Virginia Museum of History & Culture

I felt like the tickets were very overpriced for the special exhibition. The LEGO stuff was definitely cool to see but way too pricey. The museum‘s regular displays are a bit random. You have historical items and then stuff like a lady’s pants from a few years ago cuz she was photographed protesting anti-abortion laws. Really? Those pants deserve to be in a museum?

Amazing building with Amazing artifacts. To be complete honest many of the exhibits seem to be randomly placed. If there was a theme, we missed them. Overall a great experience.

I'm a Virginia native, born and bred, and I had never visited the VMHC before. I was intrigued to take a look at its Unbound exhibit on freed slaves in the state early on and how people of color had to navigate those conditions. I always love reading about families who took their present condition, endured, and in many cases, created free and wealthy families of color. These stories continue to inspire my own legacy building in freedom for my family. #VeryInspirational #WellCurated

Lots of history and some cool pieces of Legos. The Titanic ship is phenomenal so cool. My kids ages 12; 10 and 8 enjoyed the visit.

✨I’m a Fan Girl of the VMHC✨ As a PhD in history, I had the incredible opportunity to spend two weeks at the VMHC on a short term fellowship. The VMHC truly exceeded my expectations. The staff is wonderful, effortlessly setting me up at a reading table with all my documents. Everything needed for my research was at my fingertips—rich sources that became the core of my dissertation. Their deep knowledge of the collections is inspiring. ✨The reading room is lovely and so comfortable, making it a place where you could easily spend all day. Unlike other places, this one invites you to stay, as if saying, “Can I get a pillow and a cup of tea? I’ll be just fine here.” It’s the best library I’ve ever worked in. ✨I explored the rest of the museum and found wonderfully curated exhibits, including Julia Child’s display during my visit. ✨The café offers fantastic food—definitely not the usual skip-it experience. I enjoyed a latte or cappuccino every morning, often savoring lunch and dessert there. I’m truly a fan! ✨The gift shop is equally charming, with thoughtfully selected items. I still cherish my sweater and pins. ✨Parking is easy and accessible, as are all entryways and museum navigation for those using wheelchairs. If you’re in the area, take your time to explore every inch of this remarkable place. In my experience, it ranks among the best in the country, and I’ve visited many libraries, archives, and special collections. The friendly and helpful staff makes it a truly inspiring environment!

It was a great lego exhibition, the museum itself is very informative and inspiring.

Went in to see the Julia Child exhibit. It was wonderful. I'd like to get back and see the rest as I was pretty late due to traffic. However, when they say they are turning the lights out on you they are not playing. You cannot exit back out of the front of the building. It goes out to the side. Keep that in mind depending on where you park. I didn't realize it was right near the art museum too. Not far from food, markets and fun!

Many actual and replicated historical artifacts are available for hours to spend explore and read about. I do agree with some of the other visitors that certain sections are not laid out chronologically and wished there was at least somewhat a guidelines for visitors to follow through. I ended up exiting through a random exit having to back track multiple times to complete each section. If you have parked at VMFA parking deck, it is close enough to walk to the history museum.

If you're into history and/or call Virginia home, the Virginia Museum of History & Culture is worth a visit. Open every day from 10am-5pm, tickets are between $8 and $12 with children five and under free. Located next to the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, the Virginia Museum of History & Culture is inside a historic building erected to commemorate the Confederacy. Now it's a museum honoring all Virginians, regardless of background. Here's why you should visit: 1) Entrance: There's a large parking lot near the main entrance. Walk inside and you'll see a well-designed cafe that serves local coffee and food, a bookstore with books and products from Virginia, restrooms, and the ticket area. Staff are helpful and the entire space is kept clean. 2) Exhibits: Start with the 15-minute film about the history of Virginia starting 16,000 years ago to today. It's worth the time. Then explore the exhibit halls where you can find art, artifacts like letters George Washington wrote, and more. One exhibit walks through history of Virginia from 16,000 to present day. Another honors all five regions of Virginia. Another talks about the original murals in the building and another showcases art of Virginia. Little rooms are filled with more exhibits displaying some of the 9,000,000 objects in their collection. There's even an area for kids to play in a little market, try on colonial clothes, and more. Interactive exhibits are part of every room. 3) Experience: It's not an overwhelming museum, but you can easily spend a few hours seeing most items and reading most displays. I learned a lot!

Not sure what I was expected, but I was sorely disappointed with this museum. The fee is $12 and I feel I spent about 12 minutes in there, so one dollar for every moment spent? Idk, I didn't feel that price tag was worth it. The history and culture wasn't presented in a way I thought captured my attention, nor made me want to retain said information or learn more. Save your $$$ and go to the VMFA which is right there, amazing, and free.

We wanted to visit to see the Julia Child exhibit and really enjoyed the whole museum. Unfortunately, there were some loud, destructive and annoying teenagers who were visiting the museum and just making a mockery of everything. I get being loud and demonstrative, but be respectful of the exhibits and enjoy yourself without taking away from other people's experiences. The Julia Child exhibit was cool. I loved the tie in to Virginia. I didn't know as much as i thought I did before visiting but after taking my time and soaking up the information, I really have a new appreciation of her. We stopped in and had some tea at the end of our visit. The tea was lovely and the cafe was cool. We will definitely visit again soon.

We recently re-visited here for a Halloween event they were doing that was geared for kids and I was really impressed with all of the improvements they have made since we had last been there. If you're a history fan this is a great spot to go with friends or a date. There is a beautiful bar inside where you can grab a refreshment and discuss your thoughts on the exhibits. I love that they are doing First Friday events as well, many which are kid friendly. Great spot for a museum hopping day, a date night or even a place to expand yours and your children's education.

This is such a lovely museum and Richmond is lucky to have it. In addition to many rooms of curated art and historical artifacts, they also host fun, engaging events, such as First Friday, which includes admission to their special exhibit, and Virginia Distilled. I most recently attended the Julia Child exhibit on First Friday last month and had such a good time with one of my friends. It was interactive and informative. This is a great spot to check out for locals and visitors alike.

Fan of history? Love VA? Love just having a really good time? This is the museum for you!! It was so interactive and well put together. Our group included 25 year history lovers and 10 yrs who would rather play fortnight than do anything else and we all LOVED it. Perfect reminder that Va's history is America's history!

Wonderful pieces. But be careful as you and guests listen to the guides. The tour scripts occasionally contain "woke" agendas.

This was a stop mainly for John- a huge history nerd, he loves going through museums and reading everything! It can be hours for him to get through. This time it was all about me (well, just one exhibit). I was completely enamored with the Julia Child exhibit! Reading about her life, seeing all the photos and displays, the videos! Fabulous and fun. I appreciate living life for your passions and searching them out, learning everything you can- even in the face of adversity. And she was such and interesting woman! John had made his way through and onto another exhibit and came back to find me still working my way through- he teased me about it! The rest of the museum was fun, but I must confess how much I adored the Julia Child Exhibit!

This is a great place to visit, especially when they are hosting a special exhibit. I went to see the Julia Child exhibit on a hot, summer day. The exhibit was well laid out with a mixture of photos, video clips, simulated aroma dishes, artifacts and more. I really enjoyed it. There was a visiting summer school group that came through with a tour guide while I was there so I was able to listen in as she guided the students. After seeing the exhibit, I checked out the rest of the museum. There are lots of interesting galleries detailing the history of Virginia and our Nation. This museum is great for going solo, or coming with friends and family. It's a great experience for children and adults.

What a gem of a museum! I've been to the VMFA many times and was unaware of this museum. We visited for the Julia Child exhibit which was fantastic. The other parts were fantastic as well. We will definitely go back as there is so much to see!

Considering I have lived in Virginia most of my life, I have never spent time exploring Richmond. From early school days we are taught how Virginia itself had so many famous historical people, wars and the whole colonization of the great new world. So with my daughter in tow, we came to wander and learn more about the rich history of Virginia. George Washington's personal diary was the highlight of my findings amongst all the incredible artifacts here-we learn and hear about this man starting from day one of our educational life, but to actually see his personal handwritten diary was really incredible to me. I was like "that's his handwriting!". The museum wasn't very busy on a Friday afternoon, so no crowding and we got to roam leisurely at our own pace. There was also a Julia Child's special exhibit so for me that was fun as I grew up watching her and other cooks/chefs on PBS as a child. I did hope they had more of her personal items besides some hand written recipes and letters. Finishing it all off we hit the little gift shop. Lots of books. Not a lot of self sponsored items, but I appreciated that since the museum isn't about VMHC. The little cafe was big, bright and tidy. We grabbed the special drinks of day-lavender milk tea and lavender lemonade. Not bad of $3.50 each.

The Virginia Museum of History and Culture is great! Recently renovated it is bright, spacious and welcoming. It is operated by the Virginia Historical Society and has a pretty extensive collection of art, artifacts, memorabilia and books about Virginia and the Commonwealth. They also get trading exhibits, so there's always something new to see and explore and regular lectures and other special events. Currently there is an exhibit on the Apollo Missions, NASA and the role VA played in Space history. There is a sit down Cafe, gift shop, library and auditorium. Facility is ADA accessible.

Great location to learn a few centuries of Virginia history. It has a variety of interesting geography features and does identify some indigenous perspectives.

There are many different exhibits and they all explain the history and culture of Virginia. The building is clean and the staff were extremely friendly! I highly recommend.

I love this museum so much I became a member! Yes, it's much smaller than the main VMFA, but it's packed with amazing history! It's located on the Boulevard, next to the big museum, and has its own parking lot. The gift shop is full of historical books, statues, stationery, postcards and more. The information desk sits in the center of the majestic foyer to welcome you to this wonderful world of history! On the bottom floor, you'll also find a cool display of timepieces through the ages and an exhibit of appliances and technology over the course of decades. Upstairs we were quite taken with the Founding Frenemies Exhibit. After seeing the play Hamilton, my interest in this fascinating character of the past was reignited. Although the exhibit wasn't huge, it was chronologically displayed by year. The plaques at each station were detailed with easy to understand summaries of Hamilton's adventures. His position in history and his humble beginnings gave me pause for thought... what a prolific writer and genius he was. After reading the information regarding the proposed change to the $10 bill which bears his face, I was so glad to learn that his likeness will remain! As First Secretary of the Treasury, he deserves his place in history and on our currency! We also loved the Charles Schultz exhibit, and had a chance to tour several other rooms, gaze at paintings and view some cool RVA history. We weren't able to finish the whole museum in one afternoon and I'm happy to return! The membership really pays off!! It also includes a discount in the gift shop, a periodical and calendar of events, lectures and special exhibits! I recommend it profusely!!

This place has been on my museum list for a while, so grand reopening weekend was a perfect time to visit. I can't speak on the renovations -- but the museum itself was wonderful! There was so much information and history in this space. There are also a lot of activities throughout, like the head to head where you debate with friends who changed America more from a list of folks. I enjoyed the Our Commonwealth exhibit most, and saw many familiar names from the community. I was there for a little over an hour, and will def need to go back to take it all in.

Owned by the historical society, this museum features the history of Virginia with over 500 items. The museum tells the story of Virginia from the early explorers, Pocahontas, Revolutionary war, the Civil war, suffragettes, and landscape paintings. The building is impressive and expansion construction going on. The blooming hydrangeas were beautiful in front at the entrance.

This museum can be found across from the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. It's a lot smaller but had a lot of interesting artifacts from the Civil War and old inventions from the early 1900's. Very interesting to visit and see how much has changed (or how little in some cases). You get to see nice, or original, examples of artifacts of back then. Very cool to see. A nice peek on American history. I will say that I'm happy to report that they did not shy away from including the KKK and slavery in the museum. Definitely a place to visit for anyone interested in old American history. On a side note: they had a toy museum included inside. Toys the 50's to the 70's. Admission was $10 for adults, and free for kids. Worth the cost in my eyes because they really knew what they were doing. All sorts of toys I had forgotten about showed up here! It was fun seeing the original toys from back then and seeing the original advertisements for them. Lastly, there was a section where you could do a game trivia and play with some toys yourselves such as the slinky, Nerf balls, Atari system, and more. I love toys and I couldn't wait to enter this museum. Don't wait, just go check them out! I seriously doubt you'd be disappointed.

Wow. I'm not a museum lover. But this one was amazing. You can see the whole museum in about 1.5 hours if you walk at a normal pace and not read any of the plaques. We loved seeing the different art over the years. It was so cool to see paintings from Picasso and van Gogh! We missed the 2nd part of the museum because you need to exit the building to walk across a street to get to the other building (it was under construction but still open, from what the signs said). If i'm ever in Richmond again, I'd love to go see the other building.

I came to see Determined because I've been really into 1619 this year. From visiting Point Comfort to buying my first New York Times for the 1619 issue. I had to see how the former confederate capital would handle this event on Arthur Ashe Boulevard. The installation was thorough yet easy to understand. I never got the feeling that I was overwhelmed by information. There is a lot to read but there is also a great video along with hands-on activities. After completing Determined, I passed through a couple of installations, my favorite being the breakdown of Native people on lands that became the Commonwealth of Virginia. Anything dealing with george washington to robert evader lee, I skipped. Not on my watch. Anyway, what is not to love about a museum that highlights not only activists like Barbara Johns, Zyahna Bryant and the great Arthur Ashe but a cultural icon like Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott, a total paradigm shifter in the world of music.

I am very glad to visit this museum in Richmond. The exhibits were put together very well and believe me, it's a lot to digest, especially The Story of Virginia. One of the temporary exhibits that was available (the last day will be the 21st) is Fresh Murals, which showcases paintings from local artists. All I can say they will start conversations on Virginia's past and how far we can move toward the future. Pictures below will be from all the artists. Enjoy.

So sad, I have visited twice just to make sure I was not missing anything. The museum exhibits look as if they were planned by a committee that purposely chose to ignore the most impactful history of Virginia, which of course is slavery. There is no understandable transition between the other exhibits. The overall impression of the space is one of an event space for parties etc. I will not be back to support the mission of the building (not a museum) and I suggest anyone who really cares about history do the same.

Alright, so I'm not a history buff. In fact, I really don't like history at all. That said, the Virginia Historical Society is a free museum with plenty of interesting things to look at. I didn't really follow, understand (or care about...) most of the historical leaders and events referenced, but had a lot of fun looking at the old trolley bus, swords, landscape paintings, and interior housing items. There's a lot of items to look at and space to walk around, and you can easily burn a couple hours casually going through it. There are also a few interactive things there as well, like pieces to touch and move, a simulated game, and that aforementioned trolley bus to go in. It's hard to review a free museum, and while it certainly isn't the best museum I've ever been to, it's free, local, and still enjoyable.

There are wonderful museums in Richmond. The VMHC is awesome. There are so many exhibits rich in history. The paintings are beautiful. The museum is easy to navigate. The art museum is next store. Donations are suggested, but not mandatory. Adults and children will have a good time here.

This was a pretty awesome museum. They had plenty of Covid-19 precautions in place and they were selling pretty much everything in their gift shop at a very large discount for some reason. The exhibits were spectacular! Virginia has a really long history and this place hit it spot-on. They did not shy away from any shameful history and they owned up to everything. It was great to add onto the stuff I learned in school considering Virginia was an important founding colony at the time. Spectacular art and exhibits and definitely a place to visit in Richmond if you're into history. They share a garage with the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.

Here to see Art of Seating. Over the past 20 years in Richmond I never went. They are stepping up their exhibit after the renovation and certainly make it attractive pair with VFMA next door. If only they had a restaurant. NFL and Vintage toy exhibit from the 50's 60's and 70's coming soon

I honestly didn't know that this was such a great place to visit, beyond researching archives or utilizing it for meeting space. I went for the toy exhibit and stumbled upon the Virginia exhibit afterwards. Firstly, the toy exhibit was fantastic. I took my parents, who were transported back to their childhood. The Virginia exhibit was pretty amazing and is a permanent installation. It's a very well made exhibit--taking the time to recognize contributions and sacrifices of native and enslaved peoples. I appreciate that they don't shy away from the horrors that come from our history. There are interactive portions of the exhibit, utilizing technology to help become more informed. I honestly did not allot enough time to fully enjoy this--I didn't realize it was so big! It covers from ancient beginnings to the present day. It's a real treat for the old and young! Please take time to go, you'll leave having learned so much about Richmond.

What an awesome museum. The 400 years toward equity exhibit is awesome. Overall they've done a superb job of updating an old museum to interpret colonialism and civil war era material in a current manner.

We went to visit the exhibit of toys from the '50s, '60s and '70s. This was an awesome exhibit, well worth the $10 exhibit fee! My husband and I were born in the '80s so, while we expected to enjoy the exhibit, we weren't sure how many of the toys we would recognize. We recognized almost all of them! So we learned that the '80s and '90s weren't as original as we'd thought as far as children's playthings. The exhibit was wonderfully curated. Each decade had a TV with a button to press. The button started a 5-minute long video of commercials from the decade you were in- so hilarious! Then you could walk around and see the toys, play a trivia game, and even interact with some in the last room. I was blown away! I would love to get the change to visit the Historical Society again and see some of their other offerings. We were in a rush to see this specific exhibit and then run over to the Art Museum next door, so we didn't browse through the rest of the museum.

It's a free, well appointed museum - so certainly worthwhile stopping by to see. A large chunk of it focuses on Confederate history (murals, weapons, etc) but there are some neat displays on locally produced items, both historical and modern. That was really fun.

Virginia Historical Society is a Mini-me Smithsonian Museum that very well covers the history of Virginia and it shows good, bad and ugly of rich history of Virginia. It is free and it has interactive programs. A real video and graphics program (I am not calling it a game) about slavery is chilling. My son played it and his escape from the slavery ended up badly - in the hands of the bounty hunters. KKK mask is displayed in the glass disclosure and I was surprised that there were no spits on the glass. The write-up states, "It was strongest in Virginia after WW1, when it added immigrants, Catholics, Jews and organized labor to its list of "non-american" groups." Pocahontas button displayed brings you closer to this legendary woman. An old wagon makes you think how long and how hard was to travel to find better life. It is housed in a confederate monument building in the confederate capitol so it is a bit strange for somebody who is not invested in that part of our country history. You will learn a lot about history of Virginia in the museum regardless of how much you know already and so visit to the Virginia Historical Society does the good job on the delivery.

Disappointed that the R.E. Lee Memorial Hall name was changed. Why was this info removed?

FREE! Such an awesome museum! Spend the 32 minutes and see the movie about Virginia. It is a compelling story and I love that it talks to real people and says the good AND the bad! Love the interactive portions of the museum - fun things to do for the young and young at heart! In the Fashion section, you take your photo on the green screen, email it and it comes back as a Magazine Cover...so cool! It is small enough to do in an afternoon! Haley, at the front desk, could not have been nicer. She gave us a run down on all the cool things in the city, to include the awesome brew pubs.

I've lived in RVA for over ten years and today is my 1st time visiting this awesome museum. I came today with my niece & nephew to check out the Toy Exhibit they currently have there now. I loved it and I'm glad I got to experience for the 1st time with kids. Excellent exhibit & friendly staff!

My sister and nephew were in town visiting, and since this museum is only a few blocks from my house, it made sense to go. I had never been here and had no idea - it is AWE.SOME! First of all, its free, and So much Fun. I highly recommend spending the 20 minutes to watch the movie about Virginia featuring Virginians - not actors - but actually people describing Va in their own words - the good and the, well, not so perfect. I loved the layout of the museum, it was easy to get around so you didn't miss anything. The visuals were amazing, and l loved that many of the displays you could actually touch (the trolly, carriage). The interactive displays made learning fun! Its officially on my "go-to" list for visiting friends and family! If you have a chance, I would highly recommend a visit.

Love history? Want to view original documents by important people from US history? This museum was over the top with documents, artifacts and portraits. Unfortunately, there was only a small display devoted to the railroads but seeing items which once belonged to Robert E Lee or other notable folks shocked me. Oh, and for those of you who dislike being reminded of the US' slave owning past, there are quite a few artifacts which might make you feel some shame.

I wanted to see Jack Jeffers' exhibit "End of an Era" which features off the beaten path Appalachia pictures and the people who live there. It was a small exhibit but highly entertaining since the description for each picture is a short blurb by the photographer himself. Anyone who's interested in Richmond's history will get a lot out of visiting VA historical society and it's a good crash course for anyone new to the city. The museum is free (yay!) and we spent about 1 hour to 1 1/2 hour with still a lot more of rooms/exhibits left to see. It's a worth while "staycation" if visiting museums are your kind of thing.

Have driven by this many times, unaware that it is open to the public...for FREE! Don't be fooled by the lack of vehicles parked out front, this place is a lively and eclectic mix of Virginia's history. Parking is behind the building, which can be entered on a drive to the south side before the United Daughters of the Confederacy building. Definitely worth a visit, it's a quick look, but surprisingly diverse collection. Electric Street car, Conestoga Wagon, local silver collection, Robert E. Lee's uniform and other person effects, as well as Revolution and Civil war relics.

Wonderful place to get a sort of hands on feel for the history of this great state. Both the museum AND the parking is free!

I love the Virginia Museum of History & Culture. Yes it is smaller than the VMFA but just as great. This museum is also free which awesome. I have been to this museum a couple times to see their exhibitions and I can tell they put a lot of work into them. I loved the WW1 exhibition because there was so much in that small room and they made it in a way that made the exhibition enjoyable. It made the subject really come to life. They have some exhibitions that are there year round including their massive paintings. This museum also has a nice garden in the back where you can eat your lunch. They even have a theater! They do take a long time to add a new exhibition which is understandable considering the amount of work they put into each exhibition. I absolutely recommend this museum it really makes history fun and interesting.

This museum is right next door to VMFA so very easy to walk over and visit. I was highly impressed by this free museum. Lots to see and the exhibition displays were very up to date. I highly recommend a visit.

My mom does genealogy and she loves to visit places that have family history, which she finds in this library. Great collection of books and manuscripts that relate to our family.

If you live anywhere remotely close to this place, do yourself a favor and spend a day here. I am not a history person, but more of an art history lover, but this place has everything all rolled into one. We spent almost 3 hours there and still didn't see it all, we closed the place down! Beautiful galleries, amazing and informative historical artifacts, spacious layout and so much more. If we would have had more time here, we would have stayed all day! Definitely do yourself a favor and check this place out and enjoy the experience of history in its many forms!

Perhaps, I am spoiled. I am a history buff and have been to the NC, IN and MN state history museums. They were all great and all blew away the VA state history museum. We were in and out in under an hour. The exhibits were disjointed, no flow, little attempt at story telling. You just kind of ran into different time periods, different stories without any rhyme or reason. Way too much history not or barely covered like say slavery, or early settlers. They did have a traveling WW1 exhibit, but we had seen it at the NC State History museum. What a waste of such a large building.

Great way to kill an afternoon, learn more about Virginia, and have fun without spending money. (Of course, you should always donate a few bucks to museums that don't charge a fee.) However, we did bite off a little more than we could chew. The museum is very large, with many interesting exhibits. We went through a few of the rotating exhibits, then went through the Virginia History exhibit. The Virginia exhibit was so large that I was exhausted and really just breezing through the end of it. I recommend dedicating one visit just to the Virginia history exhibit so you can get through all of it without getting wiped out. Visit the other exhibits another time. It's free, so you can continue going back!

I really enjoyed this museum, it's small, but I got a great overview of Virginia's history which I needed for research. An hour worked for me, but if you go the special exhibit I'm sure it's 2 hours. It's also free! The VMFA is next door as well, so you can go museum hopping!

My husband and I stopped by on a hot Sunday afternoon. We really enjoyed! Interesting exhibits. It helped that we saw a National Geographic documentary on Jamestown. So many unique items and interesting stories. We'll be back soon.

This is absolutely worth taking the time out to go see. Very interesting and fun displays.

Took my almost 6-year-old son to see the toy exhibit and went through the rest of the museum as well. We spent about 2 hours total and covered the entire museum, including the toy exhibit and, of course, the gift shop in the basement! It's so nice that this museum is free; the toy exhibit was $10 for adults, free for kids under 18. We easily found street parking but it looks like there is a lot out back. The permanent exhibits are nicely done. If you're not a history lover, there is a lovely gallery of geographical paintings. Otherwise, the history side is a lot of reading; if you're taking your kids, I would recommend making sure they can either read for themselves or that you're one-on-one to read with them. There are a few interactive games along the way. My son really enjoyed the federalist vs. anti-federalist game but the runaway slave interactive video terrified him, especially when the Confederate soldiers captured him by gunpoint in the end (spoiler alert!). I wish there had been a warning posted re: age appropriateness on this specific exhibit. There is plenty to hold a non-reader's attention too... from the rudimentary canoe, to the Conestoga wagon, and an electric trolley you can actually sit in! There is also a 30-minute video about Virginia but I wasn't sure if it would his attention so we skipped it. I'd like to go back and watch it myself though! The toy exhibit was a lot of fun, probably more so for me to see the toys of my (and my parents') childhood than for my son. He would have enjoyed it more if there were more toys to actually play with; most everything is behind glass but he still found it interesting to see the original versions of toys he's seen or played with before. They do have a few living room sets that are reminiscent of the 50s, 60s and 70s and you can actually sit on those. There's a fun trivia game, a Slinky staircase (we spent a lot of time here!), an Atari game, a Nerf garage, and a table with different nostalgic toys that are available for play. There are also a few more in the gift shop, probably to occupy little hands while parents shop! My only comment would be to have instructions posted for the game at the front entrance of this exhibit (for the up 4 it garden game). I vaguely remembered it but could not recall how to play, which was too bad; we even googled the game while we were there but didn't find out anything. Oh well! I honestly would not have planned to visit this museum if the toy exhibit had not caught my eye while driving down Boulevard so I'm glad it did! Overall, I would highly recommend this museum to tourists, locals, and elementary/middle/high school aged kids. Definitely would not bring preschoolers and under though!