Virginia Beach

Family-friendly | outdoor adventure | arts & culture | culinary

Virginia Beach:

W here the Atlantic Ocean meets the Chesapeake Bay, you’ll find the coastal city of Virginia Beach. Its warm temperatures and attractions make it an appealing, family-friendly getaway year-round. Vacations here are about living in the present by experiencing outdoor adventures, cultural events and, of course, fresh seafood. But they’re also a gift to your future self, who will get to think back on all the fun memories and smile. Get your bearings by strolling the 3-mile Boardwalk and breathing in the fresh air. But be ready to explore further as there are seven districts in total. Read on for our guide to finding happiness in Virginia Beach.

If the question “Are we there yet?” is a common refrain on your family vacations, then Virginia Beach might be the answer. For starters, it’s less than a 400-mile drive from Charlotte, New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington D.C. If you’re coming from points north, your journey can include a unique drive across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel, a 17.6-mile bridge-tunnel that is low to the water’s surface, making you feel like you’re floating on the waves. With 10 miles of Chesapeake Bay coastline and 28 miles of Atlantic Ocean shore, Virginia Beach is the world’s largest pleasure beach, according to the Guinness Book of World Records. Even in the height of winter, daytime temperatures average in the 50s, so a stroll on the beach is doable in any season. (More on water adventures shortly.) Be sure to snap a family selfie with the 26-foot bronze statue of King Neptune while you’re in the Oceanfront District.

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Grommet Island Beach Park and Playground

Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center

Cape Henry Lighthouse interior

Town Center

Lolly's Ice Cream

Virginia Beach

The Narrows

Town Center

A bronze sculpture of two surfers stands at the entrance to Grommet Island Beach Park and Playground, which bills itself as for everyBODY. This inclusive, 15,000-square-foot oceanfront park is wheelchair accessible and has a sensory board for kids who are autistic and visually impaired. Outside the entrance to the Military Aviation Museum in Pungo is an unexpected surprise: Jerrasic Park. (The spelling is due to owner Jerry Yagen.) The sculpture garden is full of lifelike metal dinosaurs. Everything from baby dinosaurs emerging from eggs to raptors as well as a brontosaurus and triceratops are displayed. There’s even a woolly mammoth and a saber tooth tiger. Inside the museum, kids (and kids at heart) might also get a thrill from seeing 50+ different vintage WWI and WWII aircraft. Visitors can even take a ride in a restored WWII aircraft to see what it's like flying in an open cockpit plane.

With more than 800,000 gallons of fresh and saltwater displays, the Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center is home to fish, sharks, rays, reptiles, mammals and invertebrates. Take a behind-the-scenes tour to get closer to species like Komodo dragons or sea turtles. Join a coastal dolphin-watching boat tour in the fall. Through Jan. 20, 2025, the center will host six whimsical giant trolls as part of the “Trolls: Save the Humans” exhibit. The outdoor art installation by Thomas Dambo encourages visitors to explore nature and take care of it. Indulge in some good-natured family competition with mini golf. Open year-round, Jungle Golf offers 18 holes to play outdoors. Little ones may delight in seeing the various animal statues sprinkled throughout the course; you’ll see a zebra, elephant, giraffe and rhinoceros, among others. Older kids might enjoy the challenge of 36 holes at Shipwreck Golf. For an indoor, blacklight experience, try the 10 holes at King Neptune’s Mini Golf.

While you could easily spend your vacation lounging at the beach, it’s worth shaking off the sand and exploring. Head to Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge, which was established in 1938 to provide a habitat for migrating and wintering waterfowl. Here, you can not only observe wildlife (think hawks, ducks, bobcats, raccoons and turtles), but also get a bit closer by kayaking in the marshes. Hiking, biking and fishing are also allowed. Just north of the refuge is Little Island Park in Sandbridge, a 122-acre beach park with a 400-foot fishing pier. Along with swimming and fishing, crabbing is also popular here. Rudee Inlet, located on the south end of the Oceanfront, offers watersports like parasailing, stand-up paddleboarding and jet skiing. Over the Rudee Inlet Bridge, you can also surf the waves off the beaches of Croatan. For more surfing spots, head to the 1st Street Jetty or the South and North ends of the Virginia Beach Pier. If you’re in Virginia Beach in August, be sure to check out the annual East Coast Surfing Championships.

Part of the Virginia Aquarium, The Adventure Park is a self-guided aerial obstacle course for anyone ages five and up. (All climbers wear safety harnesses and challenges range from beginner to expert.) Move along the platforms high up in the trees and catch a ride on the zip line as well. Built with the same Aquia Creek sandstone as the White House (and much of Washington, D.C.), the Cape Henry Lighthouse is a chance to touch history. George Washington authorized it as the first U.S. federally funded public works project and Alexander Hamilton oversaw its creation. Climb the 191 steps to the top and enjoy the view of the Chesapeake Bay District and the Oceanfront District.

Forward thinking in its sustainability, Mount Trashmore Park opened in 1974. A former landfill converted into a public park, these 165 acres include two man-made mountains, two lakes, two playgrounds, a skate park and a garden requiring minimal water. No boats, swimming or wading is allowed in the lakes, but kayaks are permitted in Lake Windsor. Mount Trashmore Park is the sister park to Haginodai Park in Japan. First Landing State Park’s location has been part of American history for centuries. English colonists first landed here in 1607. During the War of 1812, its cypress swamps provided fresh water for military ships. Its interior waterways were used during the Civil War by both Union and Confederate soldiers. The park was built during the Great Depression, in part, by an all African-American Civilian Conservation Corps. Today, the park is listed in the National Register of Historic Places, offering 20 miles of hiking and biking trails and 1.5 miles of beachfront. Cabins, yurts and campsites are available if you’d like to stay the night.

Away from the touristy spots of the Oceanfront, the ViBE Creative District is exactly what it sounds like. This 15-block span is where you’ll find local artists working on everything from traditional art to leather working, as well as funky boutiques to snag the perfect souvenir. Plan your trip around the annual ViBE Mural Festival in late summer/early fall and you’ll have the opportunity to interact with 10 artists as they paint 10 new murals in 10 days. Take a ViBE Mural Walking Tour to experience all the colorful artwork adorning this part of town. Make a beeline for the Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art before it closes in early 2025. (It’s moving to the Virginia Wesleyan University in nearby Hampton Roads and won’t reopen until 2026.) Current exhibits include “Made in VA Biennial,” which features more than 87 contemporary works by 61 artists, as well as “Nikki Leone: Rule Breaker” and her unconventional art. Both exhibits run through Jan. 5, 2025.

Smiles and happiness go hand in hand, so it makes sense that Virginia Beach, which often gets voted one of the happiest places in the U.S., would host this unique museum. Operation Smile: The Anthony L. and Hideko S. Burgess Interactive Learning Center offers a compassionate look at those affected by cleft conditions and traces the journey to surgery and comprehensive care. Visitors are given the passport of a child with a cleft palate, follow interactive exhibits, experience life in the Philippines (where Operation Smile began) and accompany a mannequin into the operating room. Learn more about the history of this coastal town by visiting some of its centuries-old homes. The Thoroughgood House is one of the oldest surviving colonial homes—the National Historic Landmark was built around 1719. Combining a mixture of Georgian and Federal styles, the Francis Land House takes visitors back to the 1800s. Tours are available at both historic sites.

The Town Center District provides a full day out in Virginia Beach. Packed with both local and brand-name stores, this area of town—which includes the Central Business District, Pembroke and surrounding areas—is heavenly for shopaholics. Of course, there are also plenty of restaurants on hand, ranging from an Irish pub to an Indian bistro, to help refuel you. Finish your day with a few cocktails and craft brews, or settle in for some entertainment. Here is where you’ll find venues such as the Funny Bone Comedy Club, Sandler Center for the Performing Arts and Zeiders American Dream Theater.

With the Chesapeake Bay at chefs’ fingertips and hundreds of inlets winding their way through the city, Virginia Beach has the allure of a seafood-heavy culinary culture. In addition, its miles of farmland in Pungo provide locally harvested ingredients, leading to fresh-tasting, healthy meals that will make your body happy. The challenge here will be choosing which of the oodles of seafood restaurants to try (and maybe plan a return visit). At Chick’s Oyster Bar, start with the hot blue crab dip and move on to the raw oyster bar and steamed crab legs. The she-crab soup at Harpoon Larry’s is worth the drive alone. Dine on brunch, lunch and dinner while enjoying views of the Chesapeake Bay and the Bridge Tunnel from the bayfront setting of Buoy 44 Seafood Grill. To dine on a hearty farm-to-table meal, head to The Bee & The Biscuit for breakfast or lunch. For more than 100 years, this Pungo restaurant has embraced the local agricultural community.

Not only does Virginia Beach have the food scene covered, it also has a booming craft beer industry. There’s even a Virginia Beach Beer Trail, noting 27 different breweries sprinkled throughout the Oceanfront, Inland, Chesapeake Bay, Town Center and ViBE Creative Districts. Try a Japanese rice lager at Back Bay’s Farmhouse Brewing Company. Enjoy the whimsical names and can designs of the Young Veterans Brewing Co. as you sip on their lagers, IPAs, stouts and porters. Order from the year-round menu or take advantage of rotating taps at Three Notch’d Brewing Company; a Biggie S’mores imperial stout (made with chocolate malts and graham crackers) seems perfect for fall evenings. One drink you’ll see on the menu nearly everywhere you go in Virginia Beach is the Orange Crush. It originated at Waterman’s Surfside Grill, but has become a quintessential local drink over the years. Be sure to try this classic mixture of vodka, orange liqueur, splash of lemon-lime soda and freshly squeezed orange juice.

For guaranteed happiness, there’s always ice cream and Virginia Beach delivers in a big way. Not only does Lolly’s Creamery have long-standing favorites like Cookie Monster and mint chocolate chip, but also offers monthly specials and limited releases. Get a scoop or three of Blue Cow’s handcrafted ice cream flavors like birthday cake, triple berry crisp and sea salt brickle with caramel swirl. Feast on flavors like blueberry crunch, Madagascar vanilla and dulce de leche at Gerald’s Ice Cream, which also serves affogatos, an Italian dessert where hot espresso is poured over ice cream. Forget “Are we there yet?” Virginia Beach will make “When are we coming back?” the new question your family will ask.

Live the life in

Mount Trashmore Park (left); First Landing State Park (right)

King Neptune at the Virginia Beach Boardwalk

The Bee & The Biscuit

Chick's Oyster Bar

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Back Bays Farmhouse Brewing Co. (left); Orange crush at Waterman's (right)

Town Center fountain

Apex Entertainment, a family-friendly gaming center

Francis Land House

The Thoroughgood House

Francis Land House

Jars of Dust

Ed Trask mural

Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art

Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge

Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center

Biplane ride, Military Aviation Museum

Military Aviation Museum

The Adventure Park

Cape Henry Lighthouse

Family-friendly | outdoor adventure | arts & culture | culinary