Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center Review

Nice variety of things to look at and do. Very kid friendly and the staff is friendly and helpful

Lot of walking outside to see the otters...but once that was done, air condition was vital... lol

The grandchildren greatly enjoyed the aquarium. They always have areas closed off for 'expansion'. Be sure to watch the Navy jets from the back deck. You will hear them all over VA Beach.

We drove 5 hours, and it probably took 10 mins to walk through the whole thing.

Very well kept, nice small and very educational aquarium.

Always a fun place to visit. Traveling the predetermined "one-way/ follow the leader" style during the pandemic, made our trip feel a bit rushed but we still had fun.

Beautiful facility. Not enough space for people to walk past each other

We had a great time at the Aquarium. The informational exhibits, the various aquatic tanks, the science museum layout and staff were wonderful.

One of the best aquariums I have ever visited. We go every year and there is always something new.

It was beautiful. The sea turtles were magnificent. My only complaint is the price. 110 to see a short 30min and go through the aquarium.

Went to gift shop. Great prices and friendly counter/cashiers.

It was very good and educational. Great for kids! Folks there were generally quite friendly and informative. Liked the Outer Banks aquarium a bit better because you weren't under as much time constraint for events. Would have like a little more interaction with live animals. I think the fact that they were remodeling some areas- so we did not get the whole experience ..influenced our feelings because we still had to pay full price for less.

Any time you can bring your grade school kid and watch them learn and discover on their own is a win. The Virginia Aquarium maintains an excellent and organized collection of marine life in a maze of Aquariums and Habitats. The volunteers and staff are knowledgeable and friendly.

A little overpriced for a single visit, especially the food, but I understand they need to make money to be able to support their causes. If you live in the area I would definitely recommend a season pass. A visit 2 or 3 times throughout the year more than pays for it. If you just walk through the exhibits it will take about 20 minutes but there's a lot to look at and a lot of information you can learn if you take the time.

Great aquarium! Had a wonderful time and saw an excellent variety of species.

We love going here. The way they have it set up is pretty amazing. There is a tunnel you can walk through where you are surrounded by the water and the fish swim over the top of you. Great place to visit for adults and children alike.

The place was great I think the price was a little high for the experience though

Great place to learn & keep kids happy! Very helping & informative staff.

Nice place to visit by yourselves when you want a mind break just to think and rest your mind

It was great and cheap. Excellent decor for marine environment. The goofball that left the 2-star review almost talked me out of going. If you jogged, yea you could finish the place in ten minutes. But you are supposed sit and enjoy the displays and watch the animals.

Didn't get there in time for the tour but did get to see the inside lobby.

I had a wonderful time here lots of fish and mammals. The stingrays are adorable. They also have a lot of parking.

My little one is quite the "sea baby" so the Aquarium is always a blast! I love how wide spread the topics go and that they have hands on activities for little ones. Great place to spend a few hours wirh your kids :-)

Brought our grandchildren here on our trip to Virginia Beach and was very happy with the experience. The people who work there for being so nice. Amanda is guest services was awesome. Very stroller and handicap accessible.

Not a bad Aquarium. Definitely a must do at least once while in the area. Great to get on discount. Not quite good enough for a membership.

Very accepting and just a great environment to be in

Great aquarium! Interactive, kid-friendly exhibits that teach in-depth information. Very knowledgeable and friendly staff strategically located throughout the aquarium tour. Nice IMAX theater and snack bar. Picture packages seem pricey.

Everyone at the aquarium has so much knowledge on each exhibit and were so friendly to me! Even at the gift shop, they helped me find a pin with the aquarium logo, just as it was closing. I would love to go back again to see and experience more, as there is so much to do and see!

My family and I love the aquarium. There is so much to see and do. Going at peak times, (spring break, summer time, etc.. ) can be frustrating because it is super packed and you often have to go through twice to really appreciate your visit. If possible, try going during the week when it's not extremely packed rather than peak times. The 3D movie is always nice. It is a great way to see nature in other parts of the world. There is another exhibit there that features snakes, otters, etc... where you take nice little nature walk to get to. There is also a really nice souvenir and gift shop at the aquarium. The VA Aquarium is a wonderful place to visit. Admission is very pricey (hence the 4 stars). For my little family of 3, we paid almost $90 (which included the 3D movie).

Friendly staff but unfortunately this aquarium was not worth it. Pretty small me and my wife walked the aquarium twice in 30 mins...

Wow this place is great. Spent 5 hours in the ropes course. Amazing time.

Great visit but a lot of things were under renovation so missed out on too much

Had a wonderful visit with my husband and toddler today. The exhibits were fun and interactive. The staff were friendly and helpful. The parking was convenient. The restroom facilities were clean and easily accessible. We could have stayed for many more hours reading, learning, and exploring together. We arrived at 2:30pm; there was not a line and it was almost empty.

The main aquarium building truly is the main attraction. The secondary building only houses the otters. Great nature trail leading to both aquariums.

This place is so cool. The staff is very knowledgeable they answered questions about the animals. We'll be back.

Admission price is $25/person. I expected a lot more. It was very small aquarium exhibit. It was packed because it was a rainy day and people couldn't go to the beach. No security to keep kids from climbing all over things and running and screaming. Of course the parents didn't do anything about their children either! I guess I'm spoiled by the Baltimore Aquarium which makes this place look like a pond!! I do not recommend, especially for the steep price!!!

Lots of fun with my kid. Masks and space, so we had to wait our turn, but it was fun.

A little smaller than expected but still a great time.

So much to see and learn for adults and children. Love going to the aquarium.

Had a fun time. I recommend that you come and enjoy your self

Great staff and a nice collection of exhibits. Smaller than other aquariums but a nice visit

I don't like that we had to double back to get out and our 18m old son didn't have much to do but the older kids really liked it.

It was nice but very expensive and I thought i would have seen more for the price. The 3D movies were nice.

It is kinda pricey but "worth it", $23 per adult (with military discount) and without the movie show they offer. You can touch some sea animals. They have an outdoor trail.

Wasn't offered a brochure, but our friends were given one from a different associate. Pretty expensive for a lot of the exhibits being closed for renovation. Relatively small compared to other aquariums that I've been to. Free parking was a plus. Employees seemed knowledgeable and nice.

Great place for the family. Aquariums, habitats, and nature area all available and also has the Adventure Park ropes course in the wooded area between the two buildings.

Enjoyed our family visit here. The first building was kind of boring and the 10 minute walk between buildings was a little too long, but the second building with sharks, sea turtles, and a dragon section was pretty awesome.

Great experience I havent been to the aquarium since I was young. I went to the aquarium with my fiance .

Good place to take the kids. You can pet rays here, watch a movie about oceans or sea turtles, or take a stroll on their nice nature path that goes all the way to their adventure park. They dont have that many sea mammals there if that's your thing.

I had such a great time at the Aquarium. I did find it to be a little small. The nature walk and the walk between the two buildings is what I enjoyed the most.

Great afternoon with our toddler. Interesting exhibits for all ages.

Plenty to look at and next time I'll do the climbing adventure. It looks awesome

My husband and I had the best time here! Such an awesome place for kids.

Nice exhibits. Had sharks, stingrays and Harbor Seals. Was a little limited due to Covid, but worth the trip if you are in to fish and coastal habitat.

The admission fee for the entire family could be lower. There is no a kind of family group offer. Especially if a family is large. Anyway, children and even their parents can learn a lot about the sea life from a visit there.

It was fun, kind of small though. If you've been to Ripley's aquarium you won't be impressed but it is fun!

We love it here.... for the IMAX, the exhibits and, of course, the gift shop!

Loved it's quiet peaceful atmosphere, knowledgeable and friendly staff, and beautiful animals

Aquariums are probably my favorite place to go. Especially seeing as how different each one is. Staff was really nice and informative

the dolphin boat was exciting.
I would definitely come back to this place.

Such an amazing place to visit. The dolphin tours are alot of fun and very educational

So it took two yrs and two cancelled trips. But we finally got on the boat tour. It's was amazing. The staff is super friendly and very knowledgeable. And the dolphins where every where. The aquarium its self is wonderful and always worth going to the stingrays are fun. This is one of favorite places to visit and is a must if you are visiting Va beach

We bought a dolphin tour for my birthday. Drive an hour to get here and they wait tell 30 min before we are ment to board sorry the 3:30 is canceled. You can change days. NO I CAN'T!! This was the only thing I wanted for my birthday and they ruined it witha little less then a half baked apology and no attempt to make it right.