Virginia's First Reptile Natural History Museum: My Three Chambered Heart
- The West End Mom
- Oct 25, 2024
- 5 min read
My Three Chambered Heart is the FIRST Reptile Natural History Museum in The United States! And it's in Virginia! Located about 30 minutes from Henrico and Midlothian, MY Three Cambered Heart is the perfect place to visit with your future herpetologist (ICYDK: a herpetologist is someone who enjoys studying reptiles and amphibians!)
At this reptile natural history museum, you can see over 65 different species of reptiles and natural history specimens like fossils & skeletons. The expert herpetologists will teach you, and children of all ages, about this often misunderstood class of creatures through games, activities and exhibits. For example, did you know some snakes do not have fangs?! African Egg Eating Snake is one of them, and she is one of the snakes that lives at My Three Chambered Heart.
My Three Chambered Heart also has reptile meet & greets and feedings throughout the day! This means you can actually hold a snake, like the African Egg Eating Snake, if you want to!
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Everything You Need to Know about My Three Chambered Hearts!
My Three Chambered Heart is the first Reptile Natural History Museum in The United States, and it's the only one in Virginia!
Over 65 different species of reptiles live at the museum, and the museum also has displays on natural history with over 150 specimens like fossils & skeletons plus interactive science displays. The museum helps its visitors understand and learn about the biodiversity and biological relevance of reptiles. It also promotes science literacy, conservation, and STEM education through their programing, both at their physical museum and through mobile exhibits.
This reptile natural history museum is a nonprofit museum, and it is open 4 days a week to the public with a small admission cost. No advance registration required!
Who owns My Three Chambered Heart?
This reptile natural history museum is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that is founded and run by a local family who is passionate about reptiles, science and conservation.
The majority of their funding comes directly from the revenue of their programs like museum visits, field trips, and events.
Where is My Three Chambered Heart located?
The address is 837 Cross Country Road, Gum Springs, Virginia.
If you're coming from Western Henrico, it's about a 30 minutes trip on 64. It's about 32 minutes from Midlothian.
When is the museum open?
Fall & Winer Hours: It is open Thursday to Sunday from 10am to 5pm.
*As the days get shorter, the diurnal ambassadors go to sleep earlier, so there is less to see later in the day.
Spring & Summer Hours: It is open Thursday to Sunday from 10am to 6pm.
The museum is closed on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. These days are used for private events and mobile visits!
How much does it cost to visit this reptile museum?
Admission costs $15 per person, and children 2 and younger can visit for free with their grownup. You can purchase your tickets at the door - no advance registration or purchase needed.
This museum is a nonprofit, and it operates mainly through admission costs!
What types of activities and experiences does My Three Chambered Hearts offer?
This reptile natural history museum provides self-guided tours at their physical location. The owners are usually on the floor, and they jump in to provide more discussions on each reptiles. It's open to the public and for field trips. In the physical location, you will see and learn about the animals that live there as well as reptiles that are extinct. In addition to animal meet & greets, you can also learn about reptiles in hands-on activities like "Smell Like a Snake," "Fossil Sort" and field stations.
They also provide educational programing (shows, classes, presentations), host birthday parties, and they have mobile exhibits for special events and loans.
How long should I anticipate spending at the museum?
Depending on your family, you can estimate spending between 1 and 2.5 hours at the museum. Some factors to consider are the time you are visit (a weekend visit will have peak crowds), your children's interest level in reptiles (are they going to read about every animal, want to participate in every meet and greet, etc.), and what are the ages in your group.
While this museum is for ALL AGES, the tours are different if the group is all college level biology students versus a family with 3 year olds.
For reference, my children are 5 and 7 years old, and they absolutely love learning about animals and interacting with them. We spent 2 hours during a weekday visit, attending every meet and greet and feeding that was open during that time. My kids could have stayed longer but the museum was closing! There were only 2 other groups at the museum with us, so we also had the ability to spend as long as we wanted at each section.
What type of reptiles live at My Three Chambered Hearts?
Over 65 different reptile species live at the museum. 90% of the reptiles are rescued.
You will find turtles & tortoises, lizards, and snakes. My Three Chambered Hearts also offers animal meet and greets AND reptile feedings throughout the day. Participating in these experiences has no extra cost - if you're at the museum during one of these events, you can jump in to watch or participate.
The reptile highlights for my children are:
holding Benjamin B. Boop Western Hognose Snake
meeting Master Oogway, a Russian tortoise (the first vertebrate species to go to space!)
holding Psyche, an African Egg Eating Snake
watching Zygo, panther chameleon, and Pan, a veiled chameleon, eat worms
feeding Marla and Sahel, sulcata tortoises
touching Bo, a green iguana
What's the best age range for this museum?
The owners said their exhibits are designed for early readers to adults.
In my opinion, this museum is fun and education for any one who loves animals, particularly reptiles! It is best for children 3 years old and older. During our tour, the staff did a great job of tailoring the experience to my children. They are very skilled at teaching children!
The museum also has stools around each animal exhibit to help smaller visitors see the reptiles.
Is this museum ADA Accessible?
Yes, this museum is ADA accessible and stroller-friendly.
Extension Activities and Books for Reptile Lovers:
These are the reptile, dinosaur and animal books and activities my children enjoy!
For 2 year olds +
For 4 year olds +
For 5 year olds +
For 6 year olds +
Looking for ways to save money visiting Virginia's museums? Check out my guide on 7 Tips for Saving Money on Museum Admissions!
Looking for more inside activities around Richmond? Check out my guide on The Best Indoor Activities for Kids in Richmond.
For more things to do with kids around Richmond, follow @thewestendmom on Instagram!
