The museum's 100 wax figures range from the Beatles and Pinocchio to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Joan of Arc. There also is a chamber of horrors that you may want to avoid if you're squeamish or have children with you. The museum generally stays open as long as it has visitors. It has limited hours during off-season so call for times. It opens at 10 AM daily June 1 through Labor Day with no set closing hours.
Hours are variable in the off-season.
This is one of the most-visited museums in Virginia, and in 1996 it completed a major expansion that tripled its size. Since its expansion the museum began welcoming as many as 700,000 visitors a year. Crowds can get overwhelming in summer so watch out for rainy days and go early in the day when possible. Locals prefer to visit in spring, fall and winter when the tourists have gone home. Children especially like the touch-tank where they can get their hands on crabs, turtles and starfish with the help of museum docents.