When the weather gets bad and the days get gray I start to look for indoor activities that involve more than eating pizza with an oversized mouse. The Torpedo Factory Art Center in Alexandria, Virginia is a favorite stop.

The name Torpedo Factory is not the least bit misleading. This waterfront complex was once a working torpedo factory. Documenting its past use, there is a torpedo on display in the front lobby. After serving its time producing munitions it was abandoned and later reclaimed as a working art space for local artists. It now contains 82 artist studios, 6 galleries, two workshops, and if that wasn’t enough, it also houses the Alexandria Archeology Museum.

Many different types of fine arts and crafts are represented here. Traditional Chinese brushwork is just a short walk from modern sculpture. Oil paintings find a place by stained glass and pottery. It’s a wonderful place to introduce children to the many forms of art without the stuffiness of museums and the pressure of museum guards looking over your shoulder making sure you don’t touch the horse paintings.

It is not uncommon to find artists busy at work in their studios and they are often willing to answer questions and give impromptu demonstrations of their art. My daughter was especially fascinated with a demonstration of weaving copper wire on a loom into metal fabric.

You can pack a lunch and eat out by the waterfront or stop and pick up a bite at any of the many downtown restaurants. The noodle soup at vegan and kid-friendly Bumblefish is inexpensive and tasty on a cold day.

There is no charge to visit the Torpedo Factory Art Center but finding on-street parking might be a challenge and is usually limited to two hours, so you should be sure to have cash for the parking garage.

Don’t forget to check out the sculpture stairs and be sure to weigh the entire family on the industrial scale by the front door on the way out.

Photo Credits: Photo from the Torpedo Factory Art Center website

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