Have you been to the Children’s Museum (CMoR) lately? Don’t just push that stroller there – run like the dust bunnies under your bed have conglomerated into one massive ball and are chasing you! I had heard all the changes were great and all but was a bit sceptical if it is really worth all the hype. Oh, yes, it is! Known as CMoR’s “Town Square,” this new permanent exhibit contains a mechanic’s auto garage where kids can actually put wheels on an elevated car, a TV station, a grocery store with its own cafe, a hospital with a REAL AMBULANCE, a bank, as well as a school house. Not too shabby, huh?
The general layout remains the same, but there are lots of really neat additions and small changes that will knock your socks (or baby booties) off. Always on the lookout for a bargain, I noticed that the membership fee has been reduced from $100 to $75, while the daily rate has risen from $7 to $8. Since adults pay admission as well, I realized that if Sam and I go to CMoR just five times over the course of a year, the membership will pay for itself. (NOTE: Admission after 4 PM is only $4, but the museum closes at 5 PM.) Also the gift shop has moved closer to the entrance probably to get more traffic, a smart move on their part.
Despite being mesmerized by the ambulance and mechanic’s garage, Sam still has the same favorite thing to do at CMoR, though, climbing on “King Mutt.” (See photo please!)
CMoR is located at 2626 West Broad Street next to the Science Museum of Virginia. To get more info, check out CMoR’s user-friendly website at www.c-mor.org or call (804) 474-CMOR. They are always on the hunt for volunteers, too.
LibbY