Science Museum of Western Virginia — Attraction in Roanoke

This is a cool place and much better than you'd expect for a museum occupying a couple of floors in a larger building.

One of the most important things a science museum has to do is to explain the scientific principles it exhibits. This science museum does that wonderfully, and it does it in a way that is both accessible to kids and substantive to adults. I can't overstate how great this is. Otherwise it's a glorified playground, but this museum got it exactly right in nearly every exhibit.

I took my two boys there, not knowing if it would be worth the trip or not. They had a blast and learned some things, too. The museum fills two floors in the Center in the Square building. You can reach both floors by stairs or elevator, but I'm partial to the illuminated stairs inside the museum, each bearing the name and dates of a famous scientist. That's a cool detail that's totally unnecessary but really adds to the experience.

There's a sizable exhibit on the first floor of the museum devoted to aquatic life complete with a touch tank. Another exhibit examines how topography affects water flow and allows you to manipulate a map projected on a small sandbox to see it in real time. I think this was my kids' favorite exhibit and it was quite well done. Other exhibits examine core drilling and extraction, how there human heart works, and there's a trippy space that allows you to see your shadow in 3D.

The second floor has a group of smaller exhibits which cover topics from light refraction to potential and kinetic energy, resonance, and aerodynamics, along with many others. There's also a garden area with some interesting plants, though my kids weren't interested in it, so I didn't get a chance to see what it was all about.

We are members at the Science Museum of Virginia in Richmond and our membership there was honored here and allowed us to enter for free. Reciprocity is great!

Several different exhibits had broken or missing elements. It didn't ruin the experience by any means, and only two small exhibits were broken outright to the point of being unusable. It's understandable and unavoidable when you have so many people, including a lot of kids, interacting with the displays. Still, only one of them was marked as broken while the other left us to wonder if we were missing something about how to interact with it.

A note about parking. If you drive to the museum, there is a parking garage attached to the Center in the Square building. It's not cheap, though. It's a dollar for every half-hour, capped at $8 for a day. There are other parking garages within walking distance that may be cheaper.

You can expect to easily spend half a day there. Plan for more if you or your kids like making things as the maker space has many different materials to experiment with.

If you have a child with sensory issues, there is a small sensory space in the younger kids area. There isn't a lot there, but it is a nice haven if the rest of them museum gets too loud or busy or if your kid just needs a break from too...

Planetarium is main reason we came 2 staff told us it was open today. And it was still closed for the new , I was extremely disappointed with my experience. I had high expectations for this museum, but it fell short on several aspects.

First and foremost, the organization and presentation of the exhibits were subpar. Many displays were poorly labeled or lacked any explanation whatsoever. It was frustrating to not have a clear understanding of what I was looking at. Additionally, there were no audio guides or interactive elements to enhance the visitor's experience and provide a deeper understanding of the artifacts on display.

Moreover, the museum staff seemed disinterested and unhelpful. I encountered several occasions where I had questions or needed assistance, but the staff appeared unapproachable and disengaged. Their lack of enthusiasm and knowledge made me feel unwelcome and undermined my overall enjoyment of the visit.

Another major issue was the pricing. The admission fee was quite high for what was offered. Considering the lackluster exhibits and the unhelpful staff, I found it difficult to justify the cost. I expected a better value for my money, and unfortunately, I left the museum feeling unsatisfied and disappointed.

During my visit, I looked for opportunities to voice my concerns or provide feedback, but there was no apparent mechanism to do so. This lack of accountability and responsiveness did not give me confidence that my concerns would be addressed or acted upon.

To improve the museum experience, I would strongly suggest implementing clearer labeling and explanations throughout the exhibits. Audio guides or interactive elements could greatly enhance visitors' understanding and engagement. Additionally, it is crucial that the museum invests in training its staff to be more knowledgeable, approachable, and willing to assist visitors.

In conclusion, I regret to say that my experience at the local museum was disappointing. The lack of organization, unhelpful staff, and high cost did not meet my expectations. I hope that the museum management takes these concerns seriously and makes the necessary improvements to provide a more enjoyable and educational experience for future

I am adding on to this because at one point I did have the owner’s attention on this matter and it seems they have taken their comment to my review down when I believe the museum does have the Planetarium open now. And this kinda gets to me because my family has been waiting and I would have figured he would let me know when it opened and I was offered free admission for my family but I guess that is not the facts anymore. I tell ya some things in this area really has gone down hill. And the places that used to be meh have gone...

Overall very interesting, it took me multiple trys just to beable to enjoy the museum.

The first time I was turned away due to the establishment being rented out for some sort of party or school thing. The second time the establishment was closed early with no mention of early closure on their site (this was upwards of 2 years ago)

That being said, I got to actually enjoy my time here this go around, the layout is slightly confusing. The parakeet atrium is the highlight for me, the birds are well cared for and the staff that care for them are very well-educated on them.

The reptile area is currently a work in process but its currently very interesting, it makes me look forward to come back later to see how the area develops.

Lots of interesting interactive activities for kids and young adults to participate in (I say this as a 27 year old tailing my younger brothers) theres alot of fun things to learn and see here

The only pictures I took were from the rooftop garden. When I was here 2 years ago, this was the only area open for us to visit and its come quite a long way since then.

Overall an interesting ever evolving facility that's a clean safe environment for your kids to run around supervised in.

Don't go here if your expecting staff to manage and babysit your kids while your sit back, this is very much a you and your...