Virginia Aquarium and Marine Science Center

Virginia Beach

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717 General Booth Blvd.
Virginia Beach, VA 23451
757-385-7777

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Virginia Aquarium and Marine Science Center Description

Take a break from the beach and head indoors to learn about Virginia's underwater creatures. The aquarium's two buildings make it easy to tailor your visit -- go first to the Bay & Ocean Pavilion if kids are most interested in turtles, sharks, sting rays, and other ocean life, or to the Marsh Pavilion to see river otters, sea horses, snakes, and other marsh dwellers; a one-third mile Nature Path connects the two buildings. One admission provides access to the entire aquarium, as well as activity carts along the Nature Trail during the summer and Curiosity Carts throughout both buildings.

Kid Tips

Babies: Children younger than 2 are admitted free.

Pre-Teens & Teens: Unless they're budding marine biologists, older kids will zoom through this aquarium in little more than an hour. They'll love the IMAX films, though -- many of which are presented in 3-D. Adding one IMAX movie to the standard aquarium admission is an additional $5; if kids aren't interested in the aquarium and want to see an IMAX film only, tickets cost $7.50.

Planning Notes

Take the shuttle. Look for the VB Wave signs and take the Aquarium & Campground Shuttle (Route 31) to the aquarium ($1.50 adults/$1 kids each way or $3.50 for an all-day pass). Trolleys regularly stop at both pavilions.

Snacks in one building; meals in the other. Both aquarium buildings offer food service, but the Osprey Cafe in the Bay & Ocean Pavilion offers full meals. The Otter Snack Bar in the Marsh Pavilion primarily offers snacks.

Well-priced extras. The aquarium offers a variety of year-round Encounter Programs, from interactive harbor seal experiences (the only program in the country that allows visitors to interact with harbor seals) to dolphin-watching tours, and creek cruises to behind-the-scenes experiences with seals and sea turtles. All are reasonably priced.

Restless Planet coming soon. Scheduled to open in early 2009, the Restless Planet gallery will feature a live coral aquarium, a walk-through acrylic tunnel filled with 100,000 gallons of water teeming with fish, and numerous interactive exhibits.

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