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City hears multi-million-dollar plan for Virginia Museum of Natural History campus in Waynesboro
Summary
Museum officials presented design, visitor and economic assumptions for a proposed 28,000-square-foot Virginia Museum of Natural History campus in downtown Waynesboro and described next steps in seeking state construction funding.
City officials and museum representatives on July 28 updated Waynesboro City Council on plans for a Virginia Museum of Natural History campus in downtown Waynesboro.
Greg Hitchen, the council’s liaison to the project, and Dr. Joe Kuiper, executive director of the museum, described a planned two-story, 28,000-square-foot facility to be built on a city-owned downtown parking lot. The project team estimates a total project cost of $36 million, a conservative annual attendance projection of about 65,000 visitors and an initial economic-impact estimate of roughly $4.2 million to the area.
Dr. Kuiper said the museum is finishing detailed design work and has selected building materials and exhibit concepts. “We are in the process of getting to the point where we move from the six-year capital outlay to what we call the capital construction pool,” Kuiper said, referring to a state funding step. He said the museum submitted a request to the capital construction pool for fiscal 2027 and will seek placement in the governor’s proposed budget in December, after which the project would move to construction drawings and then a roughly two-year buildout if funded.
Presenters said the campus will prioritize STEM and K–12 outreach — noting there are roughly 63,000 K–12 students within an hour’s drive — and will include classrooms, laboratory space for scientific research, community space and outdoor exhibits connected to the South River Preserve. Kuiper said the museum will continue programs such as “Museums for All,” which provides free admission to families with SNAP/EBT benefits; at a recent museum event in Martinsville, roughly 1,300 visitors used EBT-based free admission.
The project team described volunteer and fundraising activity, local partnerships and state engagement, including support from Delegate Campbell and Senator Head. Presenters encouraged residents to contact state legislators in support of the Waynesboro campus; Hitchen said a public fundraising campaign would begin once initial state construction funding is approved.
No formal funding vote occurred at the July 28 meeting. Council members expressed support and noted the project will be returned to council as state funding decisions and project milestones progress.
