Richmond’s Science Museum of Virginia is one of my favorite places for hands-on learning. Whether it’s about animals, space, or robots, SMV offers learning in an interactive and fun way, so that my kids don’t even realize they’re learning. In fact, there have been several instances where we’ve seen an exhibit at SMV and days or even weeks later, my children have reflected on it and pointed out how something they learned at the museum was used in their day.
The new SMV exhibit, Towers of Tomorrow with LEGO® Bricks combines STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) with creativity through 20 skyscrapers built from LEGO® bricks, plus the opportunity for patrons to create their own build!
While both of my children love LEGO, they were each drawn to different aspects of the exhibit, which made it a unique family experience. For example, my 7-year-old son simply loves to build with LEGO bricks. The exhibit includes 2,000 bricks for building, so he could have stayed for hours designing and putting together elaborate builds. My 11-year-old, on the other hand, spent most of our visit admiring the skyscrapers, in awe of how long each took to build. She also loves trivia, so she challenged herself to see which of the 20 skyscrapers she could identify and give its location. This opened the door to questions and learning as she discovered the CN Tower in Toronto, Tapei 101, and other skyscrapers she hadn’t heard of before. This exhibit definitely lends itself to the curiosity that will lead to discovery and learning.
Don’t skip reading the placards by each skyscraper to get all the information, which can lead to impactful conversation, from geography to admiration of the time, patience, and perseverance of the building process. For example, as you check out the Bangaroo Hotel Resort model (which is incredible, by the way), you could ask, “What do you know about Australia?” and start a discussion about where it is and how we might travel there from the U.S., and more. Alternatively, while building at the table where the Chrysler Building model is, you could say, “Wow! This took 111 hours to build. I bet there was a lot of planning and even some frustration that went into creating this. I know you sometimes get frustrated when you’re working on a project that takes a long time. It’s important to keep working towards your goal, right?” Of course, these are just simple examples to get you and your kiddo(s) talking and would vary by age.
I love when an outing blends life skills, like working hard, with learning, and that is exactly what you’ll find at Towers of Tomorrow with LEGO® Bricks. Before you go, prepare your children to look with eyes only at the skyscraper builds. There will be plenty of time for using hands to build at the tables with loose bricks.
This exhibit is included with regular admission through August 24, 2025. Consider purchasing a membership if your family frequents the museum more than twice a year. Read more about SMV’s accommodations for families and individuals with sensory concerns.
