Beat the Heat for Free: 10 Cool Indoor Spots to visit with Kids in Richmond
- The West End Mom
- Jun 23, 2025
- 7 min read
Updated: Aug 2, 2025
The temps are soaring in Richmond... and a shaded playground may not cut it this week! It's time to take our summer adventures indoors.
I've rounded up 10 indoor spots you can check out this week with your children! These fun indoor spots offer air conditioning, entertainment, and education for the entire family!
And each one of these indoor places are completely free to visit. Yep - no parking fees and no admission costs for kids or grownups!
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Here are 10 free things to with kids around Richmond, Virginia that are all inside!
1.Visit the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.
The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts is the only art museum in the US that is open 365 days a year with free general admission! And it's one of my go-to free places to visit with kids in Richmond. You can find a variety of free things to do like a gallery hunt or visiting for the Jazz Cafe (free concert every Wednesday in the main lobby from 5:30-8:30pm), and you can also participate in early childhood, elementary, and teen art programs and camps.
Here are some of the things I do when I visit the VMFA with kids: The Sculpture Garden, Special Exhibit: The Samurai Armor, Free Jazz Concerts, and Early Childhood Art Classes.
The VMFA's educators created a bunch of resources and activities for families to use when visiting the museum. I usually print off a gallery hunt or activity before we visit too!
Special Free Events:
1) Open Studio: on the first Sunday of every month, The VMFA hosts a free art class for families. Visit between noon and 3pm to participate in an art project. All activities are geared towards children 5 to 12, but all are welcome! This class is drop in style - no reservations or tickets required. Parents must stay with children under 12 years old.
2.Meet the reptiles at Rockwood Nature Center.
Chesterfield County's Rockwood Nature Center is located inside Rockwood Park. This nature center is the only county-operated nature center in Chesterfield, and it's completely free to visit.
Inside the log cabin-style building, you can meet native reptiles and amphibians from around Virginia, like snakes, turtles, lizards and fish. You can also learn about wetlands, visit the touch table, and play in the pretend campsite. There are hands-on nature programs, scavenger hunts.
There's also five miles of paved and unpaved trails around the nature center... plus a small pond and gardens around the center!
Summer Hours: Wednesday to Sunday from noon to 4pm
3.Climb at Southside Rec Center.
Southside Community Center just reopened after its $20 million renovation. And YOU need to check it out!!
This public community center is now double the size with so many areas to enjoy — inside & outside. It even has Richmond’s first indoor, public playground!!
SNAPSHOT OF THE INDOOR PLAY SPACE: soft flooring for sock play, play equipment for little kids, massive climbing net, 2 large play structures for climbing & exploring, 2 large tube slides, a climbing wall, and lots of space to crawl, run & move around!
The indoor playground will be open from 9am to 9pm Monday to Friday and from 9am-6pm on Saturdays. Closed on Sundays.
Heads up: During the week, the indoor playground will sometimes close between 1-4pm for summer camp. Please call ahead before visiting!
4.Watch the airplanes take off at Chesterfield County Airport.
This airport is located at 7511 Airfield Drive in Chesterfield County. We like this airport because you can watch the activity on the 5,500-foot runway from inside the airport or outside of the airport. King's Korner restaurant is also at the airport, and you can enjoy your meal while watching the planes!
Richmond Executive Aviation: Located at Chesterfield County Airport, REA provides aeronautical services, aircraft storage & rentals as well as flight instruction. If your children aren’t ready to participate in their flight school, they can still meet pilots & see airplanes up close. On our free tour of Richmond Executive Aviation , we were able to walk across the runway, visit the airplane hangar, watch mechanics work on small aircraft & meet pilots. The highlight of our visit was sitting in a 2007 Diamond D 40 aircraft & chatting with Maggie & Nick, our pilots & tour guides.
*Check here for my full review.
5.Get your steps in at Regency Mall.
This is my top choice for an indoor, stroller friendly walk around Richmond. This indoor mall in Henrico County is currently undergoing a massive renovation, but it's still a family friendly spot to escape the weather.
Regency has a Virginia LOVE sign, a fish pet store, and lots of room to get wiggles out. Since becoming a mama, this has been one of my go to spots when we need to get out of the house but can’t explore outside. Bring quarters for the ride-on vehicles and claw machines.
You will find Surge Adventure Park and Play RVA, ride on trains and play area, inside, too.
Hours: Monday-Saturday from 11am-7pm, Sunday from noon-6pm
*Check here for my review.
6.Pretend play at Short Pump Pal's Clubhouse.
This local open-air mall has multiple spaces to play & explore with kids. The best place to play inside at the mall is Pal’s Clubhouse. This indoor play spot is designed for children 42” and smaller. It has a pretend village, two climbing features & soft flooring. Short Pump Pals Clubhouse is closed during Santa's visit (November-December) and The Easter Bunny's visit (April).
You can walk under cover the entire walk to Chick-fil-A on the first floor. We also enjoy eating at Bakers Crust and Rock Bottom - they are very causal & are easy with kids.
Hours: Monday-Friday from 11am-8pm, Saturday from 10am-8pm, Sunday from 11am-6pm
*Check here for my review.
7.Visit the library.
Visiting the library is one of the easiest free activities around town!
I love the story time classes & family programs at Henrico County Public Libraries. Classes start for children at 6 months old through adults, and all of the programs are free. Some of the classes we have tried are "Baby Songs & Stories," "Family Fun" and "Music, Rhymes & Wiggle Time."
Some of my favorite libraries are: Ashland Branch Library, Bon Air Library, Fairfield Library, Libbie Mill Library, Midlothian Library, Varina Library, and West End Brand Library.
West End Branch Library: Richmond City Public Library’s West End location shows movies every Wednesday at 2pm. Click here for the move schedule!
*Check here for my review of an infant storytime , here for the full schedule of events at Henrico County Public Libraries, and here for Chesterfield County Public Libraries.
8.Watch the fish at Bass Pro or Cabelas.
Both Cabela's and Bass Pro are massive, outdoor stores. You can walk around, explore the toy section, and watch fish feedings!
Bass Pro Shop: Located in Ashland, Bass Pro Shop is a fishing, hunting & outdoor store. We love to visit it because the entire store is themed for the outdoors: there a giant tree, a massive aquarium, a stream, pretend animals & an old fashion store. They have fish feedings at noon on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.
Hours: Monday-Saturday from 9am-9pm, Sunday from 10am-7pm
*Check here for my review.
Cabelas: Located in Short Pump by Wegman's, Cabelas is a fishing, hunting & outdoor store - owned by Bass Pro. We love to visit it because the entire store is themed for the outdoors: a massive aquarium, pretend animals, boats, and ATVs. They have fish feedings at noon on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.
Hours: Monday-Saturday from 9am-9pm, Sunday from 10am-7pm
*Check here for a review.
9.Watch a movie at Ashland Theatre.
This historic Ashland theater hosts a monthly free event for children and their parents, and you can get FREE movie tickets on Mondays for family-friendly films!
FREE Movie Mondays: Every Monday at 10am, you can get FREE for family friendly movie showings. In order to attend the movie showings, you must reserve your family's tickets at 5pm the evening before the showing. Anyone is welcome, but you need to have a "ticket" to view!
2025 Schedule for FREE Movie Mondays
Monday, June 23 - The Bad Guys
Monday, June 30 - Minions: Rise of Gru
Monday, July 7 - Migration
Monday, July 14 - Shrek
Monday, July 21 - An American Tail
Monday, July 28 - Wild Robot
Monday, August 4 - Puss in Boots: The Last Wish
Monday, August 11 - Sing 2
*Check here for the full movie schedule & to purchase your tickets!
10.Visit Main Street Train Station.
Located in the City of Richmond, this historic train station is a must visit for little ones & big kids. While it opened in 1901, Main Street Station got a major expansion in 2017 & Visit Virginia‘s official Welcome Center is on the first floor! It’s free to visit 7 days a week & this is one of our favorite indoor adventures in the city.
Hours: It’s open 7 days a week from 6:30 to 8pm on weekdays & 8am-8:30 pm on weekends. Passenger trains arrive at 6:35AM, 10:05AM, 6 pm & 6:57pm on weekdays + 9:34, 9:42, 6pm & 7:40Pm on weekends.
*Check here for my review, and check here for a review of their Christmas display.
*Check here for my full review.
Looking for indoor activities for little kids? Check out these play cafes that cater to children 6 and younger!
Want a comprehensive guide on things to do indoors around RVA? Check out my Ultimate Guide to Indoor Fun around Richmond!
*For even more things to do with kids in Richmond, follow our family on @thewestendmom on Instagram!
