Aquarium educator on Marsh Overlook with students _ Aquarium Programs | Education _ Camps

Summer Camp Registration Open Now!

Please note: if you are interested in being placed on a waitlist for a camp that has sold out, please email us at Programs@VirginiaAquarium.com to do so.

The Virginia Aquarium is excited to host summer day camps for eager explorers! All camps offer a safe and unique experience for campers to connect with science and nature. Camps are offered for children ages 4 to 15, and must meet the specified age requirement by the time a camp begins. Birth certificates required for children age 4.

Pre-K Through Kindergarten Graduates - SOLD OUT No Waitlist

July 5-7 (3-Day Camp) | $139 (Member) | $169 (Non-Member)

August 7-11 | $200 (Member) | $240 (Non-Member)

9:00am – 1:00pm

*Note: participants must be 4 years old and potty independent.

Come join us for a fun-filled camp where will learn more about how our animals here at the Virginia Aquarium are taken care of! We’ll use our imaginations and pretend to be veterinarians through play, fun activities, and crafts. We’ll even have the chance to meet some live animals up close and the people who take care of them!

July 17-21

9:00am - 1:00pm

$200 (Member) | $240 (Non-Member)

*Note: participants must be 4 years old and potty independent.

Does your little one love the animals we have here at the Virginia Aquarium? During this fun filled camp we’ll learn more about these animals through live animal encounters, fun games, activities and crafts! Your child might just come home loving our animals even more.

1st-3rd Grade Graduates - SOLD OUT No Waitlist

June 26-30 | July 31- August 4

9:00am - 4:00pm

$375 (Member) | $445 (Non-Member)

Come become a seasoned Veterinarian at the “Virginia Aquarium School of Stuffed Animal Sciences”! This camp is perfect for kids who love animals, enjoy role-playing activities, and have always wondered how the animals at the Virginia Aquarium are cared for. They’ll even be opportunities to meet some live animals and chat with members of our animal care staff and vet team!

July 5-7 (3-Day Camp) | August 7 -11

9:00am - 4:00pm

$375 (Member) | $445 (Non-Member)

Science is whacky, fascinating, and absurd, but most of all fun! At this camp, your child will become a real-life scientist and learn firsthand how fun science can be. With hands-on experiments, activities, and games our classroom will be transformed into a laboratory of wonder and FUN!

July 10-14 | August 14-18

9:00am - 4:00pm

$375 (Member) | $445 (Non-Member)

Did you know there are animals that live in the ocean, on land, even ones that fly that have no bones?! Come join us as we explore the world of intriguing invertebrates! We’ll meet invertebrates who live at the aquarium and get outside to search for invertebrates along Owl’s Creek. Through animal encounters, crafts, and games your child will be an invertebrate expert by the end of the week!

4th-6th Grade Graduates

July 10-14 | August 14-18

9:00am - 4:00pm

$375 (Member) | $445 (Non-Member)

Come explore the amazing ecosystems of coastal Virginia’s watershed! We’ll begin our journey in the forest, then continue through swamps, salt marshes, and the bay and finish at the beach and beyond. Dive into the watershed with us as we get our hands dirty and learn about these important ecosystems. Our activities will include a ropes course, hiking, kayaking, seining for fish, beach exploration, a boat ride, and more!

June 26-28 | July 24-26

9:00am - 4:00pm

$200 (Member) | $240 (Non-Member)

Super speed, powerful punches, incredible intelligence, confusing camouflage- these might all sound like superpowers, but they’re actually amazing adaptions of REAL animals! Come learn about these incredible creatures as we investigate with hands on explorations and even meet some of them up close.

June 29-30 | July 27-28

9:00am - 4:00pm

$159 (Member) | $189 (Non-Member)

If your camper is a shark lover this is the perfect camp for them! We’ll dive into the world of sharks in this exciting 2-day camp. During camp we’ll go on a Behind the Scenes tour of our shark exhibit and learn firsthand how our sharks are taken care of. We’ll also investigate what life is like as a shark and hear from shark researchers!

July 31- August 4

9:00am - 4:00pm

$375 (Member) | $445 (Non-Member)

Calling all adventurers! In our W.A.V.E. (Wandering Around Virginia’s Environments) camp we’ll pull out our maps and hit the road to explore the many amazing environments of coastal Virginia. We’ll visit and explore a different location every day! There are so many incredible places to explore in our “backyard”, let’s go!

Teens 13-15 - SOLD OUT

July 17-21 | $445 (Member) | $505 (Non-Member)

August 7-11 | $445 (Member) | $505 (Non-Member)

9:00am - 4:00pm

Back by popular demand! Take a deep dive into aquatic environments with interactive experiences both at the Aquarium and beyond! In this weeklong camp we’ll explore topics including fish ID, ecosystem health, and water quality. This camp is exciting and very engaging with hands on learning including seining for fish and invertebrates, kayaking, behind the scenes tours, and more!

July 24-25 | $200 (Member) | $240 (Non-Member)

August 17-18 | $200 (Member) | $240 (Non-Member)

8:00am - 3:00pm

What’s it like working at an Aquarium on the field of Marine Biology? In this engaging two-day camp, your teen will get the chance to find out! We’ll get the chance to observe and talk with awesome professionals in this growing field. This camp is perfect for a teen who is thinking about a career in the Marine Sciences or is simply curious about how locations like the Virginia Aquarium and Marine Science Center operate.

Specialty Camps 4th-9th Grades - SOLD OUT

July 27-28 | $250 (Member) | $290 (Non-Member)

9:00am - 4:00pm

Learn to fish (or show off your fishing skills!) on the shores of Virginia Beach! During this two-day camp we’ll learn about fishing techniques, hone your child’s fish ID skills, and even take a boat trip out to fish in the Atlantic Ocean!

How to Register

  1. Reserve your spot - Click the "RESERVE YOUR SPOT" button below to purchase your camp spot. Please note that full payment is due at this time. If the selected camp has been sold out, please email Programs@VirginiaAquarium.com to be put on a waitlist. Note: Your registration is not yet complete.
  2. Receive confirmation - AFTER you have purchased your camp, you will receive a confirmation email from ePACT Network, a health and safety software to better support all our members and make it easier to submit critical data securely!

Why are we using ePACT?

  • To save you time - With ePACT, you only need to complete your child’s information once and update it as
    needed.
  • To eliminate high-touch processes - Collecting data electronically and checking members in /out using
    contactless methods reduces contact.
  • For better security & privacy- ePACT's high encryption levels and commitment to security means your data
    on ePACT is safer than on paper.

How does it work?

It's a very simple process! You'll be sent an email request for EACH child- click the "Complete Request" button, create an account, and follow the prompts to share data with the Virginia Aquarium and Marine Science Center. If you have more than one child attending, family data will automatically pre-fill, saving you time!

More Information

Contact our education staff at programs@virginiaaquarium.com or 757-385-0278 to request information about camps and registration procedures. If a camp is sold out, you can ask to be placed on a waitlist.

Member Discounts Available!

All of our camps offer a reduced rate for Virginia Aquarium Members. Consider joining today to take advantage of this and many other rewards!