The Virginia Museum of Natural History is a place where scientific research about the Commonwealth of Virginia's natural history and public understanding merge and is an agency of the Secretary of Natural Resources for the Commonwealth of Virginia. Exhibits, outreach programs, and publications translate the findings of the Museum curators' scientific research into easily understood language and concepts. The Museum curators 'speak to the earth' and teach its lessons to all Virginians.

Located in Martinsville, Virginia, the Virginia Museum of Natural History manages an outreach education program in the Charlottesville/Central Virginia region. The Museum serves nearly one million people annually through on-site and traveling exhibitions, classroom outreach programs, web site, and public events. Its mission is to increase understanding of and appreciation for the natural resources of the Commonwealth through education, research, collections, publications, and exhibits. While traveling exhibits are most often displayed in facilities accessible to a wide audience (e.g. shopping malls, state fairs, and libraries), the Museum also seeks to target specific audiences whose exposure to science and natural history is often limited. To accomplish this, the Museum sends traveling exhibits to youth correctional facilities, schools, and other sites in Virginia's depressed rural and urban areas.

In little more than a decade since its founding, the Virginia Museum of Natural History gained recognition as one of the nation's leading museums in its field. It is accredited by the American Association of Museums, a distinction earned by fewer than 10% of museums in the United States. The Museum's message is simple: Understanding natural history is the first step toward meeting the challenges of preserving and managing natural resources in the future. From the vacationer watching birds on the shores of the Chesapeake to the garden enthusiast in Alexandria, each and every Virginian directly benefits from the ongoing research projects of the Virginia Museum of Natural History.

The Museum was founded in 1984 as The Boaz Foundation, a private institution. Guided by a group of scholars and citizens from throughout the Commonwealth, The Boaz Foundationsoon became known as the Virginia Museum of Natural History.

Recognizing the need for public support, A. L. Philpott, then Speaker of the Virginia General Assembly, worked on behalf of the institution in an effort to secure state agency status. This became a reality in 1988. Today, the Museum remains under the supervision of the Secretary of Natural Resources with a Board appointed by the Governor of Virginia. The 25-member, gubernatorial appointed Board of Trustees acts as the Museum's governing body. It operates in association with the Virginia Museum of Natural History Foundation, a private, not-for-profit 501 (c) 3 corporation that receives and administers funds for scientific, educational, and charitable purposes. The Foundation Board of Directors currently consists of 15 members from various locations across the Commonwealth.

The Virginia Museum of Natural History is located in Martinsville and is an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution. VMNH is accredited by the American Association of Museums, a member of the Association of Science-Technology Center, Virginia Association of Museums, NSC Alliance and an agency of the Secretary of Natural Resources for the Commonwealth of Virginia.