National Museum of the U.S. Army - Free, Fun, Educational - Enjoying RVA and all it has to offer!

National Museum of the United States Army is about 2 hours from Richmond. You could make this a day trip by combining a visit to Mount Vernon or even a long weekend, by continuing on to DC. The museum is HUGE, and you could spend hours here. (We underestimated both the size and amount of activities, and wish we would’ve allotted more time to spend here.)

Before you go you will need to get “tickets” (they’re free) online for a specific time. If not traveling during a school break, I would call ahead and make sure there’s not a field trip happening, as your kids wouldn’t have the same experience if they can’t do the Experiential Learning Center.

There’s a large parking lot, and benches in front of the museum so you could pack snacks/picnic to eat here before or after your visit. Alternatively, there is a cafe on the first floor.

When you enter, The Experiential Learning Center is on your right. There are lots of small activities (coloring pages, crosswords) before you get to the actual activities. (We took a few of these to do later.)

The first room, Fort Discover, is best for kids ~8 and under. There is a climbing Army tower, screens for kids to “paint” tanks, trucks. Lots of imaginative play/simulation – rocket launching, driving a jeep. It’s a mini-children’s museum!

The second room, The Training Center, requires reading, so this is for older kids (unless you want to do all the activities with them smile). There are stations where kids problem solve to understand what life is like for Army medics, bridge building, and more. All the activities are STEM-related. Both of my kids LOVED this area (ages 10 & 6).

Other museum highlights: On the first floor, we walked through the exhibits and artifacts, and my 4th grader loved seeing artifacts from Jamestown (4th grade history unit!). There are interactive features throughout the museum, not just in the children’s area. For example, my kids loved playing a music game – they’d listen to the music and select which Army song they heard.

Upstairs, the “Working Dogs at War” is a temporary exhibit. These wooden structures represent the dogs who’ve served the military during wartime. While this is a beautiful and moving exhibit, if you/your kids are sensitive, it may be hard for you (it was for me/my kids).

The museum is open daily (except for December 25th) from 9AM – 5PM.

— By Lindsay Garrison

Richmond on the Cheap publisher Lindsay Garrison is a Richmond, Virginia based mom to two young children. A graduate from Chesterfield Schools and Randolph-Macon College, Lindsay is proud to call Richmond home. In the years prior to planning activities and outings with her own children, she was a French teacher. During her tenure she earned accolades for her creative teaching style and ability to connect with her students. Lindsay now applies the skills she learned when she was planning student trips to France, to her own family adventures. She can’t wait to take her own children to France one day! Follow the Garrison’s family adventures on Instagram: @rva.familyfun

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