Changing Exhibits
Cats & Dogs
January 20, 2019- September 2, 2019
Special Aquarium Member Opening: January 19, 2019
For thousands of years, people have lived with cats and dogs, but what do we actually know about these incredible animals? What super powers do they have hidden? Cats & Dogs, will help you learn even more about your favorite furry friends.
Cats & Dogs offers a sensory and interactive journey by allowing you to put yourself in an animal's place. You will learn about their behavior and actions through the fun of games and simulations!
Cats & Dogs was created by Cité des Sciences et de l'Industrie, in partnership with Musée de la civilisation, and is produced by Imagine Exhibitions.
Major Exhibits
Main Building
- Harbor Seals
- Restless Planet:
- Komodo Dragons
- Red Sea Tunnel
- Tomistoma Crocodiles
- Light Tower Aquarium with sea turtles
- Norfolk Canyon Aquarium featuring sharks
- Ray Touch Pool
- Chesapeake Bay Aquarium
South Building*
*The South Building is currently closed for renovations. To learn more about what you can expect when the building reopens, please visit our blog here.
Nature Trail
Enjoy this 1/3 mile walk along scenic Owls Creek. With outlook posts and sweeping views of the protected salt marsh, the Nature Trail is a beautiful walk through the woods.
Oyster Reef
Oysters provide a valuable resource to the marine environment, improving the water quality and serving as a protective habitat for juvenile fish and other animals.
In mid-2015, a demonstration oyster reef was created at the Aquarium and stocked with over 18,000 juvenile oysters raised by Old Donation Center School, Princess Anne Middle School, and New Castle Elementary School. The oyster reef includes an intertidal section with 30 feet of natural oyster shell, 30 feet of oyster castles, and 30 feet of undisturbed mud flat, as well as a large subtidal section of natural shell bounded by a fringing reef of mounded shells.
You can see our oyster reef, which also offers a unique educational experience, from the scenic overlook on the Nature Trail.
Special thanks to the
Rudee Inlet Foundation for funding the oyster reef project, and to
Lynnhaven River Now and the Crystal Club for their help and support with design and installation.
