About Town Moms. Historic neighborhood walks, private museum tours, and cultural adventures with your child.
Agecroft Hall. Homeschoolers and Historic Houses is held every March, June and October. Tour Agecroft Hall and Wilton House Museum at a discounted price, and explore America's colonial and British roots during this special day-long program. It includes up-close and hands-on study of reproduction artifacts, historic games and more. Advanced reservations required; please contact Jill Pesesky at 353-4241 for more information.
Alcoa - Richmond Foil Plant. Alcoa has brands such as Reynolds Wrap® Aluminum Foil, Reynolds Plastic Wrap, and Reynolds Cut-Rite Wax Paper. Tours can be arranged for the Richmond Foil Plant located at 7th & Bainbridge Sts. Call (804) 230-5200.
Alstrom Power Plant, 1200 Willis Road, is involved in Steam & Gas Turbine repairs as well as Generator repairs. Tours can be arranged, ph (804) 743-4700.
Area Rehabbers Club provides educational programs and presentations to help the public understand and coexist with native Virginia wildlife. ARK educators can teach you the behavior and habitats of the animals in your area.
Ashland Berry Farm. Fun and educational programs vary according to the time of the year. They have a pumpkin hay ride in the fall. Call (804) 227 3601.
The Black History Museum and Cultural Center of Virginia seeks to become a permanent repository for visual, oral and written records and artifacts commemorating the lives and accomplishments of Blacks in Virginia.
Brookview Farm is a family owned and operated certified organic farm located in Manakin-Sabot. They can arrange field trips to see chickens, cows and goats, a wagon ride, and a tour of an old farm barn.
Campbell Springs Farm, 12830 River Rd, Chesterfield, can arrange a tour of the horse farm and have a petting zoo. Willing to do pony rides for a small fee during the tour. Contact Beth Schanz (804)590-3400.
Chesterfield Berry Farm is a real working fruit, vegetable, and beef cattle farm located in western Chesterfield County. They have a pumpkin hay ride in the fall.
Chesterfield County Airport. Free tours of the airport terminal building, observation deck, pilot's lounge, flightplanning room, tarmack, (if available) MedFlight air evac helicopter and talk with pilot.
Chesterfield County Public Library. A library tour can be set up for school-aged children to learn more about the library. Call your local librarian to set this up. They also have story times and craft times on a regular basis
Chesterfield Fire and EMS. The Fire and Life Safety House is an actual "structure" where children learn about home fire safety in a realistic setting. Children are taught vital lessons such as "crawl low in smoke", "have a home escape plan and practice it", "how to make an emergency call", and many other home safety tips. Call the Fire & Life Safety Division at (804) 748-1426.
Chesterfield Historical Society. Chesterfield County’s Museum Complex offers a variety of educational opportunities to stimulate young minds. Take a step back in time and experience what life was like in Chesterfield while exploring over 400 years of history at the Chesterfield County Museum, get an up close and personal view of the 1892 Jail, then learn about pre-civil war farm life on a visit to Magnolia Grange Plantation. Our educational programs are engaging and fun for any age group though we specialize in tours for students in grades K-4. These programs focus on topics such as then and now concepts relating to settlement in Chesterfield, life in the New World, a General Tour of Chesterfield History and an Outreach Program. Our educational programs offer a great learning environment that will provide a memorable and rewarding visit for any age group. Experience the diverse history that is Chesterfield County and see why “We are more than just a footnote in history.”
Children's Museum of Richmond has educational programs which are designed especially for students in preschool through Grade 3. All programs are hands-on, interactive and include multiple subject areas (math, science, history, social studies, English, art). Minimum of 10 children to qualify for group rate. One adult chaperone is required for every 6 children and is admitted free (there is a charge if more than the required number of adult chaperones attend). Call (804) 474 7015 for more information.
The Citie of Henricus Historical Park features programs relating to Colonial and Indian life of 17th century Virginia. They provide multi-curricular programs for Pre-K through Grade 8. These programs emphasize age-appropriate hands-on group activities. Call (804) 706-1340, ext. 229 for more information.
DuPont Spruance plant, 5401 Jefferson Davis Highway in Chesterfield, has been in operation for 75 years and is Dupont’s largest site. They manufacture Tyvek ® and Nomex® and are one the area’s largest employers. Tours can be arranged - call (804) 383-2000.
The Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond. Visits to Richmond's Federal Reserve Bank must be arranged in advance. While the Federal Reserve's money isn't actually printed in Virginia, old currency is shredded, new bills get put into circulation and most checks written in Virginia and five surrounding states are processed here. One high point is the Federal Reserve's self-guided money museum, which displays different types of currency, including primitive and colonial money. Call (804) 697-8108.
Henrico County
Fire Department. The Division of Fire will schedule and present fire safety education
for age groups 4 and up at your location. The Kid's Safety House can be
scheduled for groups of 100 or more. It is a 30' trailer which teaches
kitchen fire safety, smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, and fire escape
planning/practice.
To make a request call 501-5877.
Henrico County Libraries. A library tour can be set up for school-aged children to learn more about the library. Call your local librarian to set this up. They also have story times and craft times on a regular basis.
Lavender Fields Herb Farm is a working herb farm nestled on 21 rolling acres bordered by the Chickahominy River in Glen Allen. They can arrange a field trip of the farm (combination walk and tractor ride!) to learn about the history of the farm, herb gardening, beekeeping, and the Chickahominy River. For more information, call (804) 262 7167.
Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden. The Children's Garden is home base for adventures designed specifically for pre-school through elementary age groups, as well as family visitors. Young Buds Programs introduce the world of plants to young children three to five years old, while Children's Discovery Programs are for elementary aged children. These programs also can be adapted for the needs of home-schooling families. For more information, call (804) 262-9887, ext. 322.
Maymont offers a variety of fun and fascinating programs and tours designed especially for students and scouts. For more information, call (804) 358-7166, ext. 324 or 333.
Metro Richmond Zoo. Educational programs can be scheduled for K-12 during Spring, Summer and Fall. These must be pre-scheduled. One "Teacher" admitted free. Zoo Life is a 30-minute presentation about lifestyles and adaptation of birds, reptiles and mammals and about Zoos and conservation, with up close and personal look at several of the Zoo animals. Call (804) 739-5666.
Morefield Gem Mine is an exciting place for the whole family. For more than 70 years the mine has produced many varieties of mineral specimens and is open to the public. You may view the exhibits, visit the gift shop, or mine you own gem stones. Call (804) 561-3399.
The Museum of the Confederacy has a variety of field trip options for elementary, middle and high school students. All programs can be tailored to meet the specific learning needs of your students. A visit to the Museum and White House of the Confederacy takes between 45 minutes and 2 hours. To discuss a schedule and make a reservation, please call (804) 649-1861 ext. 22.
Old Dominion Railway Museum in an express car donated by the Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac Railroad Company. It is open to the public on Saturdays from 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM and Sundays from 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM. Admission is free with donations going to fund the operation of the museum.
Pet Smart allows self-guided field trips or scavenger hunts in their store. Call your local store manager to set it up.
Pocahantas State Park has guided nature hikes, campfire programs, slide presentations, children’s programs, night hikes, environmental education and special programs by request. Pocahontas State Park is a perfect outdoor classroom for all school kids. Outreach and onsite programs are available on request. Please call the park, (804) 796-4255, for details.
Poe Museum boasts the world's finest collection of Edgar Allan Poe's manuscripts, letters, first editions, memorabilia and personal belongings. Tours can be arranged, and a lesson plan is available. Call (804) 648-5523.
Richmond National Battlefield Park offers a variety of ranger-guided education programs that are well organized, informative and engaging. These programs will help your students gain a greater understanding of the cultural and natural resources of this national park. Call the park at (804) 771-2018.
Richmond Public Library. A library tour can be set up for school-aged children to learn more about the library. Call your local librarian to set this up. They also have story times on a regular basis.
Richmond SPCA. A field trip can be set up to help your students help our community’s homeless animals while learning lessons of compassion and responsibility. They also have craft and story times. For more information, call (804) 521-1327.
Science Museum of Virginia has many different educational programs and workshops, including field trips, Science Spotlight, Camp In, Wonderplace, Junior Solar Sprint, Science Saturdays, LiveSky and so on. Call (804) 864-1400 for more information.
United States Post Office. Field trips can usually be arranged through your local postmaster.
Ukrops. Educational store tours are available at all Ukrop's locations for school-aged groups. Contact your local store manager to arrange a tour.
The Valentine Richmond History Center. Historic Richmond Tours guided bus and walking tours are available for grades three through high school. All Historic Richmond Tour Guides are well-trained and extremely comfortable working with diverse student populations. Many tours include visits to historic sites such as the State Capitol, St. John’s Church, the Museum of the Confederacy, the Maggie Walker House and Hollywood Cemetery. Tour offerings include The Nation’s Beginnings, Richmond’s African-American Heritage, Ancients in our Neighborhood and Richmond and the Civil War. Custom tours may also be arranged.
Virginia Aviation Museum has "Homeschool Mondays" on the third Monday of each month at 9:30am or 11am. January - Engines: Harnessing Power, February - Black Wings, March - Female Flyers, April - Kites, May - Helicopters, June - Rockets, July - Paper Airplanes, August - Just Plane Fun, September - Weather, October - Aerospace structures, November - Ballooning, December - Wright Brothers. For more information, or to reserve a space call (804) 236-3622.
The Virginia Capitol. Guided or self-guided tours are available daily. For more information on arranging guided tours, contact: Capitol Square Guided Tours (804) 698-1788.
The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts has free 50-minute interactive, multidisciplinary programs for students in grades K-12 throughout the year. For reservations, call (804) 340.1419 at least 3 weeks in advance.
Virginia Holocaust Museum. Due to the graphic nature of the Museum, it is recommended that all children be at least 9 years old. For groups larger than 10, the Museum provides docents to guide them through the exhibits. Tours should be scheduled at least 2 weeks in advance, ph (804) 257-5400.
Velatis is a small candy factory located in Goochland. It produces over twenty varieties of chewy and sugary styles of caramel candies made from Old European recipes. They allow field trips - call (804) 556-5977 for more information.
Wilton House Museum. Homeschoolers and Historic Houses is held every March, June and October. Tour Agecroft Hall and Wilton House Museum at a discounted price, and explore America's colonial and British roots during this special day-long program. It includes up-close and hands-on study of reproduction artifacts, historic games and more. Advanced reservations required; please contact Jill Pesesky at 353-4241 for more information.
WCVE Richmond PBS. Field trips can be arranged to this TV station. Call (804) 560.8214.
4-H. Special 4-H programs and activities can be scheduled through your local Virginia Cooperative Extension office. Hands-on activities and programs can be presented to youth in a wide range of areas, including Animal Sciences; Careers and Economic Education; Citizenship; Communication and Expressive Arts; Family Sciences; Foods, Nutrition, and Health; Leadership and Personal Development; Natural Resources and Environmental Education; Plants, Soils, and Entomology; and Science and Technology. To find out more about 4-H programs that can be presented, contact your local Extension Office: Chesterfield: 751-4401, Hanover: 752-4310, Henrico: 501-5160, Richmond City: 786-4150.