Virginia Beach Museums
Plenty of museums provide lots of learning experiences.
The east coast is an essential part of the country's science community. From ancient ship wrecks under the sea to futuristic
space crafts, there's something for all inquiring minds.
The Virginia Marine Science Museum
To make the most of your self-guided museum tour, be sure to visit both buildings, as well as the nature trail that connects
them. Allow four-to-five hours for your visit, including a 45 minute IMAX movie.
Admission sales and parking are available at both buildings. Your ticket is good all day at both buildings. Be
sure to hold on to your ticket stubs and receipt so that you can get back and forth between buildings or return later
in the same day.
Atlantic Ocean Pavilion & Main Building
The Atlantic Ocean Pavilion and Main Building host the 300,000-gallon Norfolk Canyon Aquarium including sandtiger,
nurse and brown sharks, as well as stingrays and other large open-ocean dwellers. You'll also find the 70,000-gallon
sea turtle aquarium, sea turtle hatchling laboratory, hands-on ocean exploration exhibits, jellyfish and octopus
aquariums, and even a life-size model of a humpback whale.
Nauticus
The Hampton Roads Naval Museum introduces you to more than two centuries of naval history as seen through the eyes of
the sailor in and around the great harbor of Hampton Roads. Your tour begins with the Revolutionary War's Battle off
the Capes in 1781 and continues through the present day. The Battleship Wisconsin, the Museum's newest artifact, is
located adjacent to Nauticus and is open for outer deck tours. There is no charge to visit the Hampton Roads Naval
Museum or Battleship Wisconsin.
Contemporary Art Center of Virginia
The Contemporary Art Center of Virginia is a nonprofit, noncollecting institution founded in 1952 to foster awareness,
exploration and understanding of the significant art of our time. Regularly changing exhibitions feature painting, sculpture,
photography, glass, video and other visual media from internationally acclaimed artists as well as artists of national and
regional renown.
By balancing its four primary activities-gallery exhibitions, studio art classes, educational outreach programs and outdoor
art shows-the Contemporary Art Center of Virginia seeks to involve a diverse regional public in the rich and active language
of contemporary visual art.
Atlantic Wildfowl Heritage Museum
The Atlantic Wildfowl Heritage Museum, located in the historic de Witt Cottage on the Virginia Beach oceanfront, displays
art and artifacts documenting migratory wildfowl that pass through Eastern Virginia. Exhibits of wildfowl and shorebird
carvings trace the evolution of this American art form from the simple traditional decoys to the contemporary lifelike
carvings.
Virginia Air and Space 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, become an air traffic controller, fly an
airplane, and more! Come face-to-face with the Apollo 12 Command Module that went to the moon, a Mars meteorite, and a
DC-9 passenger jet. Experience a 3D IMAX film in the giant-screen Riverside IMAX Theater...you have to see it to believe
it! There is always something new landing at the Virginia Air & Space Center!
Back to Virginia Beach Attractions
|
|
 |
More Beach Events...
|
