Virginia Marine Science Museum - Virginia Beach, VA Review

We were visiting my sister-in-law and helping her move.  After we were done, it was raining so we couldn't take the kids to the beach.  So Connie Ann (SIL) suggested that we take the kids to the Aquarium.  We have been to the Pittsburgh Aquarium inside the Zoo, which the boys LOVED, so we thought, "Why not."  In general we had a lot of fun and my kids had some new experiences like petting the sting rays.  The Aquarium section was under going a major renovation when we went (6/15/2008) So the there wasn't as many displays/tanks.  The place is too big for me to write about all at once so I'll break it down into it's sections and give each a star rating. 

Seal Tank (* * * * *) 

This tank is outside where you first walk into the building.  The Seals were extremely friendly.  They would swim up to kids that had their faces pressed to the glass and give them kisses.  They blew bubbles as they danced and spun leaving a glittering trail in their wake.  They had balls that they used to play catch with each other and they jumped out of the water to splash the on lookers.  I would have to say that this was my favorite part of the whole place.

Boat Tours (neutral)

We didn't do this part on this trip because we didn't have the time (or money) but we plan on catching at least one the next time we visit.  The tours include the "Creek Cruise" which is a guided river tour of the local swamps, Whale Watching and Dolphin Watching both of which take you out onto the open waters of the Atlantic Ocean.  Which tour you can take depends on what time of year you visit.

I-MAX Theater (neutral)

We didn't do this either because I know my 2-year-old would never be able to sit through it.  In general they have two types of movies, Nature (Sharks, Dolphins, etc.) and Main-stream theater releases (Harry Potter, Indiana Jones, etc.).  The Nature movies can be purchased as part of a package deal with your general admission.  Maybe the next time we go, we can do this but not until my two boys can sit for an hour strait (aka - never).

Bay & Ocean Pavilion (* * *)

This was the portion that was under construction when we were there so try to keep that in mind as you read this.  There are 3 (three) main tanks - Bay Sea-Life, Sea Turtle, and Shark.  The Bay tank was a very long tank that followed the ramp down into the Aquarium.  They had huge wooden pillars like the ones that hold up the piers so you get a better sense of what it's suppose to look like.  Here my kids discovered what tuna look like and how they swim in schools.  Downside, the hall/ramp is extremely dark and I didn't even know there was stadium like seating at the end until I almost tripped over it.  It was covered in black carpeting so it blends right into the wall.  Next came the Sting Ray Petting tank.  If you've seen one, you have seen them all - but my kids still had fun and that's all that counts.  Next come a maze of educational corridors about Sharks and, of course at the end, the main Shark tank.  Except for the school of HUGE tuna swimming in the tank with the sharks, the tank was nothing special.  Again the room where the tank was is very dark. The learning submarine was very cool and all of my boys (including my husband) had fun pushing all the buttons and switches...they even had a camera that you could move and zoom-in on the sharks.  The final tank, the sea turtles, was the best in the whole place (pictured).  I think other than the seals, this was a favorite of Rick & Dominick.  It was well light and colorful.  The turtles were as big as my 5-year-old, Rick and they would swim right up to you.  It was a lot of fun.

Under Construction Play-Land (* * * *)

This is a very fun interactive experience.  This is a limited time exhibit (only during the renovation) that allows kids to explore a construction zone.  They have a working crane (about 2' tall and 6' long), conveyor belt for the construction cones (pictured), Lego's, pretend painting, over sized hammering nail board and Bolts.  Of course there are animal displays here as well which include the baby Alligators and Beavers.  The displays are ok...my kids didn't even pay any attention to them.

Nature Trail (* * *)

The first thing that comes to mind is VERY long. The first thing the attendant tells you at the door is that it's about a 15 minute walk to the next building (aka 1/3 mile)...but they didn't account for a two year old with no stroller.  The side trails are interesting and include a board walk over the water, an owl observatory that is 30 feet in the air, and a digging pit.  My kids liked it for the most part but they wore out fast.  The next time we're driving.

Marsh Pavilion & Bird Sanctuary (* * * *)

This part was worth the walk.  There's an otter tank, smaller marsh tank that show local wild life and the shrunken "Forrest."  It show what the world looks like from a mud crabs point of view.  The grass becomes trees and  a 2-foot long corn snake becomes a monster bigger than any Anaconda (pictured).  The boys love the snake and Rick wanted to take it home.

The bird sanctuary was a deck-like trail through an immense cage.  The smaller birds would flutter right up to the hand rails.  The predators like owls were in smaller cages with-in the main cage but you were still able to see them well.  And even though Dominick got ran over by a pair of rogue squirrels (no one was hurt, just scared), we had a great time trying to name all of the birds.

Final Comment: In general, this is a great first look at wildlife for kids.  It's more educational and less expensive than most theme parks.  It's not the biggest or best but that ok.  The kids enjoyed it and that's all that matters to me.