Virginia Museum of Natural History | Martinsville

🏛️ Institutional Overview

Foundation and Identity

The Virginia Museum of Natural History, located in Martinsville, Virginia, is the Commonwealth’s official natural history museum, established in 1984 and made a state agency in 1988. It is also a Smithsonian Affiliate, and has earned national accreditation by the American Alliance of Museums-a distinction awarded to fewer than 5% of museums in the United States.

Architectural Design

The museum’s current building, opened in 2007, is a 89,000 square-foot facility that integrates exhibition space, research laboratories, collection storage, and educational classrooms. It’s designed with glass-walled labs, allowing visitors to view scientists and technicians actively working, thereby blurring the traditional separation between museum visitors and research work. The building also features open galleries, high ceilings, and modern exhibit lighting that give a clean, immersive aesthetic.

🧬 Permanent Exhibit Galleries

1. Harvest Foundation Hall of Ancient Life

A breathtaking gallery devoted to paleontology, this hall features:

A real fossil Allosaurus skeleton (one of the museum’s centerpieces).

A baleen whale fossil over 14 million years old, excavated from Virginia’s coastal plain.

An enormous Pteranodon soaring overhead and reconstructions of ancient sea life.

Additional displays include marine reptiles, ammonites, trilobites, and dinosaur bone beds.

Lab windows reveal technicians working on fossil prep in real time.

2. Uncovering Virginia

This gallery presents reconstructions of six scientifically significant field sites from within Virginia:

Saltville: Ice Age megafauna such as mammoths and mastodons.

Solite Quarry: Early Jurassic and Triassic era insect and fish fossils.

Yorktown: Ancient marine life and whale bones.

Newport News: Native American archaeology and tool sites.

Rich with multimedia, the exhibit blends dig-site recreations, 3D visuals, and specimen displays.

3. How Nature Works

A multidisciplinary exhibit exploring the geological and biological forces shaping Earth:

Plate tectonics, erosion, and atmospheric processes.

Photosynthesis, food webs, and evolutionary adaptation.

Touchscreens, hands-on devices, and simplified science models allow intuitive exploration.

4. Hahn Hall of Biodiversity

Highlights Virginia’s living ecosystems with:

Detailed dioramas of animals in their habitats.

A taxidermy collection of African mammals donated by Dr. Thomas M. Hahn Jr.

Information on endangered species and conservation efforts.

5. Fossil Overlook

Located on the upper level, this space showcases:

Rare fossils and casts of prehistoric life.

Evolution timelines and life-history exhibits.

Interactive components that teach about fossilization, extinction, and adaptation.

6. Hooker Furniture Discovery Reef

Designed specifically for young children (under 8 years), this is a playful, hands-on zone:

Marine-themed touch tanks and tactile discovery bins.

Games, puzzles, and live animal exhibits.

A soft-surfaced area to encourage early learning through exploration.

🦖 Special & Rotating Exhibits

The Age of Dinosaurs (2025–2026)

A spectacular temporary exhibit featuring:

Original fossils of theropods, sauropods, and ceratopsians.

A Tyrannosaurus rex skull, full Triceratops skeleton, and skin impressions.

Animatronic models of dinosaurs like Dilophosaurus and Herrerasaurus.

Fossilized dinosaur tracks, field jackets, and an active prep lab demonstration.

A children’s dig pit for simulated fossil excavation.

Stories from Skeletons

A rotating display showcasing rare and odd skeletal specimens-like a two-headed snake, deformed antlers, or comparative human and primate skulls-with educational placards on anatomy, pathology, and evolutionary significance.

🔬 Research & Collections

The museum is not only an exhibition space but also a fully functioning research institution, housing one of the largest natural history collections in the southeastern United States. Key areas of focus include:

Paleontology

5 million+ specimens including Ice Age fossils from Saltville, Jurassic-era dinosaur remains, early fish from the Solite Quarry, and marine mammals from the Miocene epoch.

Notable researchers: Dr. Adam Pritchard (vertebrate paleontology).

Type specimens: Rare, globally significant fossils used for identifying new species.

Archaeology

Over 450,000 artifacts, including pottery, tools, and bone fragments.

Sites represented: Native American and early colonial settlements across Virginia.

Mammalogy

Virginia’s most comprehensive mammal collection: 17,000+ specimens.

Includes squirrels, bats, foxes, bobcats, and a robust small mammal skeleton archive.

Noteworthy: The largest squirrel collection in North America.

Herpetology

Specimens of over 60 amphibian and 50 reptile species, including salamanders, turtles, snakes, and lizards from the Appalachian Mountains.

Recent Invertebrates

One of the largest East Coast collections of freshwater insects, ants, beetles, and mollusks.

Significant for ecological studies and environmental monitoring.

Bryozoans and Marine Invertebrates

Fossils and modern samples used for paleoecological reconstruction and species classification.

📚 Educational Programming

VMNH maintains a strong educational mandate with year-round programming for all age groups:

School & Youth Programs

Standards of Learning (SOL)-aligned field trips and classroom kits.

Summer adventure camps in paleontology, entomology, and archaeology.

Scout badge programs and curriculum-based workshops.

Public Programs

Hands-on activities, guest lectures, guided tours.

Digital learning tools and live virtual classrooms for remote education.

Teacher & STEM Development

Virginia Science Institute: A program that trains educators in effective STEM teaching.

Partnerships with NASA, NOAA, and the GLOBE Program.

🎉 Events & Festivals

Annual Flagship Events

Dino Festival: Live paleontology demos, kids' crafts, balloon artists, and dino-themed vendors.

Reptile Festival: Live animal encounters, herpetology lectures, and conservation exhibits.

Bonez & Booz: Halloween-themed science night with skeleton scavenger hunts and spooky fossil activities.

These events bring in families, schools, and science enthusiasts from across the region and often include behind-the-scenes access to scientists and collections.

🎟️ Visitor Experience

Location: 21 Starling Avenue, Martinsville, Virginia.

Hours: Tuesday to Saturday, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM. Closed Sundays and Mondays.

Admission:

Adults (18–59): $10

Seniors (60+), children (3–17), and college students: $5

Under 3 and museum members: Free

ASTC Passport members: Free reciprocal admission

The museum includes a gift shop, outdoor picnic area, and accessible facilities. Parking is free and adjacent to the main entrance.

🌎 Outreach and Impact

The museum serves as a hub for STEM literacy, inspiring curiosity in natural sciences throughout southern and central Virginia.

Its research findings are published in international scientific journals.

Active outreach includes traveling exhibits, public library partnerships, and community fossil digs.

Summary

The Virginia Museum of Natural History is a world-class institution that combines scientific discovery, immersive exhibits, and community education in a single, engaging destination. With its dynamic collections, real-time research visibility, family-focused interactivity, and globally recognized scholars, it stands as both a cultural anchor and a scientific powerhouse for Virginia and beyond.