Things to Do in Highland Springs

One of the Science Museum of Virginia’s current exhibits includes a few basketball players—just don’t expect LeBron James or Kobe Bryant. These basketball players are two rats, playing a live one-on-one game to demonstrate operant and classical conditioning. Throughout the three-story museum, more hands-on examples of science await at five permanent exhibits. Inspect a rock from the moon, explore a life-size space capsule, and generate energy by pedaling a stationary bike. Kids can even build their own playground with materials such as mats and foam blocks.

Inside the IMAX Dome, a screen 10 times the size of a typical 35 mm screen shows a wide range of educational films. Outside the museum, plants in the BayScapes Garden thrive without pesticide, fertilizer, or the encouragement of a motivational speaker, and an onsite greenhouse offers free planting areas for visitors to contribute greenery and learn about sustainable farming.

A gathering place for both children and parents, Cartwheels & Coffee sows the seeds of neighborhood camaraderie with its multi-purpose recreational facility. Inside, an enclosed play area entertains children aged six and under with interactive fun, and a separate section keeps babies captivated with age-appropriate toys. Meanwhile, parents can kick back alongside each other in the Wi-Fi-equipped cafe and sip on locally roasted cups of coffee or recharge with other items from the menu. Special events throughout the week provide a change of pace to normal activities, including singing sessions on Mondays and dance classes on Wednesdays.

Edgar Allan Poe holds a distinguished reputation in American literature, given his proclivity for dark work, such as “The Raven” and “The Tell-Tale Heart.” But the Poe of legend is often at odds with the real Poe: the student who had to gamble and burn his furniture to make it through college; the career man who traveled extensively to find better opportunities; and the devoted husband who never recovered from the death of his wife. He even enrolled at West Point … though he was thrown out eight months later.

The Poe Museum educates guests on the writer's life, helping them reconcile the reputed Poe with the real Poe. Located within the Old Stone House that lies just blocks from Poe's first Richmond home and his first employer, the Southern Literary Messenger, the museum showcases exhibits and significant artifacts, such as Poe's walking stick, his boyhood bed, and even a lock of his hair. This collection reveals his journey, showing what drove him to become a master writer of short stories, lyric poetry, action-movie screenplays, and, of course, horror stories.

Romp n' Roll’s energetic instructors inspire parents and children alike to get on their feet and learn in structured play-based educational classes. In small groups, kiddies engage with their peers and their environment during interactive lessons, such as dancing sessions or art explorations, which nurture their physical and mental development. Instructors keep their lessons lively by infusing play into each assignment. Outside the classroom, the staff hosts indoor play time to give kids a place to safely unleash any remaining energy. Parents can attend classes with their kids to spend quality time with their offspring and finger-paint something other than office budget reports.

The Health Links staff consists of a nutrition coach, a wellness coach, massage therapists, an acupuncturist, and four chiropractors—one of whom was named a Top Doc of 2012 by Richmond Magazine. Together, this team of holistic healers aims to create a friendly atmosphere where clients wait a maximum of 15 minutes to be seen and technicians educate patients on the benefits of treatments ranging from advanced cranial-sacral therapy to natural cures for ADHD.

Guests relax in Health Link’s modern waiting area lined with cushioned chairs and flat-screen TVs before heading back to a chiropractic room outfitted with advanced equipment and plush treatment beds. Health Link also boasts private treatment rooms for massage-therapy sessions as well as a tranquil yoga studio where experienced instructors help students strengthen bodies with one-hour yoga sessions or untie limbs that get tangled after they spin all reds during a game of Twister.

A parade of thoroughbreds approaches the starting gate, each steed jabbing the grass with its hooves as it prepares for the gun to sound. Meanwhile, from their seats in the grandstands or within the air-conditioned dining room, spectators get their first clear look at the pre-race procession, quickly making the final judgments (Which horse is the most physically imposing? Which one looks determined to win? Which jockey has the coolest hat?) they need before placing a wager. Finally, the gates swing open, and they're off.

Home of the Virginia Derby, Colonial Downs Racetrack upholds the age-old Southern tradition of horseracing with a pair of impressive tracks. Measuring at 1.25 miles, the dirt track is the second largest in the country—dwarfed only by Belmont Park—though most thoroughbred races take place on the Secretariat Turf Track, the widest grass track in all of North America. As Virginia's only site for pari-mutuel betting, Colonial Downs attracts droves of racing fans and wandering derby hats throughout the season. Once inside the gates, visitors can enjoy the sights and sounds from the outdoor grandstand or relax in one of Colonial Downs' club and suite seating options, most of which offer dining and betting services, TVs linked to off-track races, and unobstructed birds-eye views of either track outside.