Whether you're a family of thrill-seekers looking for outdoor winter excitement or simply want a fun hands-on museum experience to entertain your little ones when the weather is frigid, we've got winter fun sure to please every member of the family along with useful tips on snacks, strollers and planning a full day of adventure. We've spent more than 10 years discovering the best in events and attractions and share with you here our top staff picks for fun attractions. Check back often to see what is new! Please call ahead to confirm as hours and activities vary seasonally. For other fun ideas, be sure to check out our other publication, The Charlottesville Welcome Book. Please call ahead to confirm as hours and activities vary seasonally.
Virginia Aviation Museum
(Richmond) 1-2 hour drive
On Dec. 17, 1903, the Wright brothers changed the world forever - this museum honors their work and the golden age of aviation. Its prize exhibit is a magnificent SR-71 Blackbird that is still the fastest, highest-flying manned production jet on the planet more than 40 years after it was developed. Visitors can also enjoy 30 vintage aircrafts, reproductions of the Wright brothers' kite, gliders and the famous 1903 Flyer, early flight memorabilia, a World War II diorama that includes the Tuskegee Airmen and Women's Airforce Service Pilots, and the Virginia Aviation Hall of Fame. Virginia's famed Admiral Richard E. Byrd flew in Stars and Stripes, the first American research plane to fly over Antarctica. You can touch that piece of history as well as see a rare mint World War I SPAD VII and the plane Charles Lindbergh really wanted to fly across the Atlantic! vam.smv.org (804) 236-3622
Amazement Square
(Lynchburg) 1-2 hour drive
Kids can slide, dangle, crawl, leap, swing and zip through the tallest indoor climbing structure in the nation. Toddlers can roam safely in the "Big Red Barn" complete with a cow to milk, crowing rooster, crops to harvest and an earthworm's-eye-view of growing plants. In the Indian Island Cultural Gallery, you can hear children playing drums in the authentically recreated local Monacan Village. New this year is the Growing Up Global! program, which will feature exhibits and events that highlight a wide array of world cultures, celebrations and traditions while emphasizing common values and shared concerns in the 21st century. Kids of all ages love the James River Waterways where they can take a miniature batteau through locks and canals. The paint-on-the-walls room, music-recording studio and puppet theatre are a few of the other popular exhibits. On fair days, skateboarders can practice their ollies and nollies at Amazement Square's Rotary Centennial Riverfront Skatepark too! amazementsquare.org (434) 845-1888
TIP: Did you know that Amazement Square, the Children's Museum of Richmond, Harrisonburg's Children's Museum, Shenandoah Valley Discovery Museum and the Virginia Discovery Museum are all members of the Association of Children's Museums and offer reciprocal membership benefits? If you belong to one, you belong to them all. It's a terrific way to save on admissions. childrensmuseums.org
Wintergreen Resort
(Wintergreen) 0-1 hour drive
Treat your family to magnificent mountain views and fun on the slopes at Charlottesville's closest resort, Wintergreen. Spanning 11,000 acres in the crests of the Blue Ridge Mountains, the resort's villas and condominiums are surrounded by hiking trails, streams, and lush forests. Stay in one of their quiet homes with a fireplace, an option that's ideal for escaping the rush of winter holidays. Enjoy adrenaline pumping downhill skiing, snowboarding, tubing and the brand-new Zip, a 900-foot zipline! Or, if yours is a more sedate pace, there are many recreation activities, including horse back riding, crafts, music, speakers, festivals, a spa, and more. Kids and teens can attend activities at the Treehouse and RIdgely's Fun Park, the Out of Bounds Adventure Center and The Dome at Discovery Ridge, which has lots of high-tech toys. wintergreenresort.com (434) 325-2100
Children's Museum of Richmond
(Richmond) 1-2 hour drive
Try on eagle's wings, wiggle through a digestive tract, tinker in the Inventor's laboratory or create your own art. Complete with a Virginia limestone cave, a kid-sized grocery store and a toddler-sized museum within the museum, it's no surprise that CMoR is one of the top-ranked children's museums nationally. With 42,000 square feet, it offers seven interactive exhibit areas, a changing gallery, a museum shop and more to keep the whole family entertained for hours. Next door, the Science Museum's multi-ton granite kugel sculptures of the Earth and the moon attract kids who are amazed at their ability to move these hefty spheres with a slight touch. To avoid crowds, we recommend visiting these popular "Museums on the Boulevard" midweek, preferably on a nice day when everyone else is outside. Time Traveler's Passport Destination. c-mor.org (804) 474-2667
Massanutten Resort
(McGaheysville) 1-2 hour drive
Every winter, snow-loving folks of all ages don snowboarding and ski boots, waterproof pants, fleece hats, and insulated gloves to converge upon Massanutten's white-frosted peaks. Massanutten Resort boasts 1,110-feet of vertical, the most in the Mid-Atlantic Region! Beginners may careen down the 500-ft slope called Easy Street, perhaps to try their legs on a tiny jump designed for those just starting out. Those who already have their ski legs may opt to carve out a descent of 2,300-ft on their way down Southern Comfort's intermediate terrain. And on the 3,300-foot slope of Diamond Jim, seasoned skiers can be seen with their blades to the sky as they perform fancy tricks like soaring-eagles, switch-backflips, and alley-oops. Extreme sports lovers can check out Massanutten's CMB Terrain Park. This course is several lanes of fun, full of up-down rails, spine-boxes, tabletops, battleships, and jump-on slides. Many families choose to enjoy winter's glory at Massanutten by flying down the Peaked Mountain Express Tube Park, a 900-foot-long hill with up to fourteen lanes of snowy thrills. The two hours of allotted time for each session offers ample opportunity to enjoy many runs down the slippery hill of snow tucked inside an inflated inner tube. massresort.com (540) 289-4954
TIP: Slope Sliders at Massanutten is an opportunity for kids as young as 4 to learn how to ski and kids 7 and older to learn snowboarding. Reservations are required for these sessions, which include slope-use ticket, rental equipment, lunch, and supervised instruction from 9:30am to 2 pm.
Science Museum of Virginia
(Richmond) 1-2 hour drive
Imagine yourself climbing into a Piper Cub Airplane or a Friendship 7 spaceship replica! You can do this and much more at the Science Museum of Richmond, occupying the historic Broad Street train station. It offers more than 250 hands-on exhibits on four floors covering topics such as computers, electricity, biology, aeronautics and chemistry. Kids love making paper airplanes at the test station and browsing the butterfly collection. A favorite of aspiring engineers is the real train engine. It goes! National traveling exhibits make each visit unique and have included Chinese Astrology/Astronomy, Grossology, and Candy Unwrapped. As an added bonus, the Carpenter Science Theatre upstairs hosts a local troupe regularly performing for free with admission, and the five-story, domed screen IMAX theatre will make you feel as if you are part of the action. (There's a separate charge for movies.) During the cold months you can even stretch your legs out back in the Winter Skating Pavilion. Lectures, special events, astronomy activities and many hands-on workshops are posted on their website so you can plan your visit. Time Traveler's Passport Destination. smv.org (800) 659-1727
Traveling Farther Afield?
Plan your visit to nearby cities and states with the following publications who each feature extensive guides and calendars that will make your stay both easy and fun!
District of Columbia
Washington Parent
Maryland
Chesapeake Family
Child Guide
Maryland Family Magazine
Parent Line
North Carolina
Carolina Parent
Charlotte Parent
Crystal Coast Parent
Eastern Carolina Parent
Piedmont Parent
Wilmington Parent
Virginia
Fredericksburg Parent and Family
Richmond Parents Monthly
Tidewater Parent
Traveling farther? Check out more great publications!
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