The Mermaid Factory located a short distance from the hotel has mermaids and dolphins, handmade locally. They are the ideal blank canvas to inspire your creativity. Paint and decorate your own today! They also have pre-made mermaids and dolphins that make great farewell gifts, gifts for visiting relatives or a memento of your time in Coastal Virginia, plus a large selection of mermaid, dolphin and nautical gift items. LEARN MORE www.mermaidfactory.com
Explore & Experience Come explore over 800,000 gallons of one of the best aquariums and animal habitats in the country at the Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center. Experience our hands-on exhibits, nature path, and marshlands. Admission. The Aquarium is open daily 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Aquarium & 3D Theater are closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas Day. READ MORE Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Museum 717 General Booth Blvd Virginia Beach, VA 757-425-FISH (3474) www.virginiaaquarium.com
Journey to mysterious places inhabited by exotic animals from around the world–without leaving Hampton Roads! Just board the Norfolk Southern Express train at The Virginia Zoo for an expedition to Asia – Trail of the Tiger or Africa’s Okavango Delta! Discover lions, bears, elephants, gibbons, giraffes, colorful birds and more! Watch the red panda climb through the trees just above your head. Go nose-to-nose with a prairie dog in an underground viewing bubble. Enjoy a stroll among our themed gardens and beautiful landscaping. The Virginia Zoo provides education and entertainment for people of all ages, and the Zoo is home to more than 400 animals on 53 beautifully landscaped acres. Our enriched exhibits encourage the animals’ natural behavior, and provide information about their habitats, what they eat and their worldwide conservation status. Visiting the Virginia Zoo is a fantastic thing to do with family and friends, and it’s a terrific value! The Zoo is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., except major winter holidays. READ MORE Virginia Zoo 3500 Granby Street Norfolk, VA 23504 (757) 441-2374 www.virginiazoo.org
This National Natural Landmark is Virginia’s most visited state park and one of the first state parks. It was established in 1936 (formerly Seashore State Park). The park’s new name reflects its unique history as the site of the landing of the first permanent English Settlers in 1607. The park offers a variety of recreational opportunities, including 19 miles of hiking trails, bike trail, a boat ramp, picnic areas, campsites, and cabins. Visitor center exhibits in the natural area explain the uniqueness of this environment featuring lagoons, cypress swamps and Spanish moss. First Landing State Park is located on Cape Henry in North Virginia Beach. This 2,888 acre park offers a wide range of activities for visitors. Regardless of how long you can stay, for a few hours or for a full day, you can have a nice time visiting the park. First Landing State Park 2500 Shore Drive Virginia Beach, VA (757) 412-2300 www.first-landing-state-park.org
Are you an outdoor enthusiast who’s looking for adventure and a full excursion of fun? Then you belong at The Adventure Park at the Virginia Aquarium! New this year to Virginia Beach, The Adventure Park offers multiple zip lines and 10 aerial ropes challenge courses suitable for kids, teens and adults. The courses include platforms located at varying heights throughout the trees and are connected by crossings, which could be bridges that participants can cross or cables that allow a person to zip from one station to the next. Swing through the trees just like Tarzan when you visit The Adventure Park at the Virginia Aquarium! Call 757-385-IZIP (4947), or visit www.virginiabeachtrees.com to learn more. READ MORE Adventure Park 3713 South Sandpiper Road Virginia Beach, VA 757-721-4484 www.virginiabeachtrees.com
Whether it is with a large school group or a family visit, the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame & Museum is home to many memorable exhibits and full of interactive fun. A basketball court, sports complex, racing simulators and a radio announcing booth await you! The Museum also hosts many special events, birthday parties, galas and weddings. For more information, visit the Museum’s website at www.vshfm.com or follow them on Facebook or Twitter (@VSHFM). Virginia Sports Hall Of Fame 206 High Street Portsmouth, VA 23704 (757) 393-8031 www.vshfm.com
Home port to more than 75 ships of the Atlantic Fleet, Norfolk Naval Station is the world’s largest naval installation. Visitors may catch the tour bus year-round at the Naval Base Tour Office, 9079 Hampton Blvd. by Gate 5, at The Waterside or at Nauticus. Admission. Naval Station Norfolk Hampton Blvd. Norfolk, VA 757-444-7955 www.norfolkvisitor.com/norfolknavy
Hey, it even looks like a battleship. With interactive computers, high-tech naval battles and a virtual reality adventure game, it’s “Edutainment” for the whole family. Nauticus admission now includes access to Battleship Wisconsin Wardroom and Officer’s Country as well as the new exhibit For All Those in Uniform Who Have Served. Nauticus, The National Maritime Center 1 Waterside Drive Norfolk, VA 757-664-1000 www.nauticus.org
The Hampton Roads Naval Museum in Norfolk introduces guests to over two hundred years of activity in and around the great harbor of Hampton Roads, Virginia. It is one of eleven museums operated by the U.S. Navy and now, in conjunction with Nauticus The National Maritime Center, is the home of the Navy’s battleship Wisconsin. Admission is FREE! The Hampton Roads Naval Museum Norfolk, VA 757-322-2989 www.hrnm.navy.mil
JT’s Grommet Island Beach Park and Playgroung for Every”BODY” opened on May 22, 2010. This 100% handicap accessible oceanfront park is the first of its kind in America. Kids with disabilities are thrilled to access a playground designed to accommodate their wheelchairs. Children can race across the bridge, dig in the sand and explore the playground with ease. Grommet Island is located at 2nd Street on the boardwalk. For more information visit the City of Virginia Beach’s website on Grommet Island Park. Grommet Island Beach Park and Playground for every”BODY” 100 2nd Street Virginia Beach, VA www.grommetisland.org
The headquarters of the world famous psychic and mystic, Edgar Cayce. Open year round to the public, visitors can see the original hospital building, the Visitor Center and enjoy a tour, a movie, and a free lecture. For times and lecture topics, call 757-428-3588 ext. 7265, or visit our web site at www.edgarcayce.org. Edgar Cayce Visitors Center Atlantic Ave. & 67th Street Virginia Beach, VA 757-428-3588 ext. 7265 www.edgarcayce.org
Beautifully landscaped MacArthur Square in downtown Norfolk, Virginia is the site of the four buildings that comprise the MacArthur Memorial. The Memorial’s theater contains several special exhibit galleries and continuously shows a twenty-four minute film on the life and times of General of the Army Douglas MacArthur. The Jean MacArthur Research Center (named after the General’s widow) houses the library and archives, education programs, and the administrative offices for the MacArthur Memorial and the General Douglas MacArthur Foundation. The gift shop displays General MacArthur’s 1950 Chrysler Imperial limousine which he used from 1950 to the end of his life. The museum proper is housed in Norfolk’s stately nineteenth century City Hall. A monumental rotunda is the General’s and Mrs. MacArthur’s final resting place where they are surrounded by inscriptions, banners, and flags heralding the general’s long and glorious career. Nine separate galleries arranged in two levels circle the rotunda and tell the story of General MacArthur and the millions of American men and women who served in the United States Armed Forces from the Civil War through the Korean War. A visit to the MacArthur Memorial provides a unique glimpse into the 20th century and can renew your faith in […]
