Area Attractions and Activities
Other Museums and Activities
Nauticus, The National Maritime Center: NAUTICUS inspires and educates with engaging & interactive experiences that celebrate our connections with today's maritime world. Nauticus is a contemporary museum that uses the natural setting of Norfolk's harbor to showcase global maritime commerce and the world's largest Navy.
Among Nauticus' many offerings are hands-on exhibits, permanent exhibits, changing exhibits, the Battleship Wisconsin, and large format films that highlight our connection to today's maritime world.
Hampton Roads Naval Museum: Located on the second floor of Nauticus, The Hampton Roads Naval Museum is an accredited museum operated by the United States Navy that celebrates the 220 years history of the fleet in the Hampton Roads region of Virginia. Chosen as the "Best Small Museum in Hampton Roads."
The Mariners’ Museum: You’ll find one of the largest international maritime history museums filled to the crow’s nest with prized artifacts that celebrate the spirit of seafaring adventure. Explore over 60,000 square feet of gallery space with rare figureheads, handcrafted ship models, Civil War ironclad USS Monitor artifacts, paintings, small craft from around the world, and much more.
- Visit the International Small Craft Center, which features nearly 150 boats from 36 countries.
- The Miniature Ships of August F. Crabtree highlight exquisitely detailed miniature ships in an unparalleled display of craftsmanship.
- The Age of Exploration chronicles the developments in shipbuilding, ocean navigation, and cartography that made the voyages of the fifteenth through eighteenth centuries possible.
And there are almost always great, new Special Exhibitions for you and your family to enjoy.
The Waterman’s Museum: The Watermen's Museum was founded in 1981 as a part of the 200th anniversary celebration of the Battle of Yorktown. In October of 1781, American and French forces were fighting the British in the final battle of the Revolutionary War. Local watermen aided the French fleet, acting as pilots for their ships as they traveled our waterways. Much to the humiliation of the British, the French and American forces trapped the British army, at least in part because of the upper hand given to the French fleet aided by those knowledgeable pilots, keeping the British navy at bay.
The importance of watermen in our local economy neither began nor ended in the eighteenth century. The term 'waterman' is an ancient one, and is only used on the Thames River in England and on the Chesapeake Bay, and refers to those who make their living on the water. Nowadays, it is used in reference to those involved in the harvesting fish and shellfish, people whom other areas of the country would call commercial fishermen. Traditionally, however, the term was also used for buy-boat workers, ferrymen, boat and ship pilots, and any others whose occupations took them on the water year round.
Norfolk Botanical Gardens: Norfolk Botanical Garden has grown from humble beginnings as a WPA project to an 155-acre garden filled with thousands of plants. More than thirty themed gardens are spread across site. Some gardens focus on a single plant (camellias, hydrangeas, roses), others look at a plant from a specific region (Japan, Virginia), while others provide homeowners with great ideas and or new plants to use in their own garden.
Norfolk Botanical Garden is filled with a wide variety of plants. Permanent plantings throughout the Garden are part of the formal collection, which is cared for and managed by three curators. Annuals and other plantings used for seasonal displays are also on display.
Virginia Air and Space Center and Hampton Roads History Center: Take flight to the Virginia Air & Space Center, the visitor center for NASA Langley Research Center and Langley Air Force Base.
Your imagination will soar as you launch a rocket, pilot a space shuttle, come face-to-face with the Apollo 12 Command Module, and a DC-9 passenger jet. Experience a 3D IMAX film in the Riverside IMAX Theater...you have to see it to believe it! There is always something new landing at the Virginia Air & Space Center!
Virginia Marine Science Museum: Come explore over 700,000 gallons of one of the best aquariums and live animal habitats in the country at the Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center.
Check out our hundreds of hands-on exhibits, outdoor aviary, nature trail, and marshlands. Plus you won't want to miss our 3D IMAX® Theater. Of course with a screen six stories tall and eight stories wide, it'd be impossible to miss!
Bay & Ocean Pavilion: From the rivers to the Chesapeake Bay and finally, into the depths of the Atlantic Ocean, this journey of water through Virginia introduces you to the many aquatic animals and plants that are native to the state. See the largest collection of Chesapeake Bay fishes and meet a horseshoe crab at the Chesapeake Bay touch pool. Observe Loggerhead, Kemp's ridley, and Green turtles in the Chesapeake Light Tower Aquarium. Watch in wonder as sharks, stingrays and other ocean dwellers navigate Norfolk Canyon Aquarium. Learn about the science of oceanography through engaging, hands-on exhibits.- Marsh Pavilion: See river otters, seahorses, snakes and other marsh dwellers. Take a closer look at life in the "macro-marsh," where plants and animals are magnified up to ten times their normal size. Then walk outside on an elevated deck through a half-acre bird aviary to see 55 different species of native birds.
- Nature Trail: Take a walk along a 1/3-mile nature trail that meanders through salt marsh and woodland preserve between the Aquarium's buildings. Climb the 30-foot observation tower to get a view of Owls Creek from tree-top level.
- A Hands-On Experience: Does a stingray really feel like wet bologna? What do a horseshoe crab's mouth and a toothbrush have in common? Find out for yourself at our two touch pools. Examine skulls, shells, shark jaws, and other artifacts at our Curiosity Carts. Try out some of our 300 interactive exhibits to learn more about marshes, the Bay and the Atlantic Ocean.
- IMAX® - Larger Than Life: Experience life on a larger scale in the Aquarium's own 3D IMAX® Theater. The film experience doesn't get any better than this. Images jump out into the seats off a screen that's big enough to show a life-sized whale. And our state-of-the-art sound system is so realistic, you'll be crouching in your seat for cover.
Virginia Zoological Park: The Virginia Zoo is home to 350 animals, on 53 acres of beautifully landscaped grounds. You’ll find everything from prairie dogs to elephants in our exhibits, which include Africa, the North American Walk and Virginia Barnyard.
Most visitors come to the Virginia Zoo with animals on their minds, but plants are the first thing they see. Our gardens set the stage for guests and Zoo residents. We create naturalistic habitats for exotic and native animals. We design, grow and plant themed gardens, and we provide fresh plant treats for animals.
The Virginia Zoological Park seeks to increase understanding of the world's flora and fauna and to add to the growing body of knowledge about them; to display animals respectfully, in a way that encourages their natural behavior; to conserve animals and their habitats; and to offer opportunities for learning and enjoyment to the public. It will strive to fulfill this mission through education, conservation, research and recreation.
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