediterranean, which has Pre-Dynastic Egyptian, Green, and Roman art, and some art from Western Asia. This section perfectly lines up with the Virginia third grade SOLs, for those with kids that age.

We also visited the children's exhibit, where they had hands on activities for the kids to interact with, and comfortable chairs for the adults to sit and watch. You'll want to be sure to walk around the outside of the museum, because the gardens around it are beautiful. There are stairs with fountains to climb and explore. There are also tables outside perfect for picnicking. 

There is a parking garage for the museum for $6 per day. We found free street parking right around the corner. It's a great indoor stop to cool off on a hot day or to get indoors when it's raining. I love taking small trips to art museums with kids because it teaches them museum etiquette in small doses that they can handle. Check it out the next time you're in Richmond, and checkout our index for other things to do in the city. 

Amtrak

Amtrak is a great way to travel with kids. Several times during the year they offer a deal where kids are free or half price with the purchase of an adult ticket. The train is a great option for families because you can play cards or let kids color while traveling. While there are sometimes delays, they are less common than sitting in tunnel traffic, and you can sit back and relax rather than suffer from stress. 

Our Amtrak line runs from the Norfolk station to Petersburg, Richmond, Washington D.C., New York, Hartford, and then Boston. The boys took the train with their grandmother and aunt to Richmond (Staples Mill station) and I drove our car to meet them so that we would be able to travel around Richmond with child car seats. This took about 2 hours. (On this trip we visited the Science Museum of Virginia, Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens, and The Virginia Fine Arts Museum.) My oldest has always loved trains, but this was his first time riding a real one. He loved it and keeps asking me to travel that way again!