Brock Environmental Center
Brock Environmental Center is a attraction in Bayside, Virginia Beach, best for sustainability and architecture fans, birders and nature walkers, pairing with a Pleasure House Point visit.
The Chesapeake Bay Foundation's Brock Environmental Center is one of the most sustainable buildings in the world — holding both LEED Platinum and full Living Building Challenge certification, the first structure in Virginia to do so — and it doubles as a genuinely interesting stop for anyone curious how a net-zero-energy, net-zero-water building actually works. Elevated 14 feet above sea level as a climate-resilience prototype, the center sits at Pleasure House Point on the Lynnhaven River, where its Oyster Path exhibit explains CBF's oyster-restoration work and connects directly to the public Pleasure House Point Trail system. Guided green-building tours run by request (call ahead); the center's education programs also use the Macon and Joan Brock Classroom for school groups. Limited public hours, roughly Tuesday-Thursday 8:30am-5pm — call before visiting.
- Hidden Gem
Amenities
- Guided green-building tours (call ahead)
- Oyster Path exhibit trail
- Adjacent Pleasure House Point Trail access
- Macon and Joan Brock Classroom
Know Before You Go
- Best for: sustainability and architecture fans, birders and nature walkers, pairing with a Pleasure House Point visit
- Parking: Free on-site lot at 3663 Marlin Bay Dr, including ADA spaces.
- Accessibility: ADA parking on-site; the building was purpose-built with universal design. Call (757) 622-1964 to confirm current tour accessibility.
- Dogs: not allowed
- Location: 3663 Marlin Bay Dr, Virginia Beach, VA 23455, at Pleasure House Point, Virginia Beach, VA
Last verified 2026-07-10.
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Upcoming Events Nearby
Lynnhaven River NOW Oyster Roast
May 1, 2027 · annual (first Saturday in May)
Lynnhaven River NOW's signature fundraiser turns the waterfront lawn at the Brock Environmental Center into an all-you-can-eat oyster roast, marking the nonprofit's multi-decade push to bring the Lynnhaven's namesake oyster back from near-collapse. Roasted and raw oysters pulled from the restoration reefs anchor the spread, backed by barbecue, local beer and spirits, live music, and a shucking contest, with proceeds funding the group's oyster-reef and water-quality restoration work. It's a rare chance to eat Lynnhaven oysters within sight of the reefs that grew them, at a bayfront green building a few minutes off Shore Drive.
Town Center Summer Fest Music Series
May 22, 2026 – September 7, 2026 · seasonal (nightly concerts, late May-early September)
The Central Business District Association's free concert series takes over Town Center's Fountain Plaza most nights from late May through early September, with cover bands, tribute acts, and local musicians playing against the backdrop of the plaza's high-rises. Restaurants ringing the plaza put out sidewalk seating within earshot of the stage, turning a weeknight downtown into an impromptu outdoor show. It's the closest thing Virginia Beach's inland downtown has to the Oceanfront's summer concert culture -- free, walkable, and parked in the Town Center garages rather than beach lots.
Autumn in the Air
November 7, 2026 · annual
A newer addition to the city's Parks & Recreation calendar, this single-day fall festival takes over Mount Trashmore Park with folk, americana, and rock bands on an outdoor stage, food and drink for purchase, and activities scattered across the lakefront lawn. Now in its third year, it's grown into the city's answer to a proper autumn street festival without the Oceanfront crowds -- bring a lawn chair or blanket, since tents and large coolers aren't allowed in the event area. Free admission and parking make it an easy afternoon add for anyone already in Kempsville.