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 Cottage
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…
- Hidden Gem
- Family Friendly
Brock Environmental Center
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…
- Hidden Gem
Edgar Cayce's A.R.E. (Association for Research and Enlightenment)
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…
- Free
- Hidden Gem
- Quiet & Peaceful
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…
- Free
- Free Parking
- Quiet & Peaceful
Old Coast Guard Station
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…
- Hidden Gem
Princess Anne County Training School/Union Kempsville High School Museum
Housed inside the Renaissance Academy, this Virginia Beach History Museums site preserves the story of Princess Anne County Training School, the first high…
- Free
- Hidden Gem
Seashore Cathedral (Rudee Walkway Murals)
Italian-born artist Giuseppe Percivati, known as Pepe Gaka, painted the support columns of the Rudee Walkway underpass with geometric, stained-glass-style…
- Free
- Hidden Gem
Stravitz Sculpture & Fine Art Gallery
A 7,000-square-foot gallery on Laskin Road showing sculpture, paintings, quilts, and fine jewelry from local, national, and international artists, alongside…
- Free
- Hidden Gem
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…
- Free
- Wheelchair Accessible
ViBe Creative District Mural Walk
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…
- Free
- Family Friendly
- Hidden Gem
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…
- Family Friendly
Virginia Beach Art Center — Home of the Artists Gallery
Housed in the landmark 'Purple Building' at 17th Street inside the ViBe Creative District, the Virginia Beach Art Center combines a public gallery, working…
- Free
- Hidden Gem
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…