Sponsored Admission Program
Accessibility for All
Thanks to the generosity of our donors, grants, and fundraising events, the Virginia Discovery Museum is proud to partner with more than 60 community agencies in the Charlottesville-Albemarle area to help make our educational play spaces and programs accessible to all children and their families. The Museum waives admission for 8,000 visitors receiving social services from these organizations annually through our Sponsored Admission Program.
Daily Admission | Group Visits | Support | Contact Us
Sponsored Daily Admission
If you are a client of or receive social services through one of our Sponsored Daily Admission partners, simply identify the agency through which you are visiting or show your organization’s Sponsored Daily Admission partner card at the front desk when you visit. If you receive Medicaid or WIC benefits, present your Medicaid or WIC card. Adults and children living in the same household receive free, all-day admission to the Museum from 9:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Children must be accompanied by an adult at all times, and visitors must have at least one adult for every four children. Please visit General Admission for hours, directions, parking, and more.
Note: Employees of partner agencies receive free admission under this program when meeting with client families in a professional capacity. Partner agency employees visiting VDM in a personal capacity are asked to pay admission or purchase a membership.
- Albemarle County DSS
- ACPS Families in Crisis
- The Alyssa House
- Alzheimer’s Association Arts Fusion
- Arc of the Piedmont
- Big Brothers, Big Sisters of the Central Blue Ridge
- Big Siblings (Madison House)
- Blue Trunk Foundation
- Bridging the Gap (Madison House)
- Camp Holiday Trails
- Chance to Dance (Charlottesville Ballet)
- Charlottesville DSS
- Charlottesville Free Clinic
- Child Health Partnership (Formerly CHiP)
- City of Promise
- Community Attention Foster Families
- Compass
- Computers4Kids
- Elk Hill
- Family Preservation Services
- Foothills Child Advocacy Center
- Habitat for Humanity Partner Families
- Habitat for Humanity Southwood Community
- Hospice of the Piedmont’s Journeys Program
- Infant & Toddler Connection of the Blue Ridge
- Innisfree Village
- International Neighbors
- International Rescue Committee
- Ishan Gala Foundation
- LilyPads Housing
- Literacy Volunteers Charlottesville/Albemarle
- Loaves & Fishes Food Pantry
- March of Dimes
- Medicaid
- Mom2Mom
- Monticello Area Community Action Agency (MACAA)
- Network2Work at PVCC
- People Places
- Piedmont CASA
- Piedmont Housing Alliance
- Rappahannock-Rapidan Community Services
- ReadyKids
- Reclaimed Hope Initiative
- Region Ten
- Ronald McDonald House Charlottesville
- The Salvation Army of Charlottesville
- SARA (Sexual Assault Resource Agency)
- Shelter for Help in Emergency
- Sin Barreras
- TJACE@PVCC
- UVA Children’s Hospital Patients (Non-Primary Care)
- Virginia Down Syndrome Association
- Virginia Institute of Autism
- WIC Program (Women, Infants, and Children)
- The Women’s Initiative
Sponsored Group Visits
If your organization qualifies as a Sponsored Group Visit, enjoy partially free or completely free admission on scheduled large group visits or field trips. Visit Group Visits, call (434) 977-1025 x102, or email operationsdirector@vadm.org to learn more about booking a Group Visit.
Partially Free Group Visits
- National School Lunch Program
Children who qualify for free or reduced lunch through the NSLP are admitted free. The Group Visits rate applies to the rest of the group.
Support the Program
Sponsored admissions account for 11% of annual visitors. Your gift helps us keep this program vibrant for these visitors, expand the program’s benefits to new organizations, and support the critical work of those community agencies with which we partner. VDM is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
Online
Click the link and follow the prompts to make an online donation using a credit or debit card.
By Mail
Print and complete a donor card and mail to Virginia Discovery Museum, P.O. Box 1128, Charlottesville, VA 22902. Checks payable to “Virginia Discovery Museum.”
Questions?
Can’t find the answer you’re looking for? Contact Executive Director Janine Dozier at (434) 977-1025 x101 or director@vadm.org to learn more about VDM’s Sponsored Admission Program.