March is National Literacy Month and the Children’s Museum of Richmond (CMOR) is one of the best places in Richmond to celebrate reading with your kids. CMOR has 4 different locations that families and educators to enjoy together: Center, Shortpump, Chesterfield, and Fredericksburg.
[notification type=”notification_info” ]My family received complimentary entry to the Children’s Museum of Richmond to facilitate this post. All opinions expressed here are my own. [/notification]
Cool Facts about CMOR
In fact, it’s the 8th most visited Children’s Museum in the U.S.A. The museum educates and entertains over 200 visitors each day. There are over 22 exhibits for kids to explore.
The Best Way To Stay Informed About Events At CMOR
The children’s museum has a facebook page that is updated regularly and shows the latest information regarding their calendar.
The Most Unusual But Incredible Part of the Museum
The best part of the museum is the commitment it has to families and children within the Richmond community. Their emphasis on literacy is commendable. In fact, children are encouraged not only to read books while on site, but they can even take one book home per visit for free!
After visiting the museum, I was curious why literacy plays such a pivotal role at the museum. After some research, I found out based on the results from the 2003 National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NAAL), the nationwide study on adult literacy shows . . . “30 million, or 14 percent, of all adults are at Level One, which is below basic literacy. In fact, The Stephen Reder Synthetic Estimates (1996) showed that more than 2 million Virginians over the age of 16 read at the lowest levels of literacy” (Gerkens Sanborn and Major 16).
I believe whole-heartedly that reading is the gateway out of poverty. So I appreciate the push for CMOR to encourage literacy and give special programs to Title One schools in the Richmond community.
The museum highlights the creativity and imagination of their employees. For instance, many of the exhibits have unique paintings completed by their talented staff members.
Our Incredible Experience
The Carmax Service Station exhibit was one of my daughter’s favorite. They loved pretending to be a mechanic.
My Kids Favorite Exhibit
According to my daughter, the treehouse was her favorite exhibit, because you could see all of the exhibits at once. The treehouse is also one of the museum’s tallest exhibits and has tools where kids can talk to each other while exploring the treehouse.
The Silver Diner was like a blast in the past so kids and adults can enjoy it alike. While my kids played as waiters, chefs, and restaurant owners, I jammed to the oldies that came across the screen. The attention to detail in this exhibit was phenomenal.
This is the first time I’ve seen a cave exhibit that mimics a real live cave experience. The cave had stalagmites and stalactites, it was dim, cold, and thankfully, not damp.
Overall, the museum is an amazing hands-on learning experience. Without hesitation, I would definitely, visit CMOR again in the future. It’s reassuring that parents and educators can bring their children to CMOR and gain so many valuable experiences. I was honored that Lindsey Hale, Education Coordinator, of the museum was willing to give me a tour. When I asked her what she liked most about CMOR she responded, ” Our field trips have a huge impact on the community. the field trips widen our reach because kids can explore their interests in everyday settings.” I agree with Lindsey 100%, so if you’re ever in the Richmond area definitely stop by 2626 West Broad St. Richmond, VA 23220.
References:
Gerkens Sanborn, Victoire and Hillary D. Major. Virginia’S Not-So-Hidden Secret: THE ADULT LITERACY CRISIS. 1st ed. Virginia: Virginia Issues & Answers, 2017. Web. 15 Mar. 2017.
I love this….wow! Museums sure have come a long way. Looks like your babies enjoyed themselves.
Yes, thanks, my kids love reading and everything about Museums so it was a fun trip for us.
The tree house or the cave would have been my favorite lol. They seemed to be having a great time. Literacy is so important I love this!
I had a video of my kids in the tree house playing, but somehow I deleted it. They had so much fun, we played until closing time.
I can’t wait to experience this with my g-babies. Amazing photos! I like how clear and shows the details of what’s in the pictures.
They will love trips to the museum. They are almost just like amusement parks for learning.
Oh wow! This is too cool. Is there a recommended age range? I remember going to a Children’s museum in NY and being totally entertained as an adult.
This museum is for younger children. I think this museum is for infants to age 10. However, there was a second museum that I didn’t get to go to. In fact, the Science Museum of Virginia, is right next door. I plan to go their next time I’m in Richmond.
This looks like a really fun museum. I’m sure my kids would have a blast there. I’ll have to add it to my list of things to do when I take them to Richmond.
We’ve never need to a museum that we didn’t love and CMOR was no different. I’m sure all your kids would love the experience. They even have a carousal in the middle that adds to the enjoyment.
This looks really fun, love the pics! Great for kids and their parents/fam/friends who take them.
Thanks kasi, it was a lot of fun. We also were able to learn history of the museum and architecture as well, which was a real bonus.
Your children museum looks like it has some of the same displays as ours. We haven’t been to ours in a while though.
Agree that reading is definitely the gateway out of poverty. Thanks for spreading the word about this museum
I had no idea all oh this was in Richmond. I might bring the kids in the spring, Richmond is a short ride.
The science museum is next door, I think your son would like it. And there is also an art museum close by too. This area is near VCU so it’s tons of stuff to do. Unfortunately though, the Black History museum and Science museums are closed on Mondays, so if you decide to go, don’t visit the area on a Monday and you’ll have even more places to enjoy.