When we recently headed to Richmond VA to cheer on my husband in his first marathon, I knew the boys and I would need an activity for after the race while my husband rested back at the hotel. I researched a lot of outdoor activities that would be ok for a fall visit and settled on Maymont, an historic estate whose 100-acre grounds include a public park and gardens, wildlife habitats, and a nature center.
The only indoor activity at Maymont that is open during the pandemic is the Robins Nature Center. While I was somewhat leery of doing anything indoors, I read about their safety procedures and felt like it would be ok. Admissions is limited to only a handful of people at a time, timed-entry tickets are required, and face coverings are mandatory. We purchased our tickets online ahead of time for a 3:00 entry. I figured we would check it out and would skip it if it felt unsafe. At worst, we’d be donating our $8 per ticket to a good cause.
The nature center is normally open until 5:00 but they were hosting an event the day we were there and closing early at 4:00. I was initially worried when we checked in and they told me we could only stay an hour, but once we went inside and saw how small the center was, I knew that would be plenty of time.
While it was lacking in overall square footage compared to other places we’ve been, it was super impressive in the design of the space and the quality of the displays. With huge sweeping ceilings, the room felt open and airy. And with only two other groups in there at the same time, any covid-safety concerns I had about an indoor activity were immediately alleviated. It felt like we had the whole place to ourselves.
The center’s theme is “Run of the River” and it focuses on the ecology of the James River. There are multiple aquariums featuring local river residents and several activity and exploration stations. The boys loved the digital fish identification feature, where you could use touch screens to identify the fish in the tanks and learn more about them.
The centerpiece of the room is River Reach, a 34-foot tall climbing structure. As the kids climb through the sculpture, they can see different microscopic river organisms on each platform. The center did a great job of keeping this feature open and covid-safe. As soon as we entered the room, a staff member asked the kids if they wanted to climb it. She then put their names on a list and said she would come find us when it was our turn. Only a single group was allowed on the structure at one time and hand sanitizer was required on the way in and out of the structure. (This is one covid accommodation that I think should stick around after the pandemic… my kids have been on similar climbing structures in the Boston Children’s Museum and other places and they tend to get so crowded as to be unsafe.)
The kids loved exploring the main room and climbing on River Reach, but they were most interested in the otter. There is a separate viewing area at the back of the nature center, where glass walls let you watch a river otter play on land and in the water. Unfortunately, the otter wasn’t feeling very playful during our visit. We went back a few times to check on him and he was always laying in a hollowed out log. We were excited when he finally came out to walk around a bit but unfortunately he only came out to throw up! My concerned youngest son reported his sickness to a staff member on the way out and a few minutes later his keeper came running after us to get more information. They brought us back in through a back door so we could show them where he got sick. He seemed to have already bounced back but it was really nice to see how attentive they were to him.
All in all, we spent less than 45 minutes in the nature center but really enjoyed it. The recent $26 million renovation was impressive. The center was gorgeous. The displays and exhibits were fun and educational. The tanks were clean and the animals well cared for. The Robins Nature Center is definitely well worth a visit as part of a trip to Maymont.
