The Science Museum of Western Virginia is on the third floor of Center in the Square, the shared cultural complex on the City Market block. It is small and oriented largely toward children, with interactive exhibits on physics, geology, ecology and the human body, plus a touch tank with local Chesapeake Bay marine life.
The standout is the live animal exhibit, which includes river otters, an alligator, and a colony of bats in a darkened recreated cave. The planetarium on the same floor runs short shows several times a day. Combine the visit with the Roanoke Pinball Museum on the lower floors of the same building — both are aimed at the same kind of family afternoon.