News Articles

October 26, 2017

We had fun hosting Bonsack Elementary's 5th grade class today! Dozens of students toured the exhibit galleries and explored the different states of matter during a special activity inside the museum's education center. Thank you, Bonsack Elementary, for visiting the museum today! We hope you had a great experience!

October 23, 2017

VMNH paleontologists Alex Hastings and Lucy Treado are talking today about Virginia-North Carolina fossil insects at the Geological Society of America meeting in beautiful Seattle. Great turn-out and getting some well-deserved attention for VMNH fossil bugs!

October 20, 2017

Approximately 275 students from Collinsville Primary, Drewry Mason Elementary, Patrick Springs Primary, and Patrick Henry Elementary descended upon the museum on Friday, October 20 for hours of reptile and dinosaur fun! Students were able to view dozens of reptiles and were even allowed to touch a few! Reptile experts shared their knowledge about the cold-blooded creatures, while reminding students that the animals should not be feared, but respected. Of course, no trip to a natural history museum would be complete without getting to see the dinosaurs! Students were allowed to explore the museum's dinosaur displays, including the special exhibit "Dinosaurs: Reign of the Giants".

October 20, 2017

We are pleased to share the schedule of programs, displays and activities for tomorrow's Reptile Festival!

October 20, 2017

Dr. Bernard Means, VMNH research associate and instructor of anthropology at Virginia Commonwealth University, is leading the way in the use of 3D printing for replicating museum specimens. Dr. Means is often working inside the VMNH archaeology lab...you might just get a chance to see his 3D printing at work the next time you visit!

October 19, 2017

We had a blast hosting Twin Springs Elementary's 3rd grade class today at the museum! Over 100 students experienced guided tours of the exhibit galleries and also participated in the engineering-themed program "Speedy Building", which was led by VMNH educators inside the museum's classrooms. Thank you, Twin Springs, for coming to VMNH! We hope you had as much fun as we did!

October 18, 2017

VMNH paleontologist Alex Hastings is with Roanoke College student Emma Clarke today looking at modern elephant bones at the Smithsonian for a project on mastodon feet. So many amazing skulls and skeletons here!

October 18, 2017

Dr. Alex Hastings and some of the museum's lovable reptiles appeared on WSLS's Daytime Blue Ridge to preview the Reptile Festival this Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the museum!

October 16, 2017

We're only days away from the Reptile Festival!! Slither your way into the museum this Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.!

October 14, 2017

One last post from the Hokie BugFest today, hosted by Virginia Tech. Dr. Kal Ivanov shows a future scientist live insects using the digital viewer.

October 14, 2017

Some shots from the Hokie BugFest held at Virginia Tech today including some of the other exhibitors. It was a full day of talking up the collections & research at VMNH, and a lot of fun!

October 14, 2017

VMNH had a blast today representing at the Hokie BugFest at Virginia Tech today, talking bugs both modern and fossil. Lots of fun exhibitors at this big event in Blacksburg!

October 14, 2017

The museum team had a great time at the Piedmont Arts Pumpkin Palooza pumpkin carving contest today in Martinsville! They even won the People's Choice Award!

October 14, 2017

Dr. Jim Beard, curator of earth sciences, and Krystal Davis, science administrator, are ghoulishly representing the museum today at the Piedmont Arts Pumpkin Palooza event in Martinsville!

October 14, 2017

Behind the scenes tours of the museum's archaeology lab are taking place at noon, 1pm, 2pm and 3pm today as part of International Archaeology Day! A special archaeology activity is also available until 2:30 today!

October 14, 2017

Behind the scenes tours of the museum's archaeology lab are taking place at noon, 1pm, 2pm and 3pm today as part of International Archaeology Day! A special archaeology activity is also available until 2:30 today!

October 12, 2017

ARCHAEOLOGY DAY AT VMNH IS THIS SATURDAY! In celebration of International Archaeology Day on Saturday, October 14, the museum will have special children's activities from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. in the Harvest Foundation Hall of Ancient Life, with behind-the-scenes tour opportunities for visitors beginning at noon, 1 p.m., 2 p.m., and 3 p.m. Learn about the museum's fascinating archaeology research, while getting a glimpse into what goes on behind-the-scenes in the labs and collections areas this Saturday! Admission: $7 for ages 19-59 $5 for ages 3-18, 60+, college students FREE for children under 3 and museum members

October 12, 2017

Brian Williams, Virginia Program Manager for the Dan River Basin Association, is kicking off the 2017-2018 Virginia Museum of Natural History 2nd Thursday Science Talks series.

October 10, 2017

Brian Williams, Virginia program manager for the Dan River Basin Association (DRBA), will be our presenter this Thursday for the first '2nd Thursday Science Talk' of the season!

October 5, 2017

Dr. Nancy Moncrief, curator of mammalogy at VMNH, and Dr. Kal Ivanov, assistant curator of invertebrate zoology at VMNH, traveled to Gloucester Point on October 4 to instruct the day-long workshop "Capture and Curation Methods for Studying Terrestrial Vertebrates and Invertebrates: Discovering How Important Scientific Specimens Can Be!" at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science. The workshop was presented in cooperation with the Chesapeake Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, at William and Mary's Virginia Institute of Marine Science in Gloucester Point, Virginia. Most native mammals in Virginia are small, secretive, difficult to identify, and are active mostly at night. Therefore, the only effective method for ...

October 5, 2017

PROJECT LEARNING TREE K-8 WORKSHOP: Friday, November 3 VMNH and Reynolds Homestead are teaming-up to present a Project Learning Tree educator workshop on Friday, November 3 at the museum. The workshop is open to both formal and informal teachers. Click to learn how to register today!

October 5, 2017

One of the "Rocky Mount, VA Rocks" rocks has made its way to VMNH and has spent the morning hanging out with some of the dinosaurs!

October 1, 2017

VMNH paleontologist Alex Hastings spent the weekend fossil-collecting in North Carolina. He got some great material for the museum from the end of the Age of the Dinosaurs, including a tooth from a carnivorous theropod and from an herbivorous duck-billed dinosaur, plus giant crocs and sharks aplenty!