Museums: Attractions in Virginia Beach
From the Virginia Aquarium to surf-history and art museums — Virginia Beach's indoor days, sorted.
Listings
All attractionsAtlantic Wildfowl Heritage Museum at the de Witt CottageHidden Gem
Built in 1895 as a wedding gift from Bernard Peabody Holland — Virginia Beach's first mayor — to his bride, the de Witt Cottage is the oldest remaining private…
Brock Environmental CenterHidden Gem
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…
Edgar Cayce's A.R.E. (Association for Research and Enlightenment)Hidden Gem
At 67th Street and Atlantic Avenue, a few blocks past the hotels of the Resort Strip, sits the world headquarters of the Association for Research and…
Miyazaki Japanese Garden
Tucked inside 97-acre Red Wing Park, this traditional Japanese garden grew out of Virginia Beach's 1992 sister-city relationship with Miyazaki, Japan — a bond…
Old Coast Guard StationHidden Gem
Wedged between Boardwalk high-rises at 24th Street sits a small 1903 Life-Saving Station — the Old Coast Guard Station, a museum on the National Register of…
Princess Anne County Training School/Union Kempsville High School MuseumHidden Gem
Housed inside the Renaissance Academy, this Virginia Beach History Museums site preserves the story of Princess Anne County Training School, the first high…
Seashore Cathedral (Rudee Walkway Murals)Hidden Gem
Italian-born artist Giuseppe Percivati, known as Pepe Gaka, painted the support columns of the Rudee Walkway underpass with geometric, stained-glass-style…
Stravitz Sculpture & Fine Art GalleryHidden Gem
A 7,000-square-foot gallery on Laskin Road showing sculpture, paintings, quilts, and fine jewelry from local, national, and international artists, alongside…
The Wave (Laskin Gateway Sculpture)
A 35-foot stainless steel sculpture by Indianapolis artist Jeff Laramore rises out of a 35-foot-wide reflecting pool inside the Laskin Road roundabout, marking…
ViBe Creative District Mural WalkHidden Gem
A free, self-guided open-air gallery spread across the ViBe Creative District's streets, fences, and sidewalks: large-scale wall murals, the rotating community…
Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center
The Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center is Virginia Beach's single biggest indoor attraction — a two-building campus on the banks of Owl Creek, just off…
Virginia Beach Art Center — Home of the Artists GalleryHidden Gem
Housed in the landmark 'Purple Building' at 17th Street inside the ViBe Creative District, the Virginia Beach Art Center combines a public gallery, working…
Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art (Virginia MOCA)
Virginia MOCA is the region's contemporary art museum, and in April 2026 it opened a brand-new building on the Virginia Wesleyan University campus off Wesleyan…