Our New Toddler Room!

Have you seen the wonderful new murals in the Toddler Room? Where before our pirate ship sat in a room of beige, forlornly looking for a sea with which to embark on adventures, now it sits BENEATH the sea.

Our ship has become a SUNKEN pirate ship hiding amongst fish, coral, seaweed, jellyfish, and other magical sea creatures.

The work is the brainchild of talented, award-winning artist J.E. Matzer who generously donated his time and talent in creating this magical space for our young Museum visitors. Not only did he spend months creating the murals at his home in Richmond, Virginia, he traveled to Charlottesville over a period of weeks to assist our Exhibit Coordinator Jennifer Thompson Elmore with the installation of each mural. Then he painstakingly added detailed artwork around each mural to "blend" them into the Toddler Room walls.

During the process, a parent with a sense of humor couldn't help but ask, "Are you going to paint an oil spill too?" Hardee-har har! :0) But no, not on these walls. These walls are an undersea wonderland where Sid the Squid, Larry Lobster and Jebediah Jellyfish frolic and play in and around the pirate ship. And now your little ones can too!

You can view more photos here. Stop by soon and pay Sid the Squid a visit. He'd love to see you!

Thanks to J.E. Matzer for his donation of time, talent, and photographs, and to Kate Steere of Everyday C'ville for her photo!

Date Night Drop-Off Program!

A NIGHT OUT FOR YOUR AND YOUR KIDS!

Are you dying to finally have that date night you've always promised yourselves? Have you ever wished there was a place you could drop off your kids right on the Downtown Mall so you could go to dinner or Fridays After Five? Has your child ever wished they could play in the Virginia Discovery Museum after hours when the crowds have dispersed?

Well, guess what? You can! As requested by our visitors, the Virginia Discovery Museum now has a Date Night Drop Off Program! Every Friday from 5:30pm to 8pm throughout July and August, you can drop off your 3-8 year old while you enjoy all the amenities the Downtown Mall has to offer. Sip some wine over dinner, go shopping, grab a gelato, or catch the free show at Fridays After Five. The Museum has got childcare covered.

And it's so much better than a babysitter! We keep groups small, so kids have tons of room to discover the Museum, and each week there's a different educational theme and craft to make during the evening's program:

July 9th - Rousseau Jungles
July 16th - Glow in the Dark Night
July 23rd - Byzantine Art
July 30th - A Night in Egypt
August 6th - Medieval Times
August 13th - Arrrr Matey!
August 20th - Pointillism
August 27th - Bead Making

A healthy dinner of cheese pizza, carrot sticks, and fruit juice is included in the registration fee, as well as lots of free time to play in the Museum. Sign up today and have that date night you've always wanted - the Museum will take care of the rest!

INFORMATION:
Fridays 5:30-8pm, Ages 3-8
(we request your 3-year-old be fully potty trained)
VDM Members $20/ Non-members $25 (siblings discount $5).

Cancellation fee of $10 after 12pm on the day before registered program. No refund for same-day cancellation. Space is limited to 12 children per week and will not run without a minimum of 4 children. Registrants will be notified by 5pm on the night before the program if we need to cancel. Payment is due when child is registered for program.

Call 434-977-1025 to register your child.