Virginia Beach Attractions

The Virginia Living Museum

Come to the Virginia Living Museum and explore the Commonwealth's natural heritage. Uncultivated,unrefined and undomesticated. The Living Museum will introduce you to more than 250 native species to Virginia, including bobcats, beavers, rattlesnakes, sharks and coyotes!

With it's diverse landscape of rivers, waterfalls, mountains, grasslands and the beautiful coastline, Virginia's natural history will come to life as you visit the museum's living exhibits.

Virginia has 110 species on it's Endangered Species List and Threatened Species List. The museum showcases several of them including the red wolf, the bald eagle and the secretive hellbender amphibian.

Visit Virginia

Each region of Virginia has it's own story to tell and you'll get to experience all of them in just one day! Tour the Coastal Plain Gallery and explore the Chesapeake Bay with all of it's diversity. Supporting more than 300 fish species and over 2700 species of plants, the Chesapeake Bay is the world's richest marine-life estuary.

Journey through Virginia's ancient past in the Underground Gallery where you will learn about fossil remains found deep within the earth. Get a rare glimpse of Virginia's nocturnal animal wildlife in Virginia's World of Darkness Gallery. The Appalachian Cove and Cypress Swamp habitat will take you on an instant trip to the mountains where you experience the sights and sounds of mountain streams and free-flying birds.

Going Green

With concerns like global warming, wildlife conservation, water pollution, deforestation and energy conservation, many of us are considering the direct impact we have on the environment.

The Virginia Living Museum opened the Goodson House, an environmental education center, in 2009. The Goodson House is a "Living Green House" where homeowners, builders and architects can see all of the latest products and techniques available to build and maintain an earth-friendly home. Ideas include recycled building materials, alternatives to PVC, solar heating and solar panels, geothermal heat pumps and even a roof made of living plants!

If you're researching custom homes, the Goodson House is a great place to get ideas to build your new home in an earth friendly and energy efficient way. The Goodson House is a hands on experience in going green.

Night at the Museum

The Virginia Living Museum doesn't wait until nightfall to come to life! The resident critters and wildlife stay very busy during the museum's regular operating hours.

There are plenty of activities and programs to keep everyone in your family busy. The Living Museum offers Family Safaris, Adult Classes, Homeschool Days, field trips to the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge and even birthday parties.

There's also a planetarium and observatory with a variety of shows to suit every age group, even toddlers!

If you're on vacation in Virginia Beach, be sure to make to set aside one day to explore the Virginia Living Museum. It's close by and you won't be disappointed!

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