The Virginia Living Museum
Sixty Years of Connecting People to Nature
In 1966, the Peninsula Junior Nature Museum and Planetarium opened in Newport News thanks to a grassroots community effort. No one could have imagined that 60 years later the Virginia Living Museum would have connected over 13.5 million people to the nature surrounding us.
The Virginia Living Museum has expanded several times over those years. Today, it is an award-winning facility that has evolved into a living, changing, engaging campus. A unique blend of wildlife center, aquarium, science museum, botanical garden and planetarium/observatory, the 23-acre campus is focused on experiential discovery, education, and conservation.
The Virginia Living Museum has one of the largest displays of native plants in Virginia. Native plant sales are held twice a year to encourage residents to use local plants in their gardens.
Every detail in the newest addition, the Wild Care Center, completed in 2024, is designed to support transparency in health and nutrition. The state-of-the-art facility offers visitors a window into the world of animal care, connecting guests to the dedication and science behind the museum’s commitment to wildlife health, ecosystems, and career inspiration.
About 260,000 visitors enjoy the museum each year. “Every single visit is an immersive experience that brings each of us joy and a closer connection to the wonder of nature and our shared environment,” says Rebecca Kleinhample, executive director. “Being a highly visited attraction indicates our mission is alive and our community is interested in participating and supporting.
“Hampton Roads is an amazingly science-rich region,” Rebecca continues.
“We are your friendly neighborhood tour guides to the great outdoors. We are here to connect you with the everyday science and nature hiding in plain sight. This helps build your family dinner table conversations, is great for our community and the planet, and a fantastic excuse to look at some really cool animals, bugs and rocks!”
The Virginia Living Museum offers spring break and summer camps for children where they can explore our wonderful world of nature.
Education systems throughout the region utilize the Virginia Living Museum. “We make learning fun ,” Rebecca says. “And we see that the best way to engage minds is to bring people close to inspire and challenge them, so the lessons become ‘sticky.’”
Rebecca has been part of the Virginia Living Museum for 20 years. “We are a natural oasis in the middle of a city. We have grown and created world-class habitats. It’s been a privilege to see how our community has transformed this campus. They have strengthened and supported us, and we are stronger than ever.”
TowneBank is a longtime supporter of the Virginia Living Museum, and the museum works closely with Brian Skinner, Virginia and Northeast North Carolina president, who serves as president of the Museum’s Board of Trustees, and vice president and commercial banker Becky Pack-Bowen.
The Virginia Living Museum attracts thousands of visitors each year who are eager to explore all the Museum has to offer.
“TowneBank is the gold standard in corporate philanthropy. Our region is filled, everywhere I turn, I see communities that have been impacted by TowneBank’s generosity. We are honored to have them as a cornerstone partner,” Rebecca says. “And it’s not just writing a check. They volunteer and invest in our capital projects, our community events, and play a vital part in our growth.”
Held in June, Wings and Wonders celebrates the annual opening of the Butterfly Haven exhibit.
The Virginia Living Museum can always use volunteers in a wide variety of areas. “We are a team of 100 staff and 800 volunteers who work in partnership,” Rebecca says. “We train people onsite to develop skills in jobs like preparing diets in the wild care nutrition center, becoming community scientists with us for frogs andturtles, and becoming an interpreter on the museum floor to share stories about the animals or the stars. Come join us!”
The Museum will hold its annual Otter Ball on October 9. This popular event helps support the Museum throughout the year. To learn more, see a calendar of events, and even sign up to Adopt a Wild Thing, visit TheVLM.org.