A New Treasure: Discovering the Danville Science Center

Inspired by a field trip at Kim's school, we headed out to the Danville Science Center--a place we'd barely heard of but thoroughly enjoyed.  The center is full of interactive exhibits and play areas--and it's worth the drive from Roanoke. 

Permanent exhibits span two buildings and include rocks, small "stuffed" animals, and a few live animals like a lizard and a turtle.  There's a large temporary exhibit space, and exhibits rotate reasonably frequently.  There are also seasonal attractions like a butterfly garden.  Elijah was a huge fan of the From Here to There temporary exhibit, enjoying the "air tubes" for moving balls very much.  Picture a large see-thru bank or pharmacy drive thru that you can control, and you'll get the idea.  This exhibit has a small "ball pit" with building toys including various simple machines (a ramp, a gear and pulley system, etc.), and both Elijah and Gwen could have stayed in it all day.  While the museum isn't as expansive as some similar museums, there was plenty for us to do--and in a visit of about three and a half hours, we didn't even make it upstairs.  This, of course, is a sign we'll have to go back.

The site itself is interesting and features a restored active train station--complete with a model layout of the city and a red caboose you can play in.  A recently-added Digital Dome Theater is prominent in the center's architecture.  On our trip, the kids took in their first such show, seeing a film about the solar system and a sky show.  We understand why the dome is advertised as the best theater of this type in the region.  The technology for the sky show was particularly impressive, and our guide was able to show us a 3-D model of our galaxy. 

If you go, expect a kid-friendly place, including a small room for snacking (bring your own) and a gift shop with low-cost items (we picked up a globe keychain for less than a quarter).  The staff spoke genuinely to the kids, which is always a friendly plus.  In fact, Kim recommends it as one of the best science museums we've been to for preschool-to-elementary aged kids.  On a warmer day, pack a picnic--there are lovely, if urban, grounds for it--and take in a walk across the river on a nearby pedestrian bridge.  Another plus?  Admission is more reasonably-priced than many similar attractions in the region.  If you live close, the center's birthday parties sound like a great deal.  On the day we visited, a group of young kids were launching toy rockets as part of their planned party activities--Elijah would love it.