PORTSMOUTH, Va. - With feels-like temperatures blowing past 100 degrees, the Children's Museum of Virginia says it's seeing foot traffic pick up.
Museum Manager Erin Colston tells News 3 that with school out, summer attendance typically increases quite a bit. However, the last two weeks have been exceptionally busy at the facility on High Street with over 1,000 daily visitors on average — or roughly 250-400 more tickets sold than on a typical day, according to Colston.
“When it’s hot out or stormy, this is the place to be," she said.
Among the popular exhibits at the museum right now is Jim Henson's Splash & Bubbles — in place until September 4. Permanent installations include the Beazley Planetarium and Train Exhibit.
The museum asks families wanting to visit to reserve their tickets in advance online, but in the recent extreme heat, it's made exceptions for people coming in from the street.
“Especially in the afternoon, after the peak heat time, (we have) people calling or coming in to see if we’ve got availability," said Colston.
And sometimes the answer is no.
The museum reports sellouts during the most recent weekends, but there is an incentive for families that come during the week: Tuesday tickets are discounted at $5 for children and adults through August.
