Virginia Beach Museums
The Virginia Marine Science Museum
Without a doubt, the most popular Virginia Beach museum is the Virginia Marine Science Museum. From boat rides to movies, this museum is packed with fun activities and lots of things to see and do. The Virginia Marine Science Museum, houses the largest aquarium in the state of Virginia. With many aquariums filled with a total of 800,000 gallons water, they have sea life and creatures you have never even heard of. The Virginia Marine Science Museum features live animal habitats, a wide variety of fish and many other sea creatures. The Virginia Marine Science Museum also has boat rides available to see the marine and marsh life, as well as dolphins and whales. Lots of fun hand on activities for anyone, any age, can be found all over The Virginia Marine Science Museum.
The Virginia Marine Science Museum consist of two buildings. Plan your tour to start at either building. You will find a nature trail that connects the two buildings, and has an observation tower that is 30 feet tall. Plan to go up the tower to observe any living creatures that can be found outside of the buildings.
The Virginia Marine Science Museum is open from 9 AM to 5 PM EST from September 6th , to May 28th; from 9 AM to 7 PM from Memorial Day to Labor Day. Closed for Thanksgiving and Christmas. General admission prices vary for each age, group tickets and rates are available. The Virginia Marine Science Museum does have a caf�©, fully equipped with a variety of food and drinks. During the summer you will find a snack bar located on the nature trail, well stocked with plenty of snacks and cold drinks. Tickets and parking are available at both buildings, as well as handicapped parking. The Virginia Marine Science Museum is handicapped accessible as well.
The Old Coast Guard Station Museum
While looking for Virginia Beach Museums to visit on your vacation, check out the Old Coast Guard Station Museum. This Virginia Beach museum resides in what used to be an actual coast guard station. At the Old Coast Guard Station Museum, you will find two floors of exhibits. These exhibits consist of the old boat room, and the lower gallery. In the lower gallery is where the life saving service was performed. The Old Coast Guard Station Museum, is a piece of Virginia Beach history. The museum tells stories about the coast guard service from long ago. You will also find exhibits that showcase the rescue equipment, tools and methods, that were used to perform these services. Interactive and changing exhibits are found here as well.
The Old Coast Guard Station Museum’s hours of operation are Monday through Saturday 10 AM to 5 PM, Sunday 12 PM to 5 PM. Admission is only 3.00$ and military and senior citizen discounts are available. While you are visiting the Old Coast Guard Station Museum, do not forget to check out the gift shop, and take a piece of this history home with you.
The Atlantic Wildfowl Heritage Museum
The Atlantic Wildfowl Heritage Museum is another great museum in Virginia Beach. Located on the oceanfront, and full of wildfowl surprises. At the Atlantic Wildfowl Heritage Museum you will find exhibits and art that document that the wildfowl from the Eastern part of Virginia. These exhibits include lifelike carvings of the wildfowl and decoys. The Atlantic Wildfowl Heritage Museum exhibits feature, a main gallery full of old and rare photos of Gun Clubs of Black Bay. The main gallery also has artifacts, memorabilia, and decoy exhibits as well. A contemporary section of the museum is quite popular one featuring the carving work of C. Gerald Harris. On the second floor of The Atlantic Wildfowl Heritage Museum, you will find an art gallery. The art hanging in this gallery consist of vintage posters, that some of the gun manufacturers used for advertising purposes. Also on the second floor, you will find the Edgar Brown exhibit. This exhibit features the history of Virginia Beach in a photograph display.
Outside of The Atlantic Wildfowl Heritage Museum you will find a boathouse and a library. The boathouse is where carving classes are held. Visitors to The Atlantic Wildfowl Heritage Museum are more than welcome to observe the carver using his wonderful skills. The library is the first library in Virginia Beach. The library was active in 1930 to 1940, and still has many of its vintage books and character on display. The Atlantic Wildfowl Heritage Museum also has a beautiful garden, with over 50 trees, shrubs and flowers.
The Atlantic Wildfowl Heritage Museum’s hours are Tuesday through Saturday from 10 AM until 5 PM, and Sunday from 12 PM until 5 PM. They are open on Mondays from Memorial Day until October 1st. While you are visiting this great museum in Virginia Beach, make it a point to buy yourself a souvenir from their gift shop. The Atlantic Wildfowl Heritage Museum’s wonderful little gift shop has everything from hand carved decoys to unusual jewelry available for purchase.
Trying to see all of the mentioned Virginia Beach museums might be a little difficult in one day. Go ahead and reserve two days of your vacation for the museums, and explore the marine life, learn about the Coast Guard history, and have one of the many carvers demonstrate to you, how to carve a decoy. You will have a great educational experience, and be able to take a little of Virginia Beach back home with you in the end.
