Virginia Museum of Natural History

About

The Virginia Museum of Natural History is Virginia's official state museum of natural history, located in Martinsville in the southern Piedmont region. As a state museum affiliated with the Smithsonian Institution and the ASTC Passport Program, VMNH combines world-class scientific collections with accessible public programming, all housed in a purpose-built facility that opened in 2009. The museum's Paleontology Hall is the centerpiece, featuring Virginia and regional fossils from across geological time—from Cambrian sea creatures through the Cretaceous period's dinosaurs to the Pleistocene megafauna of the Ice Age. Highlights include mounted skeletons of Allosaurus and Plesiosaur, a hadrosaur trackway, and substantial Virginia mastodon and mammoth remains. Virginia was once a shallow tropical sea, then a lush dinosaur habitat, and the paleontology collection tells that extraordinary story through real specimens. The Pleistocene Gallery documents Virginia's Ice Age fauna with skulls and skeletons of mastodons, ground sloths, giant beavers, and other megafauna that roamed the state until roughly 10,000 years ago. The anthropology collection covers Virginia's human history from Paleo-Indian hunters through historic-era Indigenous cultures. Research laboratories visible from the public galleries allow visitors to observe scientists cleaning and cataloging fossil specimens in real time—a rare and educational experience that demystifies museum science. VMNH offers dedicated homeschool programs aligned to Virginia SOL standards, school field trips, summer camps, and family science days. EBT cardholders receive free admission for up to five family members. The museum's Martinsville location puts it off many tourist routes, making it a rewarding discovery for families traveling through southern Virginia.

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