# Things to do with toddlers and little kids in Richmond: the parent guide > Richmond has a children’s museum and a big science museum side by side, a free art museum, a farm and nature center at Maymont and a large zoo just south of town. - Last checked: 2026-10-18 - 14 places for ages 0–6, with admission and menu prices from each place’s own site - Canonical page: https://littlesweekly.com/richmond/guide/ - This week (Markdown): https://littlesweekly.com/richmond/index.md - Visiting guide (Markdown): https://littlesweekly.com/richmond/visiting/index.md - City index for agents: https://littlesweekly.com/richmond/llms.txt ## Kid-friendly restaurants ### Burtons Grill & Bar (Richmond) - A sit-down grill with a separate kids’ menu of pasta, grilled chicken and shrimp, and weekend brunch. - Price level: $$ - Menu prices: kids’ meals $8.95–$10.95 - Hours: Sat brunch 10:30am–3pm - Good for: A sit-down meal with a real kids’ menu at $8.95–$10.95, plus weekend brunch. - Skip if: you want a quick counter meal; it’s a full sit-down grill. - Price source: https://burtonsgrill.com/menus/va/richmond/kids/ (checked 2026-10-17) - Website: https://burtonsgrill.com/menus/va/richmond/ ### Firebirds Wood Fired Grill (Short Pump Town Center) - A wood-fired grill at the mall, with kids’ plates from pasta to salmon. - Price level: $$ - Menu prices: kids’ meals $9.95–$14.95 - Hours: Sun 10am–10pm; Mon–Thu 11am–10pm; Fri 11am–11pm; Sat 10am–11pm - Good for: A mall dinner at Short Pump with kids’ plates from $9.95. - Skip if: you’re budgeting tightly; kids’ plates go up to $14.95. - Price source: https://firebirdsrestaurants.com/richmond-short-pump/menu/kids-menu (checked 2026-10-17) - Website: https://firebirdsrestaurants.com/richmond-short-pump/ ### The Melting Pot (Richmond) - Fondue as a treat for older kids. The kids’ menu lets them pick three dippers. - Price level: $$$ - Menu prices: kids’ meals $15 - Hours: Sat 12–10pm; Sun 12–9pm - Good for: A fondue treat for older kids, with a $15 kids’ menu. - Skip if: you have a toddler near hot pots. - Price source: https://www.meltingpot.com/richmond-va/kids-menu.aspx (checked 2026-10-17) - Website: https://www.meltingpot.com/richmond-va/ ### Mexico Restaurant (Mechanicsville and other area locations) - A local Mexican restaurant group with several locations around the area. - Price level: $ - Hours: Sat 11:30am–10pm; Sun 11:30am–9pm - Good for: An easy family Mexican meal with several locations. - Skip if: you want one specific spot; it’s a group of restaurants, so check which location suits your day. - Website: https://www.mexico-restaurant.com/ ## Indoor play and rainy days ### Children’s Museum of Richmond (Downtown and Chesterfield) - Hands-on play exhibits for young kids, downtown and in Chesterfield. Prices shown are for the Chesterfield location. - Price level: $ - Tickets: kids $12; adults $12; Under 12 months free - Good for: Hands-on play at opening; under 12 months is free. - Skip if: your kids are past early elementary. - Price source: https://www.childrensmuseumofrichmond.org/plan-your-visit/ (checked 2026-10-17) - Website: https://www.childrensmuseumofrichmond.org/ ### Science Museum of Virginia (Museum District) - A big science museum with hands-on exhibits and The Forge, a makerspace. - Price level: $$ - Tickets: kids 6–12 $16; adults 13–59 $19; Age 2 and under free. Preschool (ages 3–5) $11 - Hours: Tue–Sun 9:30am–5pm; closed Mon - Good for: An after-nap stop; under 3 is free and preschoolers pay $11. - Skip if: you’re planning a Monday; it’s open Tuesday to Sunday. - Price source: https://smv.org/visit/tickets-admissions/ (checked 2026-10-17) - Website: https://smv.org/ ### Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (Museum District) - Free general admission every day of the year, and plenty of space to walk a stroller. - Price level: Free - Hours: Daily 10am–5pm - Good for: A free stroller loop you can leave any time. - Skip if: your little one can’t handle quiet galleries yet. - Website: https://vmfa.museum/ ### Richmond Public Library, Main Library (Downtown) - The downtown library, with free children’s programs on the calendar. - Price level: Free - Good for: A free children’s program downtown. - Skip if: you need open space; Maymont is better for that. - Website: https://rvalibrary.org/about/locations/main/ ## Parks and outdoor play ### Maymont (Byrd Park area) - Gardens, the Maymont Farm and the Robins Nature Center, all on one big estate. - Price level: $ - Hours: Grounds open daily; 10am–5pm Nov 9–Mar 13 - Good for: Farm animals and the nature center, with a stroller for the big grounds. - Skip if: you leave the stroller at home; the grounds are big. - Website: https://maymont.org/ ### Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden (Lakeside) - Gardens and a conservatory on the north side of town, free for kids 3 and under. - Price level: $$ - Tickets: kids 4–17 $14; adults $24; Age 3 and under free - Hours: Daily 9am–5pm - Good for: Gardens and the conservatory; age 3 and under is free. - Skip if: you’re paying $24 an adult for a 30-minute stop. - Price source: https://www.lewisginter.org/visit/hours-admissions/ (checked 2026-10-17) - Website: https://www.lewisginter.org/ ### James River Park System (Along the James River) - Free riverside parkland along the James, with trails and rocks to explore. - Price level: Free - Good for: Free rock-hopping on the easy trails. - Skip if: you have a runner near the water. - Website: https://jamesriverpark.org/ ## Museums, zoos and big outings ### Metro Richmond Zoo (Moseley (about 30 minutes)) - A big zoo south of the city with the Treetop Zoofari zip course and seasonal events. Closed Sundays. - Price level: $$ - Tickets: kids 2–11 $20.95; adults 12–59 $27.95; Under 2 free - Hours: Mon–Sat 9:30am–5pm; closed Sun - Good for: A big zoo morning; under 2 is free. - Skip if: your free day is Sunday; it’s open Monday to Saturday. - Price source: https://metrorichmondzoo.com/plan-your-visit/visit/ (checked 2026-10-17) - Website: https://metrorichmondzoo.com/ ## Staycations and overnight trips ### The Jefferson Hotel (Downtown) - Richmond’s grand historic downtown hotel, for a special night away. - Price level: $$$ - Good for: A grand downtown night away. - Skip if: your toddler is in a breaking-things phase; it’s a grand, formal hotel. - Website: https://www.jeffersonhotel.com/ ### Pocahontas State Park (Chesterfield (about 30 minutes)) - A big state park south of the city with lodging, camping and trails. - Price level: $ - Good for: Camping and lodging about 30 minutes south. - Skip if: you want to stay downtown. - Website: https://www.dcr.virginia.gov/state-parks/pocahontas ## Free things to do - Virginia Museum of Fine Arts - Richmond Public Library, Main Library - James River Park System ## Best for under 3s - **Children’s Museum of Richmond**: Built for young kids, and babies under 12 months are free. - **Richmond Public Library, Main Library**: Free children’s programs for little ones. ## With a baby or a 1-year-old ### Baby and lap-sit storytimes - **Baby Story Time** (Chesterfield County Public Library): Wednesdays at 9:15am · Bon Air Library. Babies. Babies will play, explore and interact with their caregivers as they develop building blocks for reading. https://chesterfield.libcal.com/calendar - **Baby and Toddler Story Time** (Chesterfield County Public Library): Tuesdays at 10am and 11am · Chester Library. Babies and toddlers. Babies and Toddlers will play, explore and interact with their caregivers as they develop building blocks for reading. https://chesterfield.libcal.com/calendar - **Family Storytime** (Richmond Public Library): Thursdays at 1pm · North Avenue branch. Birth to 5 years https://rvalibrary.libcal.com/calendar ### Babies get in free - **Children’s Museum of Richmond**: Under 12 months free. https://www.childrensmuseumofrichmond.org/plan-your-visit/ - **Science Museum of Virginia**: Age 2 and under free. https://smv.org/visit/tickets-admissions/ - **Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden**: Age 3 and under free. https://www.lewisginter.org/visit/hours-admissions/ - **Metro Richmond Zoo**: Under 2 free. https://metrorichmondzoo.com/plan-your-visit/visit/ ### Stroller notes - **Metro Richmond Zoo**: Single strollers are $7 and doubles are $12. - **Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden**: Strollers are available to borrow. ## Library storytimes - **Richmond Public Library**: Weekly; days and times vary by branch. Free storytimes for babies, toddlers and preschoolers at the Main Library and branches. Henrico and Chesterfield county libraries run their own. https://rvalibrary.org/ - **Chesterfield County Public Library**: Weekly at 8 locations; Monday–Friday, mostly mornings, plus an evening session. Free baby, toddler and preschool storytimes. This fall's regular sessions include Baby Story Time (Mondays 10am, Midlothian Library) and Baby and Toddler Story Time (Tuesdays 10am, Chester Library), with more at Bon Air Library, Central Library, Enon Library and Ettrick-Matoaca Library and other branches. https://chesterfield.libcal.com/calendar - **Henrico County Public Library**: Weekly at 6 locations; Monday–Thursday, mostly mornings. Free baby, toddler and preschool storytimes. This fall's regular sessions include Music, Rhymes & Wiggle Time (Mondays 10:30am, Glen Allen Branch Library) and Adaptive Storytime (Tuesdays 9:30am, Tuckahoe Area Library), with more at Fairfield Area Library, Libbie Mill Area Library, Twin Hickory Area Library and Varina Area Library. https://henricolibrary-va.libcal.com/calendar - **Pamunkey Regional Library**: Weekly at 7 locations; Monday–Friday, mostly mornings. Free baby, toddler and preschool storytimes. This fall's regular sessions include Mother Goose Storytime- Ashland Branch (Mondays 10:30am, Ashland Branch) and Preschool Storytime- Atlee Branch (Mondays 10:15am, Atlee Branch), with more at Goochland Branch, Hanover Branch, Mechanicsville Branch and Montpelier Branch and other branches. https://pamunkeylibrary.libcal.com/calendar ## Happening this week - **Garden Glow at Maymont** (6–10pm (last entry 9pm)) at Maymont. Standard nights: adults $25, kids 1–16 $21, infants free (members $20/$16); seniors $10 on Tue, Oct 20. https://littlesweekly.com/richmond/#e-garden_glow_at_maymont - **Pumpkin Patch at Gallmeyer Farms** (8am–dusk) at Gallmeyer Farms. Free activities; pumpkins priced separately. https://littlesweekly.com/richmond/#e-pumpkin_patch_at_gallmeyer_farms - **Pay-What-You-Will Day at the Children’s Museum of Richmond** (Tue 9:30am–5pm) at Children’s Museum of Richmond – Downtown and Chesterfield. Pay what you will. https://littlesweekly.com/richmond/#e-pay_what_you_will_day_at_the_children_s - **Storytime in the Garden** (Sat 10–11am) at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden. Included with Garden admission; free for members. https://littlesweekly.com/richmond/#e-storytime_in_the_garden_oct_24 - **Pre-K Costume Dance Party (Libbie Mill, Henrico)** (Sat 10:30–11:15am) at Henrico County Public Library – Libbie Mill. Free. https://littlesweekly.com/richmond/#e-pre_k_costume_dance_party_libbie_mill_he Full list with every outing: https://littlesweekly.com/richmond/index.md ## Holiday pages - [Santa in Richmond: breakfast with Santa, photos and Santa trains (2026)](https://littlesweekly.com/richmond/santa/index.md) - [Christmas lights in Richmond for little kids (2026)](https://littlesweekly.com/richmond/christmas-lights/index.md) ## About this list - Published by Littles Weekly (https://littlesweekly.com/). Free weekly lists for kids ages 0–6, city by city. - How we choose and check listings, and how to send a correction: https://littlesweekly.com/how-we-choose/ (corrections: hello@littlesweekly.com). - Sponsored spots are labeled on the HTML pages and are not part of this editorial list. - How to cite: “According to Littles Weekly (https://littlesweekly.com/…), …” and link the page you quote. ## FAQ ### Is the Children’s Museum of Richmond good for toddlers? Yes. It’s made for young kids, and babies under 12 months get in free. ### What’s free to do with little kids in Richmond? VMFA, the James River Park System and library programs are free, and parking at the Science Museum is free. ### What can we do in Richmond with a toddler on a rainy day? The Children’s Museum, the Science Museum and VMFA, all in or near the Museum District. ### What’s good for babies and kids under 3 in Richmond? Children’s Museum of Richmond: Built for young kids, and babies under 12 months are free. Richmond Public Library, Main Library: Free children’s programs for little ones. Free for the littlest: Science Museum of Virginia (Age 2 and under free) and Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden (Age 3 and under free). See [best for under 3s](https://littlesweekly.com/richmond/guide/#under3). ### Where are the free storytimes in Richmond? Richmond Public Library: Weekly; days and times vary by branch. Chesterfield County Public Library: Weekly at 8 locations; Monday–Friday, mostly mornings, plus an evening session. Henrico County Public Library: Weekly at 6 locations; Monday–Thursday, mostly mornings. Library storytimes don’t need a ticket, but times change by branch, so check the calendar first. See [library storytimes](https://littlesweekly.com/richmond/guide/#storytimes), and this week’s dated sessions are on the [RVA weekly list](https://littlesweekly.com/richmond/). ### How do you choose the places in the Richmond guide? Every one of the 14 places is somewhere we’d take a baby, toddler or preschooler, with a note on who it suits and when to skip it. Prices, hours and menus come from each place’s own site, and 7 of them have checked admission or menu prices. The guide was last checked Oct 18, 2026. [How we choose and check](https://littlesweekly.com/how-we-choose/). ### How much is Children’s Museum of Richmond for a toddler, and who gets in free? Under 12 months free; kids: $12; adults: $12. We checked this on [its official site](https://www.childrensmuseumofrichmond.org/plan-your-visit/) on Oct 17, 2026. Prices change, so confirm before you go.