Free Museums in Short Pump

"The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, or the VMFA for short, is a stunning art museum established in 1936. The VMFA is one of the largest museums in all of North America."

"2500 West Broad Street, Richmond VA 23220   Phone: 804.864.1400 At the Science Museum of Virginia your child can enjoy hundreds of unique hands-on exhibits that encourage your child to have fun while exploring science. There are permanent exhibits – Speed, Boost, Lightspace (for the 5 and under crowd). In addition there are ever changing traveling and seasonal exhibits."

"Anyone can marvel over the Science Museum of Virginia's exhibits, whether you're a science geek or not. There’s not one, not two, but three floors of exhibits with many of them encouraging hands-on play. You can learn everything from the world of bugs to how energy works, and even more than 50 exhibits on how speed operates."

"One of the three locations for the American Civil War Museum, Historic Tredegar is located near Brown's Island and Belle Isle on downtown Richmond's riverfront. It also shares a site with the Richmond National Battlefield Park Visitor Center. The Historic Tredegar is a private museum associated with the American Civil War Museum based on the location of the Tredegar Iron Works, once the third-largest iron manufacturer in the United States."

"The American Civil War Museum is located in Downtown Richmond. Sitting right on the James River, the museum is located inside the ruins of Tredegar Iron Works. It’s 30,000 square feet with over 120,000 artifacts, much of which is not war-based."

"Part of the multisite American Civil War Museum, this fascinating exhibit – housed inside an 1861 iron works that at its height employed 800 free and slave laborers – explores the causes and course of the Civil..."

"You must have heard of temples in Egypt being rebuilt piece-by-piece after the Nile flooded those places!. Have you heard of mansions crossing boundaries and being rebuilt in another country altogether?. The Agecroft Hall is one such mansion."

"The Agecroft Hall & Gardens feature a Tudor manor, based on a 16th-century mountain and opened in the year 1926, and a charming garden. It is a popular destination during the summer because of the Shakespear festival held here."

"Built in 1818 as a private residence, this was the executive residence of Confederate President Jefferson Davis, his wife Varina, and their children from August 1861 until they were forced to leave during the evacuation of Richmond in April 1865. Beautifully restored to its wartime appearance, it is now furnished in the height of period fashion, with Rococo-Revival furniture upholstered in silk, fine carpets, and flocked wallpaper, as it would have been when guests like Robert E. Lee visited the mansion. Varian Davis was an accomplished hostess, and the house reflects her style as she entertained at dinners, reception, balls, and garden parties during Richmond’s social season."

"There’s more than one historic White House in the United States. The White House and Museum of the Confederacy was the home of Jefferson Davis, the President of the Confederate States of America. It also served as the Executive Mansion of the Confederacy during the Civil War."

"Though the Children’s Museum of Richmond is for, well, children, adults are sure to have a great time with the interactive exhibits. Starting at the art studio is a great place to begin. Kids can use the provided supplies to create fun drawings and leave them to dry as you explore the other exhibits, which include a car-building service station, a news channel, and a water play zone."

"6629 Lake Harbour Drive, Midlothian, VA 23112, in the Winterpock Crossing Shopping Center Phone: 804.474.7075. Voted Richmond’s Best Museum for Families, the Children’s Museum’s goal is to bring out the potential in every child. There are all kinds of interactive activities that will not only amuse but also educate children ages one year (crawling) through nine."

"Locations:CMOR Central 2626 West Broad Street Richmond, VA 23220 (804) 474-7062. Chesterfield 6629 Lake Harbour Drive Midlothian, VA 23112 (804) 474-7075. Short Pump 11800 West Broad St Richmond, VA 23233 (804) 474-7070"

"Features: Located in the historic Southern Railway Station, the Richmond Railroad Museum offers a historic look at the railroad industry in Richmond. The newly restored facility is an actual 100-year-old passenger and freight train station and includes a stationmaster’s office, a freight room where the chapter’s artifacts and exhibits are displayed, a gift shop, and a gallery with Richmond’s largest HO scale model railroad. On the grounds, you can also see a steam saddle locomotive, a baggage car and caboose, track cars, signals, and other railroad artifacts If you’re kids love things that move, then they’ll love this chance to learn more about trains and Richmond’s history all at once."

"The Richmond Railroad Museum is appropriately located in a restored train station. Kids who are fascinated with trains and adults who can appreciate the role locomotives played in American history can enjoy this hour-long tour. Original fixtures and railroad equipment are on display in the space."

"This 25,000-square foot facility features five galleries and studio spaces where artists can create, display, and sell their artwork. Located at 320 Hull Street, Art Works houses a number of permanent artists and includes up-and-coming sculptures such as James Ross and Steven Lloyd."

"Address(es):Carytown: 3012 W Cary St, Richmond, VA 23221Contact: (804) 370-8210Menu:https://mellowmushroom.com/location/va-richmond-3012-w-cary-st-23221/. Midlothian: 1403 Huguenot Rd, Midlothian, VA 23113Contact: (804) 594-0100Menu:https://mellowmushroom.com/location/va-midlothian-1403-huguenot-road-23113/. Short Pump: 12171 W Broad St, Henrico, VA 23233Contact: (804) 364-3111Menu:https://mellowmushroom.com/location/va-henrico-12171-west-broad-street-23233/"

"Highlights: super funky and eclectic vibe inside, great beer/cider menus, lots of fun pizzas, in the heart of Carytown. Noms I recommend: I get an all-veggie pizza with Daiya cheese on gf crust!. And the cider flight is awesome, too."

"Get the Mega Veggie without the cheese or sub Daiya vegan cheese, it’s loaded with all the veggie goodies and tofu!. mellowmushroom.com/store/richmond-carytown. 3012 W Cary St in Carytown"

"Highlights: this is one of the easiest places to eat-- the whole menu is veg, and so much of it is gf too!. It has a fun diner-ish vibe, and there are tables outside too. Noms I recommend: I'm loyal to the vegan chicken salad wrap on a gf tortilla with the potato salad side."

"This cute eatery has a totally vegan menu of traditional cafe fare. In the early Fall, they tend to have a seasonal flatbread pizza featuring chanterelles and red onion that is divine. Must-tries: Curried Butternut Squash Soup & Vegan Chicken Salad Sandwich."

"22 S Addison St, Richmond, VA 23220Website | Facebook | Twitter | Photo: FB. Fresca serves up food that is local, organic, healthy, and damn tasty!. Their entire menu is vegetarian and all items can be altered to be made vegan."

"Coming in second place is Sugar Shack, which was featured in USA Today’s top donut shops in the USA article in honor of National Donut Day…AKA they’re pretty legit. This neighborhood shop is rustic and features different flavors that look and taste like all your favorite candy bars. Flavors include Baby Ruth, M&M, Butterfinger, and Somoa."

"Sugar Shack Donuts is on Thrillist's definitive list of the 33 Best Donut Shops in America, so it has to get some respect. Ultimately, its ranking on these lists is what attracts many donut-eating visitors to Richmond. Flavors include "Tastes Like a Samoa," Chocolate Butterfinger, and Apple Cake."

"This is a laidback Vietnamese restaurant that exclusively serves vegan cuisine. It’s in Northside Richmond, closer to Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens. Their marinated vegan drumsticks are absolutely delectable and their pho is healingly delicious."

"Highlights: this is one of the easiest places to eat-- the whole menu is veg, and so much of it is gf too!. It has a fun diner-ish vibe, and there are tables outside too. Noms I recommend: I'm loyal to the vegan chicken salad wrap on a gf tortilla with the potato salad side."

"This cute eatery has a totally vegan menu of traditional cafe fare. In the early Fall, they tend to have a seasonal flatbread pizza featuring chanterelles and red onion that is divine. Must-tries: Curried Butternut Squash Soup & Vegan Chicken Salad Sandwich."

"22 S Addison St, Richmond, VA 23220Website | Facebook | Twitter | Photo: FB. Fresca serves up food that is local, organic, healthy, and damn tasty!. Their entire menu is vegetarian and all items can be altered to be made vegan."

"Head over to Carytown, a nine-block stretch of Cary Street packed with boutique shops, local restaurants, and historic sites. Chop Suey Books, your first shopping stop, is a mainstay in the Carytown community, buying and selling used and new books and hosting special events and meetups in the upstairs section of the shop. If you don’t have a specific title in mind and are feeling daring, check out the front of the shop, where you can have a “Blind Date with a Book”. The shop wraps up books in solid parchment paper and twine, adding a tag on the front that gives a short description of the book, leaving your next read up to chance (or fate, if you prefer)."

"Wilton House Museum serves as both an excellent example of Georgian architecture and as a representation of life in Virginia since the 18th century and the ways in which it continues to shape life in America today. Built in 1753 for the illustrious Randolph family, the house was the centerpiece of a 2,000-acre plantation with a rich history; it played host to the likes of George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. The estate has since been immaculately restored and is now the headquarters of the Virginia Dames and the site for a variety of educational exhibits, community and public programs, and annual events."

"During the Civil War, as the capital of the Confederacy, Richmond was a prime target for capture by Union forces, and they mounted several attacks before succeeding in April of 1865, only a few days before Lee's surrender at Appomattox ended the war. Richmond National Battlefield Park examines not only the two major campaigns to take Richmond — the 1862 Peninsula Campaign and the Overland Campaign of 1864 — but also the Confederacy's largest hospital and a naval battle. Walking trails take you along miles of original fortifications and to the places where opposing soldiers fought only a few feet apart."

"Richmonds National Battlefield Park embodies the complex involvement Richmond had in the Civil War. The park is home to a number of different battlefields, miles of elaborate original fortifications, a critical industrial complex, and the Confederacy's largest hospital. The vast park covers more than 80 square miles with 13 separate battle sites and four modern visitor’s centers in the City of Richmond, Henrico, Hanover, and Chesterfield counties."

"The dozen Civil War sites and four visitor centers that comprise this park can be visited on an 80-mile driving tour around Richmond. The best place to begin the tour is at the Civil War Visitor Center housed in..."