# Things to do in Virginia Beach **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 5, 2013, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-to-do-in-virginia-beach/657511 "2013-05-05T00:53:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Dr.Girlfriend](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.girlfriend/32/193_2.png) [@Dr.Girlfriend](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Girlfriend)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2013, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-to-do-in-virginia-beach/657511/1 "2013-05-05T00:53:30Z")
I’m going to be in the Virginia Beach area later on this month. We’ve got about two days to kill while we’re there. I’ve never been there, boyfriend was there once about 25 years ago. Any suggestions on things to do (besides laying on the beach!), places to eat? ---
**Author:** ![BrassyPhrase](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ea666f/32.png) [@BrassyPhrase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrassyPhrase)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2013, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-to-do-in-virginia-beach/657511/2 "2013-05-06T02:22:31Z")
I went here several years ago. > **[Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center - Homepage](https://www.virginiaaquarium.com)** > > With thousands of animals and amazing hands-on exhibits, the Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center has gallons of fun for everyone. Experience Komodo dragons, sea turtles, and more. Plan your special event in an underwater world. Embark on a Boat... It was really neat. Plus had one of my favorite “Omg, DAD!” stories. We were looking a freshwater local wildlife tank and this sweet little old lady docent came up and asked if we had any questions. My dad said, “No, I was just thinking…I think I’ve eaten everything ya’ll have in this tank.” I thought she was going to faint. But it was very nice. Lots of animals and very informative. ---
**Author:** ![Lanzy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/74df32/32.png) [@Lanzy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lanzy)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2013, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-to-do-in-virginia-beach/657511/3 "2013-05-06T04:26:54Z")
Just laying on t…oh NM ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2013, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-to-do-in-virginia-beach/657511/4 "2013-05-06T17:01:03Z")
When I saw the thread title, I thought that surely I could come up with something. Then I realized it’s been 25 years since I moved out of that corner of Virginia. But I was still able to come up with something, at least if you enjoy disc golf: they’ve got a pretty decent course at [Bayville Farms Park](http://www.vbgov.com/government/departments/parks-recreation/parks-trails/city-parks/pages/bayville-farms-park.aspx), where I used to kill the occasional afternoon. It’s well away from the beach proper, so if you’re there on a weekday, it shouldn’t be at all crowded. ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2013, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-to-do-in-virginia-beach/657511/5 "2013-05-06T17:09:42Z")
I spent the summer there in 1989. Let’s see, what did I do? Oh yeah, I got a job on the breakfast shift at Mr. Zero subway shop. Got off work at 2:00. Spent the afternoon lying on the beach. Spent the evenings flirting with the college girls. I guess that’s not much help huh? In fact on my days off, my buddies and I left VA Beach. We went to King’s Island amusement park or drove down to the NC islands and Kitty Hawk. ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2013, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-to-do-in-virginia-beach/657511/6 "2013-05-06T18:32:55Z")
Christian Broadcasting Network/Regent University Edgar Cayce’s Association of Research and Enlightenment Can’t say that’s not a large cultural spectrum! ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2013, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-to-do-in-virginia-beach/657511/7 "2013-05-06T18:58:06Z")
Biking along the boardwalk is fun, there is a dedicated paved 2-lane bike path, it’s several miles from end to end. There are plenty of places to rent bikes along the way. ---
**Author:** ![davekhps](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a5b964/32.png) [@davekhps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davekhps)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2013, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-to-do-in-virginia-beach/657511/8 "2013-05-06T20:00:28Z")
In Virginia Beach proper, the aforementioned aquarium. First Landing park is nice. Group fishing boat is a fun few hours. Nearby: – Hampton Roads Naval Museum in Norfolk. See the USS Wisconsin. – Mariner’s Museum. See the USS Monitor. – Fort Monroe – Colonial Williamsburg – Jamestown (in addition to the park site, there’s a museum/touristy recreation that isn’t as bad as those things usually are) – Yorktown – Busch Gardens for an amusement park Dining: In Virginia Beach, I like Hot Tuna, Catch 31, and Mahi Mah’s. For breakfast you can’t beat Pocahontas chocolate chip pancakes, although pack some spare insulin :-). ---
**Author:** ![robert\_columbia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e79b87/32.png) [@robert\_columbia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robert_columbia)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2013, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-to-do-in-virginia-beach/657511/9 "2013-05-07T16:14:13Z")
There’s a Coast Guard museum on the boardwalk. There is an exhibit about a famous (late-1800’s?) shipwreck just off the coast and lots of information on how the rescue services worked in Virginia Beach in days gone by. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2013, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-to-do-in-virginia-beach/657511/10 "2013-05-07T16:21:38Z")
A little further inland, the Norfolk Botanical Garden, next to the airport, is one of the world’s finest. ---
**Author:** ![corkboard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@corkboard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/corkboard)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2013, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-to-do-in-virginia-beach/657511/11 "2013-05-07T18:27:35Z")
Dining, high end: Waterman’s. Great seafood, somewhat pricey. Dining, low end: Big Sam’s. Great seafood, $1 cans of PBR. ---
**Author:** ![Lukeinva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lukeinva/32/17872_2.png) [@Lukeinva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lukeinva)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2013, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-to-do-in-virginia-beach/657511/12 "2013-05-07T18:43:41Z")
Take the bridge-tunnel north to Cape Charles. Eat at [Sting-Rays.](http://www.cape-center.com/sting-rays-cape-charles-menu/dinner.html) Yep it is a gas station but don’t let that fool you. The fishermen sell their daily catch (which is only listed on the daily blackboard) and it is verrry good. Cape Charles is where the ferry used to run from the delmarva peninsula to Norfolk. On the tip of the bay (the mouth of the bay) it’s really nice. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Girlfriend](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.girlfriend/32/193_2.png) [@Dr.Girlfriend](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Girlfriend)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2013, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-to-do-in-virginia-beach/657511/13 "2013-05-08T02:21:56Z")
Thanks for the suggestions, everyone! The aquarium sounds great, and boyfriend is ex-military so he might want to check out the Coast Guard museum. I have a feeling we’re gonna be eating a lot of seafood!