Hidden away in the corner of a commercial building on Westminster Highway and No. 2 Road is Richmond’s miniature world for kids.
The 18,000-sq-ft facility houses multiple buildings on a Main Street filled with streetlamps and little pedal cars for kids aged 18 months to 10 years old to “drive” around town.
Kidtropolis offers buildings like a fire hall, a post office, a police station and even a theatre for kids to explore and pretend play, but what makes the space different from other children play areas is their collaboration with business brands in the “city.”
Several businesses such as M&M Food Market, Richmond Animal Protection Society (RAPS), Richmond Honda and Boston Pizza, have their own buildings in the mini city, which exposes children to consumer brands that they may see their parents visit occasionally.
However, Ginny Lam, CEO of Kidtropolis, said Richmond businesses reached out to them when they saw their communit building mission statement aligned with theirs.
“It gives the city more life and meaning through collaborative work with businesses that the kids experience their parents going to.”
Lam opened the miniature, yet big, play area in 2016 with the intention of building a community for members and kids to re-discover creativity, imagination and social interaction in a technology-driven society.
“We wanted the kids to be able to touch and feel, put on costumes and really get into the groove of bringing back that creative and pretend play while socializing with each other,” said Lam, adding that they believe in a learning-based play space.
“We are interested in community involvement and that’s why we love the city of Richmond.”
She added that the facility hosts field trips for schools as well as kid programs throughout the year. All programs are “learning-based” and range from topics such as yoga, first-aid, music and more while incorporating community and citizenship.
The facility is located at #110 – 5940 No. 2 Rd and is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday to Thursday and from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday to Sunday.
Admission for a child and an adult together is $18.95 on weekdays and $20.95 on weekends.
