NOVEMBER 22: 4-8PM

Kick off the holiday season with our tree lighting, music and snow from Snow Wonders, and holiday shopping from local vendors. The Children’s Museum of Virginia Gift Shop and the Portsmouth Art & Cultural Center Gallery Shop will be open.

NOV 29 & 30 ;DEC 21 & 28: 12PM-4PM

Children can enjoy pony rides in the Middle Street Mall.

NOVEMBER 30: 5-7PM & DECEMBER 7: 1-3PM

The Doorway Singers bring their Victorian-themed attire and ambiance to the Children’s Museum of Virginia. This quartet of talented local singers provide great holiday cheer.

NOVEMBER 30

All Museum Shops – Shoppers enjoy a 20% discount at all of our museum shops. Additional discounts do not apply. The greater discount will be applied at the time of purchase. Discount does not apply for consignment items.

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 1

All Museum Shops  Shoppers enjoy a 20% discount at all of our museum shops. Additional discounts do not apply. The greater discount will be applied at the time of purchase. Discount does not apply for consignment items.

DEC 6 – DEC 8

Members and City of Portsmouth employees enjoy a 25% discount on items this weekend. Additional discounts do not apply. The greater discount will be applied at the time of purchase. Discount does not apply for consignment items.

NOV 29 & DEC 6: 4-8 PM

Children’s Museum of Virginia – Visitors can paint their very own glass ornaments. The glass ornaments offer a unique and eye-catching surface onto which participants can color their own designs using special paints that adhere to the glass surface.

DECEMBER 8: 9-11AM

Join us for a special holiday edition just for our special guests. We’ll open the museum early with time to explore the exhibits, holiday crafts, special guests, and back this year is Sock Skating. Be sure to visit the first floor for fun, games, and “skating” in your socks!

DECEMBER 13, 20, AND 27: 4-8PM

Capture the essence of holiday icons using simple paper-folding methods to render Santa ornaments, wreaths, dreidels, and other seasonal imagery. Rich Gray, an expert in this traditional Japanese art form, will help guests create their very own Origami ornament.

DECEMBER 14: 11AM-12PM and 1-2PM

Enjoy live Celtic fiddle music performed by Portsmouth’s own Colin McGlynn. McGlynn is twelve years old and has already performed overseas, winning first place awards in Virginia and third place nationally.

DECEMBER 14 & 21 FROM 4-8PM

Dancing holiday puppets will add magic to the imagination with these playful Thai-style shadow puppets, including The Abominable Snowman and Elf Off the Shelf. These are just 2 designs that kids and their families can construct and color themselves.

DECEMBER 21: 12-2PM

Children’s Museum of Virginia – Swing into the holidays with a live performance by Swing Time Jazz Trio headed by saxophone musician Larry Weintraub. Don’t miss live seasonal tunes for the holidays.

DECEMBER 23 & 26: 11:30AM AND 1:30PM

Special guests, the Rainbow Puppets, present “Home for the Holidays with Mother Goose and Red Riding Hood.” Stop by for a puppet show of songs and stories.

DEC 24, DEC 30, JAN 2, JAN 3
10:30am, 12:30pm, 2:30pm

Children’s Museum of Virginia

Be ready to clap, sing, and dance to the music with these interactive storytimes.

DECEMBERr 27 & 28: 1-4PM

Freeze the fun with family and friends during the last few days of winter break by saying “cheese” in our photo-booth. This picture-taking feature is included with admission, and provides an instant memory for your family.

DECEMBER 28: 4-8PM
DECEMBER 29: 1-5PM

Children’s Museum of Virginia – Local art teacher Bill Tippit guides visitors in the unique art of airbrush painting to create their own winter scenes.

DECEMBER 31: 11AM-2PM

Celebrate the New Year with a noon glittery ball drop and juice toast. Face-painting, magic, and balloon-making will take place prior to the countdown, along with a photo-booth and refreshments. Visitors can also enjoy wagon rides. Families can enjoy these New Year’s festivities – all before bedtime!

Open Saturdays and on additional dates
December 27, December 30, January 2, and January 3:12:30-4:30pm

Children’s Museum of Virginia – STEM Studio provides a learning experience based on STEM curriculum–Science, Technology, Engineering and Math, for the whole family.

NOVEMBER 29-DECEMBER 31 (CLOSED CHRISTMAS DAY)

Hours of Operation:
Tuesdays-Thursdays and Holiday Mondays, December 23 & 30: 9am-5pm
Fridays and Saturdays: 9am-8pm
Sundays: 11am-5pm

FRIDAYS & SATURDAYS
NOVEMBER 29 – DECEMBER 28: 5:30PM and 7PM

Children’s Museum of Virginia – Snow will fall from the sky, music will fill the air, and create new memories with this enchanting holiday experience.

Fridays, November 29: 11am-4pm & December 6, 13, 20, 27: 4-7pm
Saturdays, November 30, December 7, 14, 21, 28: 11am-4pm
Sundays, December 1, 8, 15, 22, 29: 12:30-4:30pm

Gwen Mason of Picture Perfect Faces will transform children’s cheeks into glittery, seasonal pictures of snowflakes and snowmen

Tuesday – Thursday: 10:30 am – 12:30 pm & 1:00pm – 4:00pm;
Friday & Saturday: 10:30 am -12:30 pm, 1:00pm – 3:30pm, and 4:00pm – 8pm;
Sundays: Noon – 4 pm.

Visitors can drop in to create a festive craft and take advantage of extended hours on Friday and Saturday nights.

SUNDAYS IN DECEMBER:
12:30pm, 2pm, and 3:30pm

Showstopping Sunday is a chance to show your active and performing side. Activities may include musical storytelling and instrument playing, games like giant bowling, or sample programs about motion and sound.

    Children’s Museum of Virginia Catch special holiday shows. Show descriptions and times are listed below. Seasons of Light The Beazley Planetarium is proud to bring back an old holiday favorite; Seasons of Light. Join us in the planetarium to learn about the celestial connection with many of the season’s holiday traditions. If you […]

NOV 29 – DEC 22

View the Coleman Collection: Nativity, on display thanks to staff and volunteers brought together by Monumental United Methodist Church.

DECEMBER 14 11AM – 3PM

Started in 1998, this annual festival is a holiday highlight. It is a musical tribute to the spirit of the Holiday Season., enlivening the streets of the historic High Street corridor with performances, children’s activities, re-enactors in period attire, and strolling characters.

NOV 29 – JAN 31

See mid-20th century images of shipyard buildings and facilities decorated for the holidays. Despite being an industrial facility, the shipyard did manage to make merry for the holidays with large outdoor signs, huge, homemade Christmas trees, and unique office decorations—most of which were crafted by the workers themselves.