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Adventure Parasail
300 Winston Salem Avenue
Located next to Big Sam’s Restaurant & Raw Bar on Rudee Inlet
422-Ufly (8359)
www.beachparasail.com
“Why Fly Coach When You Can Fly First Class With Us!!!” Virginia Beach’s longest established parasailing company has rides for 2, 3 (or even more) in their patented Skyrider. No age limits-their fun lovers have ranged from 2-91! For those who want the feeling of dangling in a harness, they also do single, tandem and triple harness rides. No skills required! Their experienced USCG master captains and professionally trained crew have a perfect safety record and do everything for you. Multiple boats, Coast Guard inspected and certified vessels. No extra charge for “dipping” or “water-walking”! “Experience the combined thrills of off-shore power boat ride, parachuting, ballooning and gliding all in one action packed adventure and at a fraction of the cost.” Come have the time of your life!! Reservations and credit cards are accepted. T-shirts, photos available. Free parking. Some customer comments; “Highlight of our vacation.!” “Like floating on a cloud!” “Amazingly quiet and serene!” “Most fun in my 80 years!” “Best time we’ve ever had!” “Awesome!” Located next to Big Sam’s Restaurant & Raw Bar on Rudee Inlet. Call 422-Ufly (8359)! Show coupon or Passport coupon to receive offer.
American Rover Tall Ship Cruises
627-SAIL
www.americanrover.com
This large, graceful sailing ship is the ideal way to get a Tall Ship Sailing Experience and to explore the history and sights of Norfolk's bustling Harbor. Smooth narrated harbor cruises depart from Waterside in Downtown Norfolk mid - April thru late October. Plenty of shade and comfortable seating topside with air-conditioned below deck lounges, snack bar and restrooms. 757-627-SAIL (7245).
Celebrating over 20 years of cruising.
Spring (April 14 - May 25) and Fall (Sept. 3 - Oct. 27)
3pm Harbor Cruise Every Day but Monday (2 Hour).
Sunset Cruise - Call for schedule.
Summer (May 26 - Sept. 2)
11:30am Harbor Cruise - Wed thru Sat (1 1/2 Hour).
3pm Harbor Cruise - Every Day (2 Hour).
Sunset Cruise - Call for schedule.
10:30pm Harbor Lights Party Cruise (1 1/2 Hour) - Call for Schedule.
11:30am Cruise $12 Adults, $8 Children.
3pm Cruise $16 Adults, $10 Children.
Sunset Cruise $22 Adults, $12 Children.
Party Cruise (Adults Only) $12
Angelo’s Murder Mystery Dinner Show
28th & Oceanfront (in the Colonial Inn)
425-0347
Don't miss Angelo's Murder Mystery Dinner Show, an all-you-can-eat buffet with seafood and Roast Beef Carving station. Award-winning performances by Maverick productions. Mystery, merriment and murder... now in its 13th smashing season. Group tours welcome. Open year round.
Braids on the Beach
450-1715
Braids on the Beach is a hair braiding service offering Caribbean- and tropical-style braiding and hair wraps for visitors at a variety of locations in hotels up and down the Oceanfront. Of course each head of hair is different, but the typical head takes about 45 minutes to braid entirely. Just thin, 45 minutes and then you can spend the rest of your vacation hair-worry-free! To find the Braids on the Beach location nearest you, call 450-1715.
Busch Gardens Williamsburg
(800) 343-7946
www.buschgardens.com
Voted the world's "Most Beautiful Theme Park" for 16 consecutive years, Busch Gardens Europe covers 100 acres with more than 50 thrilling rides and attractions, nine main stage shows, a wide variety of award-winning cuisine and world class shops. And while the park is already known for such roller coaster creations as Apollo's Chariot, Alpengeist, and the double-looping Loch Ness Monster, the theme park will soon deliver hair-raising excitement with its newest steel marvel, Griffon. Get set to jet through sex European countries without needing your passport.
Your European adventure begins in England. Enjoy royal treatment amid unique shops and bakeries and replicas of Big Ben and Shakespeare's Globe Theatre. You can also share laughs with some swashbucklers at "Pirates," a 4-D high-tech comedy adventure starring Leslie Nielsen and Eric Idle. Those scavengers have a treasure chest full of surprises.
Travel from England to Scotland, the home to Busch Gardens' infamous Loch Ness Monster roller coaster. Unlike the legendary Scottish beast, this "Nessie" is a double-looping roller coaster full of pulse-pounding excitement. Some of the world famous Budweiser Clydesdales spend their summers in the Scottish stables.
Your European voyage continues in Ireland where Busch Gardens has captured the essence of the Emerald Isle. Interact with warm-hearted people and enjoy the lush landscapes, an Irish step dancing show and fine Waterford Crystal. Adventure abounds with Corkscrew Hill, a white-knuckled 4-D mythical Celtic Journey. Ireland is also home to Jack Hanna's Wild Reserve. Busch Gardens Europe is dedicated to the conservation and preservation of wildlife through several educational programs. This wildlife area offers an up-close look at some amazing animals like gray wolves and American bald eagles.
Your adventure continues onto France, home to Griffon, Busch Gardens' new dive coaster debuting spring 2007. Standing 205 feet tall and dropping 90 degrees straight down, Griffon will be the world's tallest and the world's first floorless dive coaster. If you haven't lost your appetite after a ride on Griffon, sit down at Trappers Smokehouse for a mesquite-grilled menu complete with baby back ribs, brisket, grilled salmon and fried pickles.
In the quaint German villages, explore fine gift shops featuring M.I. Hummel collectibles, hand-painted beer steins and carved wooden cuckoo clocks. Germany is also home to several rides and attractions including the award-winning Alpengeist, Land of the Dragons, a kid-friendly play area, and the mysterious Curse of DarKastle.
A trip to Europe isn't complete without a visit to Italy. Busch Gardens' Italian village fuses world class rides with romantic song and dance, master craftsmanship and authentic cuisine. Brave visitors may tour the ruins of Mt. Vesuvius on Escape from Pompeii, a thrilling special effects water ride. DaVinci's Garden of Inventions features rides for both adults and children. And guests consistently rank the park's hyper-coaster Apollo's Chariot, as their favorite.
Each fall, Busch Gardens transforms into a 100-acre scream park full of spine-tingling thrills. Families won't want to miss Howl-O-Scream, a truly "spooktacular" event.
Fore more information about Busch Gardens admission rates and park hours, call 800-343-7946 or visit online at www.buschgardens.com
Chesapeake
www.visitchesapeake.com
Cradled in the heart of Hampton Roads region, Chesapeake puts a bevy of vacation options—from the outdoors to the arts—within easy reach:
• Explore Mother Nature's wonders at Chesapeake's Northwest River Park and the Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge.
• Family fun is guaranteed with a visit to the sprawling Fun Forest, and good times keep rolling at Chesapeake Skate Park, Chilled Ponds Ice Sports Complex and championship golf courses.
• Get a true feel for local artistry in Portlock Galleries at SoNo, or hunt for treasures along "Antique Alley," home to nearly a dozen antique and collectible shops.
Chrysler Museum of Art
245 West Onley Rd. • Norfolk, VA 23510
664-6200
www.chrysler.org
museum@chrylser.org
Home to one of America's premier permanent collections, the Chrysler Museum of Art possess more than 30,000 pieces spanning more than 5,000 years of history and offers renowned changing exhibitions as well as significant educational, cultural and art travel programming, including lectures, tours and films. Two Historic Houses, one housing the Norfolk History Museum, poignantly bring Norfolk's history to life. Located ont eh Hague inlet of the historic Elizabeth River, the Chrysler Museum includes the largest art reference library in the Southeast—the Jean Outland Chrysler Library—as well as the Museum Theatre, Cuisine & Company Restaurant, and Museum Shop.
The Museum is open Wednesday 10 a.m.-9 p.m. by voluntary contribution
Thursday-Saturday 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Sunday 1 - 5 p.m.
Closed Mondays, Tuesdays and Major Holidays
Students with ID and visitors ages 18 and under are always admitted free of charge!
Colonial Williamsburg
America's oldest and largest live interpretive history experiences. Colonial Williamsburg's 301-acre Historic Area brings Virginia's 18th-century capital city to life every day. Visit with patriots and loyalists, tradespeople and merchants, hardy farmers and enslaved Africans. Debate the "issues of the day" with a founding father, take a carriage ride, stroll the streets, visit the shops and taverns where Thomas Jefferson, Patrick Henry, George Washington, and others conceived the ideals of liberty, independence and personal freedom that influenced the founding of this nation.
Spend an afternoon in the Revolutionary City and live through critical moments that signify Williamsburg's role and relevance to the American Revolution. Beginning in Spring, the streets of the east end of the Historic Area will come alive as the town's inhabitants move through the day; wagons arriving and being unloaded, food and wares being sold, and heated conversations over horse races and cockfights won and lost.
Discover the events that led to the collapse of the royal government one day, then explore the theme of the revolutionary citizens at war. Join in the colonists' rage at Dunmore's Proclamation. Listen as the newly written Declaration of Independence is read to the citizens of Williamsburg. Experience life in a town occupied by British forces. March from the Capitol to the Courthouse as General Washington and his troops begin their journey towards Yorktown and victory.
Watch the kids drill with the militia, roll hoops, or discover how it felt to be locked in the stocks. You'll enjoy shopping and dining in surroundings familiar tot eh town's colonial residents. Evening entertainments range from 18-th century music, dance, and theater to critically acclaimed movies. And, save some time to explore our traditional indoor museums. Please check the weekly program guide to learn about activities, exhibitions, and programming during your visit.
Centered in the historic triangle, Williamsburg provides a perfect base for exploration. Guests of the official, on-site Colonial Williamsburg Hotels are mere steps away from a wealth of dining, shopping and recreational options, such as the shops of Merchants Square and the award-winning courses at the Golden Horseshoe Golf Club. Guests of Colonial Williamsburg Hotels enjoy exclusive privileges and the quickest access to the Historic Area. Hotels comprise the world-renowned Williamsburg Inn, Providence Hall, Colonial Houses-Historic Lodging, Williamsburg Lodge, Woodlands Hotel & Suites and Governor's Inn. Ten restaurants, including four Historic Dining Taverns, offer an array of delicious options; from classic casual selections to tavern fare, there is something to satisfy all appetites. Golfers take note, there are more than 17,000 golf courses in America and only eight have received golf's two highest awards—The Gold Medal from GOLF Magazine and "4 1/2 Stars" from Golf Digest. The Golden Horseshoe proudly holds both. The 26 shops of Colonial Williamsburg and 40 boutiques and stores of Merchants Square are a shopper's delight. Unique wares include handcrafted fine furnishings, jewelry, clothing, keepsakes and more.
Edgar Cayce Visitors Center
745-428-3588 x7265
www.edgarcayce.org
A visit to the Edgar Cayce Visitors Center is free and you can explore the headquarters for the foundation at any time with a self-guided tour. The free daily activities begin at 2 p.m. with a movie on Edgar Cayce, the father of holistic medicine, with a guided-tour at 2:30 and a lecture on a metaphysical topic at 3:30. ESP testing is available in the library with a free, instructor driven ESP class available at 1 p.m., on weekends.
Other items of interest include a meditation room with panoramic view of the Atlantic Ocean; an outdoor meditation garden complete with a Japanese bridge and waterfall; a newly renovated, 40-foot circular labyrinth; a reflexology path for those tired feet, a basalt column fountain in the disappearing pond to relax your spirit; and a metaphysical bookstore. The massage and Day Spa offers massages and a variety of therapies.
We are open 7 days a week from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. (12 noon to 8 p.m. on Sunday), closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas Day.
Hampton
800-800-2202 • 757-727-1102
www.hamptoncvb.com
Hampton visitors never find themselves short on activity and entertainment. The year 2007 centers on the spirit of exploration and discovery. We're celebrating 400 years of history and the visionary pioneers of the past, present and future. Our calendar of events is packed with historic reenactments, celebrations of our national and regional heritage, and award-winning annual festivals.
This spring, the Virginia Air & Space Center unveils Space Quest: The Moon, Mars & Beyond, a new gallery of hands-on exhibits that make virtual space travel a reality. The new interactive displays join a full-size DC-9 aircraft, suspended air and spacecraft, flight simulators, kid's play area, and more! Catch a film on a five-story-high screen in the Riverside IMAX Theater. The center is the visitor center for NASA Langley and Langley Air Force Base.
Hampton University Museum was established in 1868 and is the oldest African-American museum in the United States. The collection of 9,500 objects includes traditional art from Africa, Native America and Oceania, African American fine arts, and objects relating to the history of the university. The campus is home to six national historic landmarks including Emancipation Oak, where Abraham Lincoln's address was read to the citizens of Hampton.
These and other Hampton attractions feature special exhibits and events in honor of the 400th anniversary of Jamestown settlement. Don't miss Hampton's other attractions including Hampton History Museum, interpreting 400 years of Hampton history, moat-encircled Fort Monroe and the Casemate Museum; the island garrison Fort Wool, experienced through a professionally-interpreted harbor tour aboard the Miss Hampton II; St. John's Church, the oldest English-speaking parish in North America; and more.
Stop by the Hampton Visitor Center for a free Hampton Day Pass Value Card—with exceptional values at Hampton Restaurants and retailers—and the opportunity to purchase a Hampton Day Pass Attraction Ticket. The ticket is good for discounted admission to the Virginia Air & Space Center, Riverside IMAX Theater, Miss Hampton II Harbor Cruise, Hampton History Museum, and the Hampton Carousel.
Jamestown Settlement, Yorktown Victory Center: Living-History Museums
888-593-4682 • 757-253-4838
www.historyisfun.org
2007 programming commemorates Jamestown's 400th anniversary.
During the 400th-anniverary year of the 1607 founding of Jamestown, America's first permanent English colony, Jamestown Settlement and Yorktown Victory Center living-history Museums offer an array of stimulating gallery exhibits and hands-on history programs. Special events, exhibitions and themes throughout 2007 mark the 400th anniversary of this momentous event and explore its role in the evolution of government, cultural and social institutions that characterize today's United States.
At Jamestown Settlement and the Yorktown Victory Center, the story of the nation's beginnings—from the arrival of English colonists in 1607 to the American Revolution and the adoption of the Constitution and Bill of Rights almost two centuries later—unfolds at the two museums through gallery exhibits and historical interpretation in outdoor re-created settings. Daily tours and visitor-participatory demonstrations allow visitors to glimpse everyday lifestyles of people in 17th- and 18th-century Virginia.
Jamestown Settlement will serve as one of Virginia's principal stages for 40-th anniversary programs and events, featuring pageantry and demonstrations, including flag raisings, dramatic readings, military drills and salutes, honor guard drills, and cannon firings. Special programming during theme months will highlight important aspects of the Jamestown story.
New gallery exhibits and an introductory film that opened at Jamestown Settlement in October 2006 chronicle the nation's 17th-century beginnings in Virginia in the context of its Powhatan Indian, English and African cultures, and complement the historical interpretive program at outdoor re-creations of a Powhatan Indian village, the three English ships that arrived in Virginia in 1607 and a colonial fort, and a riverfront discovery area. Visitors can board a replica of one of the three ships that sailed from England to Virginia in 1607 and explore life-size re-creations of the colonists' fort and a Powhatan village. A riverfront discovery area highlights the role of the James River and other waterways in 17-th century travel, commerce and cultural exchange, reflecting Powhatan Indian, European and African traditions.
The Yorktown Victory Center chronicles America's struggle for independence, from the beginnings of colonial unrest to the formation of the new nation. Thematic gallery exhibits highlight the experiences of ordinary men and women who lived during the Revolutionary era. Outdoors, visitors can muster with troops in a Continental Army encampment to experience a soldier's life and, on a re-created 1780s farm, help with chores such as weeding the garden and processing flax.
Visitor amenities include free parking, gift shops at both museums, the 190-seat Jamestown Settlement Café, and a snack and beverage vending area with patio seating at the Yorktown Victory Center.
In 2007, a combination ticket to both museums is $17.75 adults and $8.50 youth ages 6 through 12. Jamestown Settlement is $13.50 for adults, $6.25 for youth, and admission to Yorktown Victory Center is $8.75 for adults and $4.50 for youth. An annual pass to both museums is $25; ages 6-12, $17.50. A separate admission ticket is required for Jamestown Settlement and special transportation arrangements apply during "America's Anniversary Weekend," May 11-13, 2007.
Both museums are open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, until 6 p.m. from June 15 through August 15. The museums are closed on Christmas and New Year's days. Jamestown Settlement is located on Route 31 South at the Colonial Parkway, adjacent to Historic Jamestowne and just southwest of Williamsburg. The Yorktown Victory Center is located on Route 1020 in Yorktown, near Yorktown Battlefield.
Memory Lane Old Time Photos
2018 & 1702 Atlantic Avenue
Virginia Beach’s original old time photo studio since 1978! Photos ready in minutes. Family enjoyment. Dress up like gangsters, roaring 20’s cowboys ...hundreds of costumes to choose from. Costumes fit all sizes, infants through adult. Authentic sepia toned photos ready in minutes. Group & family portraits are our specialty ...award winning children portraits. Antique style frames available. Member: Professional Photographers of America. Two locations, 2018 & 1702 Atlantic Avenue.
Motor World
849 General Booth Blvd. or 700 S. Birdneck Rd.
(757) 422-6419
Motor World is your place to race! Virginia Beach's only Skycoaster. We provide fun and excitement for all ages offering 9 go-kart tracks, 15 different styles of go-karts, 250 go-karts total. Bumper boats for kids & adults, kiddy rides, rock climb and gravity storm. Shipwreck miniature golf with two 18 hole courses. Visit our paintball course featuring 2 fields. Rental equipment available or you can bring your own CO2, N2. Group & party rates available. We've got you covered from coveralls to all paintball equipment! Food, arcade & more.
Mystery Dinner Playhouse
1900 Pavilion Dr., Virginia Beach
888-471-4802
www.mysterydinner.com
A fun filled evening for all ages! Now in their 14th year, they are Virginia Beach’s, Williamsburg’s, Washington D.C.’s and Richmond's very popular dinner theatre. Solve a comedy murder mystery while enjoying a delicious four course dinner. The dinner is served by a zany cast of characters, who all the while are providing clues to help you solve the evening’s crime. You’re given bribe money to entice the “suspects” to give you better clues, and a clue dossier which contains riddles and puzzles that you’ll need to decipher in order to be eligible for our “Super Sleuth” prize. Shows start at 7:30pm. Call for reservations. We’re a whodunit of a good time! Inside the Double Tree Hotel, 1900 Pavilion Dr., Virginia Beach. Just minutes from the beach with plenty of free parking.
Nauticus, The National Maritime Center
757-664-1000
www.TheNMC.org
This 120,000-square foot, maritime-theme science center features hands-on exhibits, theaters with live actors, touch tanks, digital hi-definition films, Battleship Wisconsin exhibits, national-caliber traveling exhibits and more.
Offering a fun and exciting educational experience for visitors of all ages, Nauticus, The National Maritime Center, located on the downtown Norfolk waterfront, features exciting hands-on exhibits that explore the naval, economic, and natural power of the sea. Nauticus' uniqueness is evident throughout its 120,000-square foot building. Feel the unique texture of a nurse shark's skin, touch a tornado, design a battleship, or participate in a simulated naval battle aboard an Aegis-class destroyer. Plus, experience a main deck tour of the Battleship Wisconsin, one of the last and largest battleships built by the U.S. Navy.
While on-site at Nauticus, be sure to visit the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Educational Resource Center and check out some of NOAA's engaging exhibits including "Science on a Sphere"—a dynamic six foot globe that displays 3-D animated images of our oceans and atmosphere.
The Hampton Roads Naval Museum, located on Nauticus' second floor, examines more than two centuries of naval activity in and around the Hampton Roads harbor. Responsible for the day-to-day operation of the Battleship Wisconsin, the Naval Museum also presents a chronology of the ship's history in "Wisky Walk: Fifty Years of Service." Complementing the maritime experience is the Banana Pier Gift Shop and Iron Whale café on site.
Call 757-664-1000 or visit www.TheNMC.org for hours and admission fees.
Newport News
13560 Jefferson Avenue
757-886-7777 • 888-493-7386
www.newport-news.org
Minutes from Williamsburg and a short drive from Virginia Beach is an exciting, vibrant vacation destination with something for everyone. World-class attractions, abundant sports and recreation opportunities, inviting nature walks, personal glimpses of America's history, exciting entertainment, shopping and dining choices, a year-round calendar of fairs and festivals and good old Southern hospitality await the visitor to Newport News. Discover what life was like aboard the USS Monitor during the historic Battle of Hampton Roads. Experience Virginia's wildlife from the mountains to the shore. Explore the wonders of the largest municipal park east of the Mississippi River. Play a round of golf on our challenging championship course. Feel history come alive at our city-owned attractions.
Let our friendly and knowledgeable travel counselors plan the perfect vacation. Ask about our money saving Combo Ticket and our new 33-page Coupon Book. Stay with us in Newport News where you can discover the ocean, the ships, the wars and the history of America!
Newport News Visitor Center
13560 Jefferson Avenue
Exit 250B from I-64 (Newport News Park entrance)
757-886-7777 or 888-493-7386
Open daily from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Visit us online at www.newport-news.org; www.nnparks.com; www.nngolfclub.com; www.endview.org; www.leehall.org; www.newsomehouse.org and www.warmuseum.org.
NJ Convenience & Gift
18th St. & Boardwalk
757-491-6792
Lowest price on beach rental including bikes and four-wheel family bikes. They offer groceries, beer, wine, T-shirts, gifts, cigarettes, ATM, healthcare, beach supply, beach towels, film, camera batteries and lost more to make your vacation convenient. T-bikes, roller blades, scooters, wet suits, beach umbrellas, beach chairs, body boards, strollers and lots more.
The Mariners' Museum
757-596-2222
www.MarinersMuseum.org
The Mariners' Museum is America's National Maritime Museum and one of the largest and most comprehensive maritime history museums in the world. For over 70 years, The Mariners' has illustrated the spirit of seafaring adventure, assembling a renowned and strikingly diverse collection of maritime artifacts, including figureheads, ship models, decorative arts, and small craft from around the world. And now, the remains of one of the most famous ships in history, the Civil War ironclad USS Monitor, will find a permanent home in the USS Monitor Center, opening on March 9,2007.
The Monitor's adventure is set to begin—for the second time. Exactly 145 years after the historic clash between the Civil War ironclads USS Monitor and CSS Virginia, The Mariners' Museum and its partner, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), will open the doors to one of the premier Civil War attractions in the nation—the USS Monitor Center. This dramatic new $30 million, 63,500-square-foot facility will enthrall families with exciting exhibits, bring students face-to-face with history, house state-of-the-art conservation labs, and offer historians rich resources for research.
In addition, the Museum sits on a 550-acre park, the nation's largest privately maintained park. Rolling woodlands, a 167-acre Lake Maury, and a five-mile Noland Trail make this a true urban oasis. The Mariners' Museum is an official site on the Virginia Birding and Wildlife Trail, and visitors can take advantage of our interactive backpack program to learn about topics ranging from the history of the park, its plants, and animals to environmental concerns.
Portsmouth
757-393-5111
6 Crawford Parkway
www.visitportsva.com
Some of the most interesting sites in Portsmouth are found in the approximately 20 blocks that make up the city's oldest historic district, therefore Olde Towne Portsmouth is best explored on foot. So put on a pair of comfortable shoes, grab a walking tour brochure, and set off on a self-guided tour of Olde Towne that takes you to 45 sites in the historic district—about one mile total. Brochures are available at the Portsmouth Visitor Information Center at 6 Crawford Parkway. During the summer and early months of fall, visitors to Portsmouth can take the Olde Towne Lantern Tour. On Tuesday nights, the tour departs at 8:30 p.m. from the Holiday Inn at 8 Crawford Parkway. This tour, which lasts about an hour, is led by a guide dressed in period attire.
If you're looking for a fun way to spend some time in Portsmouth without spending a lot of money, visit one of the Portsmouth Museums and ask for a Key Pass, which admits you to the Children's Museum of Virginia, the Naval Shipyard Museum, the Courthouse Galleries and the Lightship PORTSMOUTH Museum for a mere $9. And don't worry about seeing it all in one day. The Key Pass is good for 90 days. Key Passes are sold at the cashier's counter of each city museum and at the Visitor Information Center, 6 Crawford Parkway.
Pieces of Eight
757-417-7272
www.piecesofeight.com
Protect or surrender your booty, because pirates are raiding the oceanfront! The Pieces of Eight pirate ship— named after a type of Spanish money most coveted by pirates—is the newest way to entertain yourself at sea. Enjoy 90-minute cruises along the Virginia Beach Oceanfront on a custom-designed ship with loads of pirate activities, music and fun for the whole family, no plank walking required.
Spirit of Norfolk
866-211-3803
www.spiritofnorfolk.com
In an area blessed with hundreds of ways to play on the water, a dining cruise aboard the Spirit of Norfolk is one experience you should not miss. Docked at The Waterside Marketplace in downtown Norfolk, this year-round harbor cruise ship offers one of the most entertaining and affordable lunch and dinner packages in town, complete with a close-up of the Navy's Atlantic Fleet. Check out the video at www.spiritofnorfolk.com and book tickets there, or call toll free 866-211-3803. Walk-ups welcome, too.
Victory Rover Naval Base Cruises
757-627-7406
www.navalbasecruises.com
Experience the fastest and most popular way to see the world's largest Naval Base and Norfolk's harbor. Two-hour cruises depart from Nauticus, home of the Battleship Wisconsin in Downtown Norfolk. Cruise past the vessels that ensure our freedom—destroyers, cruisers, submarines, aircraft carriers and more. A fascinating, fun and fun filled narration is provided.
March
2 p.m. Every Day but Monday
Spring (April 1 - May 25)
1 a.m. and 2 p.m. Every Day
Summer (May 26 - Sept 2)
11 a.m., 2 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. Every Day
November and December
2 p.m. Every Day but Monday
Adults $16, Children $10
The Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center
717 General Booth Blvd.
757-385-FISH
www.VirginiaAquarium.com
The Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center hosts over 700,000 gallons of aquariums and live animal habitats focusing on Virginia's diverse and unique marine environment. With more than 300 hands-on exhibits, a nature trail, two animal touch tanks and the state's largest 3D IMAX® theater, a visit to the Aquarium is not only exciting and fun, but truly educational. To complete the experience at the Aquarium there are two stores and a café. Seasonal boat trips, which include dolphin and whale watching, ocean collections and cruise the creek cruises, also add a deeper dimension. The Virginia Aquarium is located one mile south of the oceanfront resort area in Virginia Beach.
Virginia Living Museum
524 J. Clyde Morris Blvd., Newport News (I-64, exit 258A)
757-595-1900
www.thevlm.org
View endangered red wolves. Get up close to a loggerhead turtle and moon jellies. See fish with no eyes and frogs that change colors. Touch live spider crabs and fossilized dinosaur tracks. At the Virginia Living Museum, living exhibits depict Virginia's natural heritage from the mountains to the sea. Experience a steamy cypress swamp and a cool mountain cove. Explore the underwater world of the Chesapeake Bay and the underground realm of a limestone cave. Touch famous Bay creatures, plus enjoy hands-on activities. See spectacular views of the sun. Outdoors, stroll the boardwalk to view animals in naturalized habitats and native plants. Brave the "Survivor: Jamestown" maze March 24-Nov. 25, 2007. Climb the rocky fall line, ride a zip line, lasso a sturgeon, search for gold.
Virginia Sports Hall of Fame & Museum
757-393-8031
www.vshfm.com
The Hall of Fame is a family-friendly attraction that celebrates Virginia's sports traditions, past and present, through interactive exhibits and activities. The Hall features college sports, media, Olympic, golf, auto racing, and Redskins exhibits, hands-on baseball, basketball, football and soccer activities, interactive games, and auto racing computer simulators. Established in 1972, the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame & Museum has been proud to honor Virginia's contributions to the world of sports as the Commonwealth's official hall of fame. Group admission rates available. Children 2 and under free with an adult.
Virginia Zoo
3500 Granby Street, Norfolk
757-441-2374
VirginiaZoo.org
A world of awe and wonder awaits. Come stroll along our towering boardwalk on a walking safari through Africa, where you'll see animals big and small living in their naturalistic habitat. See the majestic giraffes, magnificent elephants and kingly lions. Keep a look out for rhinos and tigers, too! We have monkeys to delight you, mandrills to amaze you, ostriches and almost 250 more incredible creatures from snakes and sloths to a bongo and a 7-pound lizard named Bobby. The Virginia Zoo is delightfully pleasant, affordable and educational treat for visitors young and old. Come and be delighted.
Open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Adults: $7
Children 2-11: $5
Senior discounts
Water Country USA
800-343-7946
watercountryusa.com
Plunge into outrageous fun at the mid-Atlantic’s largest water play park, Water Country USA. Featuring a 1950’s and 60’s surf-theme, Water Country USA offers families tons of summertime fun with slides, water rides and super soaking thrills. The newest attraction, Hubba Hubba Highway, offers a radical river experience featuring a swift current, several action elements, a 4,000-square-foot lagoon entrance and plenty of seating for guests to take a break from life’s fast lane. The Williamsburg water adventure park has been named the fourth best U.S. water park and fifth best theme park for children by the Travel Channel. For more information, call (800) 343-7946 or visit watercountryusa.com.
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