RVA Tots

Richmond offers so many amazing experiences and adventures for kids. You can actually also save money at many of our favorite places by getting a membership. Below I’ve broken down Annual Membership options that we’ve personally used and how many times you need to visit to get your money’s worth. Just a note – this will vary based on your family’s size.

1. Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens

• Cost for family of 4 per visit: $60
• Annual membership cost: $150 (family membership)
• Membership pays for itself in: 3 visits
• What’s included: 2 free guest passes, free access to Dominion Energy GardenFest (specific dates), discounts on summer camps, library borrowing priviledges
• What I love: The Children’s Garden is filled with so much to do for kids: a splash pad, sand pit, monkey bars, play houses, tree house, rope swings, and more
• Click here for my full review on Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden

2. Metro Richmond Zoo

• Cost per person: $19.95 (ages 2-11), $25.59 (ages 12-59)
• Annual membership cost (gold): $65 (ages 2-11), $79 (ages 12-59)
• Membership pays for itself in: 3 visits
• What’s included: Unlimited zoo rides, discounts on Treetop Zoofari and Summer Camps
• What I love: The feeding experiences are SO fun. Make sure to save food for the warthogs and camels as well!
• Click here for tips on visiting the Metro Richmond Zoo

3. Children’s Museum of Richmond

• Cost for family of 4 per visit: $36
• Annual membership cost: $149 (family membership)
• Membership pays for itself in: 5 visits
• What’s included: early registration to Legendary Santa, special discounts
• What I love: The spray park, SplashMoR, is typically lest busy than public splash pads and a great way to end a museum visit in the summer. The smaller Chesterfield location is great for parents of multiples and often less busy
• Click here for more on the Chesterfield location of the Children’s Museum

4. Maymont

• Cost for family of 4 per visit: $28 (for access to Robins Nature Center)
• Annual membership cost: $80 (family membership)
• Membership pays for itself in: 3 visits
• What’s included: Free admission to many events, discounts and early registration to Garden Glow, 25% discounts on programs like Maymont Toddler Time and Summer Camps
• What I love: Maymont Toddler time is one of the best kids programs in the area! We have absolutely loved it over the years. Maymont’s Garden Glow is also the most underrated event in the area!
• Click here for more on Maymont’s Toddler Time

5. King’s Dominion/Soak City

• Cost per person: $49.99 (general), $44.99 (under 48″), 2 & under are free. Prices vary throughout the year
• Annual membership cost: $120 (gold pass)
• Membership pays for itself in: 3 visits (less if you have kids 3-5 years old!)
• What’s included: free parking, free access to Haunt and Winterfest, Gold and Prestige passes include 2 free preschool passes (meaning you can add kids 3-5 years old for free!)
• What I love: The best part of having this annual pass is that it gives you SO much flexibility with little ones. You can choose to stay for multiple hours, or leave after just an hour! There’s a ton of ride options even for little kids in Planet Snoopy and Soak City.
• Click here for my tips on visiting King’s Dominion

6. Science Museum of Virginia

• Cost for a family of 4 per visit: About $59.50 ($17.50 for 13-59 years old, $14.50 for 6-12 years old, $10 for 3-5 years old and FREE for 2 & under
• Annual membership cost: $165 (Supernova family membership)
• Membership pays for itself in: About 3 visits
• What’s included: 4 guest passes, 4 Dome Theater passes, member-only programming and event access, exclusive preview days, discounts on birthday parties and summer camps
• What I love: The Light Place is a blast for kiddos 5 & under with a really cool climbing structure. I also really love the outdoor space with trains and a giant submarine
• Click here for more on the Science Museum of Virginia

For more adventure ideas around RVA, follow me on Instagram at @RVATots!