- Children 2 and under are free.
- The Virginia Aquarium offers a $2 discount off of Aquarium admission for military personnel with proper ID. Discounted tickets for the whole family are also available at most MWR offices.
- Manual wheelchairs are available on a first-come, first-served basis at the Guest Services Office.
Parking
Free parking is available at the Main Building and across General Booth Blvd. in the East Lot.
Parking spaces are available for our guests with disabilities near the Main Building. The Aquarium is fully accessible and we are pleased to welcome everyone to enjoy our exhibits and animals. If you have an accommodation request related to a disability, please email us at VAMSCGSO@virginiaaquarium.com or call (757) 385-FISH (3474).
Activities Included with Admission
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Curiosity Carts: Look for carts stationed in various locations featuring interesting artifacts and demonstrations.
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Divers in Aquariums: Watch for our staff and volunteer divers performing regularly scheduled maintenance in the largest aquariums. Find an Aquarium Educator nearby to answer your questions.
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Gallery Programs: Aquarium educators occasionally conduct Q & A sessions at selected aquariums and exhibits.
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Up Close & Personal: Our staff will on occasion have an animal for you to see up close and learn about.
Group Tours
*Group Tours are not currently being offered.
From tour groups to churches, family reunions to friends, the Aquarium is the perfect place for your group! Groups of 15 or more are eligible for the special group rates, which include discounts on Aquarium admission and boat trips.
To book your group, or for more information, please contact our Guest Services Office between 9 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. All groups must book at least 24 hours in advance of their planned arrival.
Call: (757) 385-3474 or Email: VAMSCGSO@virginiaaquarium.com.
One payment for the group is required. Aquarium memberships and other discounts may not be used in conjunction with group tours.
It takes a lot to keep our Aquarium running, and our Behind the Scenes experiences give you a chance to see all of it! Sponsored by
The Oceanfront Inn.
$15 for Aquarium members, $20 for non-members
Go above the Chesapeake Light Tower Aquarium to observe aquarists conducting a feeding and behavioral training session with our sea turtles. The program lasts about 45 minutes.
Participants must be at least 8 years old, 48" tall, and able to climb stairs. Children under age 13 must be accompanied by a paying participating adult. Phones, cameras, and other loose articles are not permitted on the tour.
Seals Behind the Scenes
Not currently available.
$45 for Aquarium members; $55 for non-members
Ever wonder what it takes to care for or train our harbor seals? Participants will venture behind the scenes and into the harbor seal building where they will speak with one of the Aquarium's professional mammal trainers and meet one of our harbor seals! Guests will learn about these and other amazing marine mammals, their adaptations, our training techniques, and efforts to conserve marine animals and their environment. The program lasts approximately 45 minutes.
Participants must be at least 8 years old and children under the age of 13 must be accompanied by a paying, participating adult (18 years or older). Participants must sign a waiver before the program begins, as this program visits slippery areas with animals in close proximity. Must be able to climb stairs.
Photography Policy at the Aquarium*
Paying guests are welcome to take pictures of their visit to the Virginia Aquarium in our public-facing areas. For those who wish to schedule a private photography or videography shoot, we offer after business hours options that will fit any need. All requests must be made at least two weeks in advance of your desired date. All photographers/videographers must carry insurance policies that adhere to the City of Virginia Beach minimum levels.
If you would like to use the Virginia Aquarium for a commercial or broadcast photography, videography, recording, or art project, please see the Private Events Fee Schedule for costs and
click here for the request form.
*Currently, we are not taking any requests.
Accessibility at the Aquarium
The Virginia Aquarium is pleased to welcome all people of all ability levels to enjoy our exhibits and animals. We are proud to be certified as Sensory Inclusive by KultureCity, an organization dedicated to helping locations become more inclusive of guests with sensory processing disorders. Additionally, we are proud to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Please see below for specific Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) information. If you have an accommodation request related to a disability, please email us at VAMSCGSO@virginiaaquarium.com or call (757) 385-FISH (3474).
Wheelchair Use
Guests are invited to use their personal manual or motorized wheelchair inside the Main Building and on the Nature Trail. Manual wheelchairs are available to borrow from Guest Services with a valid photo ID. For guests preparing to enjoy a Boat Trip, the boat dock and the boat are accessible for manual wheelchairs only. The captain and crew are happy to assist anyone needing to transfer from a motorized to a manual wheelchair for the trip.
Service Animals
The Aquarium allows service animals, as defined in Title II of the ADA, trained to assist guests with disabilities. Service animals must remain under the control of the owner or handler at all times while in the Aquarium buildings and on Aquarium grounds. If a service animal is out of control or poses a direct threat to the health or safety of staff, guests, or animals in the Aquarium exhibits, we may require the service animal be removed from the premises. In that circumstance Aquarium staff will work with all guests with disabilities to provide alternative accommodations.
Please note: Aquarium staff shall not be responsible for the care or maintenance of service animals while on Aquarium property. Therapy or comfort animals are not permitted in Aquarium buildings.
Admission for Guests with Disabilities
The Aquarium complies with ADA regulations, which includes a requirement to provide equal access to exhibits, programs, and services to individuals with disabilities. There are no special admission rates for guests with disabilities. Organizations that support people with disabilities may qualify for group rates if they arrange for a group visit in advance.
Caretaker Admissions
One caretaker is admitted at no charge if they are working with a guest who is visiting the Aquarium. A caretaker is defined as a required medical attendant without whom the guest could not tour the Aquarium. The disabled guest may request an additional caretaker be admitted at 50% of the regular admission.
Sensory Processing Disorders
The Virginia Aquarium is certified as Sensory Inclusive by KultureCity®. Guests with sensory processing disorders may prepare for their visit by reviewing the social story, available on the KultureCity app. Download the app for iPhone
here or for Android
here. Once on-site, the Virginia Aquarium has quiet zones, designated headphone zones, and resources including a bag that guests may check out upon their arrival. The bags include noise-canceling headphones, fidget toys, and feelings thermometers. To check out the bags, please visit our Guest Services Office, located to the right of the ticket counter. We also offer
Sensory Friendly Mornings the second Saturday of each month (2021) prior to the Aquarium opening to the general public.
