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CHILDREN'S MUSEUM: Richmond spot a bit like Chuck E. Cheese's on steroids, except it's all happily educational
Got kids? Then you might be seeking relief from those stifling, cooped-up winter weekends. You've exhausted the board games, the coloring books, the Play-Doh art, Batman and Harry Potter, and worn the crayons down to nubs. What other plans can you make? Load up the car and take a road trip to Richmond, only 200 miles of easy interstate driving from Roanoke. On a midwinter weekend, my husband and I took our two children, Aria, 2, and Wyeth, 4 1/2, to the Children's Museum of Richmond. Spend the night at a hotel, enjoy the complimentary breakfast and arrive at the museum shortly after opening at 10 a.m. (9:30 a.m. on Saturdays). Parking was ample at that hour. Only a few families had arrived, so we avoided the admission lines that begin to form around 10:30. This particular weekend, the museum was celebrating Mexican Fiesta and was laden with colorful pinatas and other decorative motifs. The museum strives to offer exhibits and activities with themes from a variety of cultures. At the entrance to the museum stands "Big Ears," a sculpture of acoustic dishes that resembles a tremendous set of cymbals. This piece of "sonic architecture" was designed by Bill and Mary Buchen, who are known for their large-scale sound installations across the United States. You stand inside "Big Ears" and listen to your echo. It's both beautiful and educational, and children are mesmerized by the effect. Once inside the cavernous facility, we could barely hang up the kids' coats before they started running across a wooden bridge spanning an imaginary river that is the gateway to the main exhibits. My 2-year-old even climbed through the rails and stood on the transparent portholes in the floor to explore the aquatic life depicted beneath. Once across the bridge, my kids immediately transported themselves through the "Tour de Tummy, Journey of Digestion" exhibit, which begins with a wide-open mouth and takes kids on a tour of the digestive system to experience how food travels through the body. Five-year-old Rebecca Weiss of Richmond -- on her second visit to the museum -- was a little scared and reluctant to explore the "Tour de Tummy." But after a few minutes of watching my kids quickly crawl inside, she followed suit. "We went inside and got pooped out. . . . That's the funny part!" Wyeth said later, explaining why this was his favorite exhibit. Next door is a marketplace, "U Shop," complete with shelves of plastic fruit and vegetables, real boxes of cereal and other food products. Children stand at the cash register and scan their goods just like they see it done at the grocery store. Everything is a hands-on experience. Inside "The World Cafe," kids can arrange trays with dishes and food and serve their parents at tables. Wyeth stayed busy for at least 30 minutes gathering fruit in the imaginary orchard where apples pop out of holes on a wooden tree. He could grab them as they emerged and put them in a big basket and then dump them into a vacuum conveyor that simulates the belts at processing plants or orchards. When asked if these were real apples, he replied, "No, silly Mommy. If it was a real apple tree, it would have real apples." "The Great Outdoors" can be enjoyed inside. I briefly lost my daughter as we all crawled around the indoor climbing maze, which is a series of rubberized pathways. (A staff person noticed my panic immediately and asked if I needed assistance.) The equipment is not age-restrictive. Nor is it claustrophobic like those tubes at fast-food restaurants where most adults are likely to get stuck. We heard not a single cry except from children who were tired out. The $7 admission is well worth it and includes the art supplies your kids will use in the art center (which conveniently supplies smocks to protect kids' clothing). The museum attracted 192,702 visitors from July 1, 2002, through June 30, 2003. My husband's comment was, "It's more like an indoor playground than a museum." It's the kind of place you can pop in for a short time or stay the entire day. But, beware: On Saturdays by noon, it's a madhouse. After two solid hours of constant movement, we loaded the kids into the car to drive to the restaurant across the street. But, upon arrival in the parking lot of Julian's, the kids were asleep. We headed for the interstate. Our afternoon plans to go to the science museum and the IMAX theater would have to wait for our next trip to Richmond. But, what a great opportunity for a peaceful drive home, at least for an hour or so. Children's Museum of Richmond
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