City: Virginia Beach, VA

Category: Tours & Attractions

Address: 717 General Booth Blvd.

Description: You’ll want to schedule plenty of time, perhaps an entire day, for your family to visit this marine museum with 800,000 gallons of aquariums and live animal habitats. There are hundreds of hands-on exhibits for kids, including touch tanks throughout. After being greeted by seals that have fun with onlookers in their outdoor tank, you’ll follow the walk to the entrance. Once inside, you’ll find educational exhibits that will entertain everyone in the family. Outdoor trails and marshlands provide a variety of scenery, and there is a 3D IMAX theater. The Journey of Water in the Bay and Ocean Pavilion introduces young and old to the many aquatic animals and plants that are native to the state. The Restless Planet exhibit, which opened in 2009, features 6,000 animals including komodo dragons, rare crocodiles, and more. A Marsh Pavilion allows you to walk outside on an elevated deck through a half-acre bird aviary to see 55 different species of native birds. A snack bar is on the premises, and there’s a gift shop with nautical and other unique items. Open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., 6 p.m. in the summer season.