I actually love taking my kids to art museums. We always plan to visit the museums in small doses, doing only one or two galleries. Sometimes I make a little scavenger hunt list for us to do, and sometimes we just talk about how some of the pieces relate to things they are learning about in school. One thing that I always do is to set expectations before we enter the museum. We talk about noise levels, running, and never touching the art.
One reason we love these museums is because they are a great free thing to do on a rainy or super hot day. Here are six free museums in Hampton Roads:
02. MOCA: Keep MOCA on your radar not just for their always free art museum, but also because they do monthly family days with activities geared towards children.
03. Barry Art Museum: Located on ODU's campus, the Barry Art Museum has a large collection of antique dolls which might interest kids. We like to visit here and then walk over to get cookies and Insomnia Cookies as a treat.
04. Hampton University Museum: Composed of the first collection of African American fine art, this museum is a great place to form conversations around equality and standing up for what is right. There is also a room dedicated to Native American art.
05. The Hermitage Museum: We love the outdoor space of The Hermitage, but the gardens surround the home, which is a free art museum with both permanent and rotating exhibits. We always visit in December for their Gingerbread Competition.
06. Torggler Fine Arts Center: Celebrating their second year, the Torggler Fine Arts Center is a relatively new museum that is on our list to visit this summer. Be sure to follow their social media for updates, as they do have family fun days and other free events!
