More Trains and Local History: The C & O Railway Heritage Center

If there are trains, we will come.  On our way back from Nana's house recently, we made a quick stop at Clifton Forge's C and O Railway Heritage Center, a truly focused site for corporate and local history that is also very kid friendly.  An indoor-outdoor museum situated around a restored depot, the center celebrates the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad and many related ventures, including Clifton Forge's former C and O Hospital.  For us, there are nifty family connections: Granny Helen was a C and O secretary, working as the first female employee in her department; Kim's Great Grandfather Painter once worked at the depot, too. 

Anchored by a model train display of the C and O's main line, the depot building features an extensive exhibit of C and O history, professionally presented.  Significantly, there's a small but beautiful selection of "rolling stock" (trains for the uninitiated) on display.  You can enter two cabooses, a passenger car, a baggage car, and a dining car--all of which have been lovingly restored.  In our humble opinion, they are the best restored cars we've seen in Virginia.  On good weather days, you'll also find a working miniature train outside, big enough for riding in a loop with the kids, and there's a well-stocked gift shop with local history books and nifty local logo T-shirts.  You can also climb up a replica of JD Cabin, a signal tower.

If you go, know that the staffing is thin--if someone else is there, you may have to wait for a tour to conclude before you can pay admission.  A visit like ours will take an hour or so unless there is a special event.  We've been by on some of their special events days in the past--they tend to be well-organized and generally "worth it," if more crowded, if you are interested.  For a nearby meal, we recommend Vic's for something simple and tasty.  Clifton Forge is a nice place to visit, as is Alleghany County.  Please click the links to see some of our other trips.

Wartime Curiosities: The Tank Museum

 

The American Armoured Foundation (AAF) Tank Museum--another one of those places we've thought of going many times and that we're so pleased we visited.  Situated in a former factory in Danville, VA, the Tank Museum is a place that is likely to impress you, whether or not you typically like military collections.

The museum is home to over 100 tanks of various pedigrees as well as other military items such as uniforms and munitions.  Items are neatly arranged and labeled with interesting information; if you look, you will find that many of the tanks were actually built by US auto manufacturers.  The collection includes ecclectic items, including wartime Hollywood memorabilia, and there's a range for remote control tanks that's used by club members on special event dates.  Some artifacts are set up to climb on for photo ops--mind the signs.

If you go, we recommend you begin your visit by sampling the news clippings about the museum on display in the entry area.  These notes will give you a good sense of the museum's history.  It is, essentially, one man's collection on display, transported all the way from New Jersey.  The resourcefulness involved in setting up the museum is simply amazing.  Wear your close-toed walking shoes--you'll cover a lot of ground in the old factory--and dress for the weather.  The museum is indoors but is not climate-controlled; therefore, you may want to visit on a spring or fall day.  Plan your trip in advance, as it is usually open just 1-2 days per week.  Look for the owner riding an antique military bike around and flag him down with your questions. 

For lunch afterwards, we recommend the diner-like Golden Skillet down the road in Tightsqueeze.  It has an awesome fiberglass sign and is a throwback to a simpler time--such a throwback, in fact, that it serves Kool-Aid and doesn't seem to have a website.  If you are travelling with kids, consider adding on a visit to the Danville Science Center, reading about our trip there here.

My Kind of Nature: North Carolina Zoo

Another place that we FINALLY made it: The North Carolina Zoo!  Kim, E, G, and Nana had a fabulous spring day exploring the zoo, literally out and about in it from its opening to its closing.  We missed J, who was at work, but we had a blast exploring this vast park.  Everyone told us it was huge--and everyone was right.

Far from a "cages beside each other" zoo, The North Carolina Zoo strives to give its residents a truly natural place to live, and they do so beautifully. There are two park zones--Africa and North America--and both are spacious and fun to explore.  Animals include polar bears, bison, giraffes, elephants, zebras, wolves, and many more; if you pay attention, the vegetation is equally impressive.  Other features include a series of "geyser" fountains (these fascinated E); a pay-per-visit display of oversized animatronic bugs; and a couple of fantastic playgrounds, including one with a stream and one with a "super fast" leaf slide.  The kids were so happy to be outside, and E approached each new path, building, and viewing area with clear joy.  They were also both pretty fascinated by park maps!

If you go, we recommend picking an overcast, temperate day (think 60-70 degrees with a chance of showers, not too hard to come by in the North Carolina spring).  A friend told us to start in Africa to see the animals before the heat of the day--helpful advice that was perfect for us.  Families set on exploring the play areas in the cool of the day, however, should start in North America.  Plan to walk a LOT; bring what you need to make that comfortable (good shoes, sunscreen, hat, water bottle, stroller, etc.).  The zoo itself features picturesque paved paths dotted with sculpture and that include many ramps of varying slopes; you can also hike a trail between park sections.  As out-of-town visitors, we were glad we stayed all day--and we were equally glad we toted in snacks and drinks, making the trip much more cost effective.  When planning your day trip, spend time exploring the park website in advance, as well as reading current TripAdvisor reviews.  For a place this big, you'll be glad you did your research. 

If you'll be staying in the area with small kids, consider a visit to the Greensboro Children's Museum.  E especially adores this place, a wonderland of imaginative play with nifty outdoor classroom to boot.  You can see our earlier visit here.

The Ratcliffe: A Local History Museum That's Fun For Kids

 

If you've been exploring our blog, you know Justin and Kim will enjoy just about any type of museum, and we're raising our kids in the hope they'll be able to do the same.  Pulaski's Ratcliffe Memorial Transportation Museum makes it simple to get kids--or anyone--interested in local history, whether or not you know much about Southwest Virginia.   The Ratcliffe's presentation is impressive, including appropriate signage and an attractive museum catalogue for sale to those interested.  If you know local history and local museums, you do not take these things for granted. 

The collection features prominent transportation-related items, most notably two antique fire engines from the town's early departments and an extremely impressive model train layout of Pulaski, VA.  The layout was crafted as a life-long hobby of a local dentist, and it was obviously a realistic model of the town, even to our first-time visitor eyes.  Most of the structures in the model are made of reused cereal and shoe boxes, and you can see professional photos of them on the museum's Facebook page.  Expect the majority of the rest of the collection to showcase Pulaski history.  There are photographs of workers from local industries, architectural components from local theatres, and signage from local stores.  For kids, there's a "train table" for play.

The museum's friendly staff welcomed us warmly and provided nifty information as we toured, even allowing Elijah to access one of the antique fire engines.   He can describe its parts, including its hand-cranked siren, quite well, and he'd be happy to give you a tour if you want to take him on your trip!  If you go, know there is a playground nearby, and it looks like a decent spot for a simple picnic.  We didn't readily find lots of other tourist stops or shops, but there are plenty of fast food outlets for lunch.

Simply Amazing That Our Kids Hadn't Been Here: Lynchburg's Amazement Square

We live in Roanoke--and we'd never taken our kids to Lynchburg's children's museum, best known as Amazement Square?  Hard to believe, but true, so we were very thankful when dear friends invited us out with their family for a day at this truly-geared-for-kids museum. 

Amazement Square is an impressively interactive place--and among children's museums, its indoor climbing tower is known as the tallest in the nation and has many fun features, including a room-to-room zipline.  The museum is also well-known for its plexiglass painting room, but Elijah's favorite exhibit was the canal water table.  Gwen enjoyed the Big Red Barn toddler area--and honestly, her mom did, too, playing in the "underground" tunnel.  Several exhibit spaces allow for lots of "getting energy out" with gross motor activities, including a fun bug exhibit built for crawling in and on.  It's also one of those places when you can feel good about your kids exploring pretty freely--there's only one real entrance/exit, and it is monitored; just be advised that there are stairs if you have kiddos that aren't particularly sure-footed or are still crawling.

We recommend you visit, especially if you have kids between about 4 and 8, but kids of other ages will have a blast, too.  If you go, The Depot Grille is nearby (walkable) and good for a casual lunch.  It impresses Elijah as a restored train station.  On the date of our visit, we seemed to have "good timing"--eating lunch at the Depot noonish and then going to the museum just as lots of other families seemed to be doing the opposite.  For our take on another children's museum, this one in Greensboro, NC, click here. 

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.

More and More Art-Venturous: An Additional Visit to the Taubman Museum of Art

One wintery afternoon, Kim, Elijah, and Gwen decided to head to the Taubman Museum of Art just to see "what was new."  We always begin by walking the upstairs galleries.  These galleries change frequently and often feature both contemporary and more traditional art, so they make for good discussion with small children.  On this trip, Elijah particularly enjoyed Motomichi Nakamura's "monsters," an collection of art including animation of bold creatures in red, black, and white.  Motomichi was at the museum preparing for weekend events, and he even stopped and said hello to Elijah!  You can say hello to Motomichi yourself on Twitter: @motomichistudio. 

As always, we spent a fair amount of time in Art Venture, the museum's first-floor children's space.  With free admission and a plethora of art and play supplies, Art Venture is one of the best deals for families in Roanoke.  Today, we noticed there were additional toys for younger kids, including several that were accessible to our infant-daughter Gwen (even though it is important to note the space is designed for ages 2-13).  There are many types of blocks, gears, and puzzles for kids of all ages to explore as well as stations for creating art to take home.  There's also a "stage" and many puppets for dramatic play, and recent additions included creations made by a 3-D printer.

If you go, know that there is a "new" nearby surface parking lot a block away that hosts free weekday parking for two hours or less.  It's maintained by the City of Roanoke and is close to a private paid parking lot near Beads Indeed, a fun make-your-own jewelry store, and Nawab, Kim's favorite Indian restaurant.  Read more about one of our previous museum visits here for more information.  If you are not accustomed to visiting art museums, know they can feel, well, a bit pretentious.  Make yourself as "at home" as you can within reason, and at the Taubman, I recommend engaging the security staff upstairs in conversation.  They know the collections well and are always approachable.