Summer Camps

Animals that seem creepy are just misunderstood. Get down and dirty along the Nature Trail to meet insects and other terrestrial invertebrates and play games to discover why these creepy creatures are important parts of a healthy ecosystem.

Sessions and Time
July 13-14 | August 13-14
9:00am-1:00pm

Pricing
Non-Member: $150
Member: $110

Using your imagination, pretend to be a veterinarian through role play, fun hands-on activities, and creative crafts. Learn more about animal care as you meet some of the Aquarium's resident animals and the people who look after their well-being.

Sessions and Time
June 22-26 | July 6-10 | July 20-24 | August 3-7
9:00am-1:00pm

Pricing
Non-Member: $300
Member: $260

Why is the ocean salty? Where do waves come from? What kind of animals live in the ocean? Bring your curiosity to find the answers while doing hands-on ocean-themed activities, meeting live animals, and observing marine creatures in the aquariums.

Sessions and Time
June 29-July 1 | July 15-17 | August 10-12
9:00am-1:00pm

Pricing
Non-Member: $200
Member: $165

Combine your love of art with the science of color in this creative, hands-on STEAM camp. Learn where colors come from and how to make a rainbow through optical physics. Explore the chemistry of tie dye as you make your own colorful T-shirt.

Sessions and Time
June 15-17 | July 27-29
9:00am-1:00pm

Pricing
Non-Member: $200
Member: $165

What do scales and scutes have in common? They’re both reptilian characteristics! Learn what makes snakes, lizards, and turtles unique through live animal encounters, biofact studies, and other hands-on activities.

Sessions and Time
July 9-10 | August 6-7
9:00am-4:00pm

Pricing
Non-Member: $200
Member: $160

Learn to think like a scientist as you design and conduct creative experiments to test your hypotheses. Through fun hands-on science activities, embrace trial and error and learn how things act and react.

Sessions and Time
June 22-24 | July 20-22
9:00am-4:00pm

Pricing
Non-Member: $285
Member: $245

Become a seasoned plushie veterinarian by attending the "Virginia Aquarium School of Stuffed Animal Sciences!" If you love animals and enjoy role play, this camp is perfect for you. Activities include meeting live animals up close and spending time with animal care and veterinarian team members.

Sessions and Time
June 15-17 | June 29-July 1 | July 13-15 | July 27-29 | August 10-12
9:00am-4:00pm

Pricing
Non-Member: $285
Member: $245

Did you know everyone lives in a watershed? Discover what a watershed is and your watershed address while doing fun hands-on activities. Get wet and dirty exploring watershed habitats such as marshes, forests, and creeks and observing the animals that live there.

Sessions and Time
July 6-8 | August 3-5
9:00am-4:00pm

Pricing
Non-Member: $285
Member: $245

Learn about animal anatomy and behavior through this camp that's full of fun hands-on activities. Dissect fish and squid, learn about parasites and other animals with gross reputations, and explore how animals take in food and turn it into... well... you know.

Sessions and Time
July 16-17 | July 30-31 | August 13-14
9:00am-4:00pm

Pricing
Non-Member: $215
Member: $175

Want to become an expert on local fish and invertebrates and expand your understanding of marine biology? Join us for daily field trips to explore marine habitats and practice techniques to collect marine organisms for observation and identification.

Sessions and Time
June 29-July 1 | July 15-17
9:00am-4:00pm

Pricing
Non-Member: $300
Member: $260

Find your way to the Bay to learn what makes the Chesapeake Bay and its flora and fauna unique. Get wet exploring the Bay's diverse habitats and meeting its animal communities. Conduct engaging hands-on activities to discover how the Bay formed and why it is an estuary.

Sessions and Time
July 6-10 | August 3-7
9:00am-4:00pm

Pricing
Non-Member: $520
Member: $480

In our WAVE (Wandering Around Virginia's Environments) camp, we'll hit the road to explore the great outdoors! There are so many amazing environments to see in Coastal Virginia, and we'll visit a different one each day.

Sessions and Time
July 27-31
9:00am-4:00pm

Pricing
Non-Member: $520
Member: $480

Learn how to fish or enhance your skills in this two-day camp that practices catch-and-release at several local fishing spots. Get hands-on experience matching your fishing technique to where you are fishing and what you want to catch. Also, learn how to identify your catch.

Sessions and Time
June 15-16 | July 13-14
9:00am-4:00pm

Pricing
Non-Member: $300
Member: $260

Learn how you can participate in habitat restoration, water quality testing, and other conservation projects. Expand your marine science experience by wading in water, seining for fish and invertebrates, exploring by kayak, and visiting the behind the scenes at the Aquarium and research center's labs.

Sessions and Time
June 22-24 | July 20-22
9:00am-4:00pm

Pricing
Non-Member: $360
Member: $320

Sharks, whales, and turtles, OH MY! Take a deep dive with the Aquarium's experts to discover why these amazing creatures are such important parts of the ocean ecosystem and how the Aquarium works to protect them.

Sessions and Time
June 25-26 | July 23-24
9:00am-4:00pm

Pricing
Non-Member: $220
Member: $180