JT's Grommet Island Park
JT's Grommet Island Park is a park in Oceanfront, Virginia Beach, best for children and adults with mobility or sensory needs, families mixing beach and playground time, south-end Boardwalk days.
The first 100% accessible oceanfront park of its kind in America: 15,000 square feet of playground built directly on the beach at 2nd Street and the Boardwalk. Poured-in-place surfacing and wood-polymer decking carry wheelchairs from the Boardwalk right out over the sand, where raised sand tables let kids build castles at an accessible height, a hand-operated scoop lets a person in a wheelchair dig in the sand, and a sensory board serves children who are autistic or visually impaired. Sculptural dolphins, a surfboard, and a wave complete a playground where the accessibility is the design, not an add-on.
- Free
- Family Friendly
- Wheelchair Accessible
Amenities
- 100% accessible beachfront playground (15,000 sq ft)
- Raised sand tables and wheelchair-operated sand scoop
- Sensory board
- Poured-in-place surfacing and decking onto the sand
- Sculptural dolphin, surfboard, and wave features
- Shaded seating areas
Know Before You Go
- Best for: children and adults with mobility or sensory needs, families mixing beach and playground time, south-end Boardwalk days
- Parking: Paid parking at the 2nd Street lot and nearby Rudee Loop area; resort-area rates apply and lots fill on summer weekends.
- Accessibility: Fully wheelchair accessible by design — entrances, surfacing, decking to seating areas, raised sand play, and sensory features throughout.
- Dogs: not allowed — Resort-beach rules apply at 2nd Street: no dogs on the sand Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend; leashed dogs allowed on the adjacent Boardwalk 6 a.m.–7 p.m. Off-season, dogs may join on the beach.
- Location: Boardwalk at 2nd St, on the sand at the Oceanfront, Virginia Beach, VA
Last verified 2026-07-10.
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While You're in the Area
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Beatles-themed pub a block off the beach at 22nd Street — 42 taps, live music, a dog-friendly patio, and a Monday military discount.
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- Outdoor Seating
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Two-boat Rudee Inlet charter operation — The Flat Line and The Game On — running inshore, nearshore, and offshore deep-sea trips around the clock.
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Upcoming Events Nearby
Neptune's Coastal Craft Beer Festival
August 15, 2026 · annual
The Neptune Festival's 11th annual beer afternoon takes over 31st Street Park with more than 60 beers from around 30 breweries, heavy on the coastal Virginia scene. Two bands play through the 3–8pm session and local food trucks handle the eating. It's a compact, single-day festival — an easy add-on to a mid-August beach day, a block off the boardwalk at Neptune's Park.
Coastal Edge East Coast Surfing Championships
August 23, 2026 – August 30, 2026 · annual
The world's oldest continuously running surfing competition returns for its 64th year, turning the south end of the Oceanfront — from the 1st Street Jetty up to 10th Street — into a week-long surf carnival. More than 850 competitors surf pro and amateur divisions, including a WSL qualifying event, while the beach fills out with skate and BMX demos, live music, and tournament games. It's the anchor event of late summer at the beach and the best week of the year to watch serious surfing at the 1st Street break.
Virginia Beach Funk Fest Beach Party
August 28, 2026 – August 29, 2026 · annual
A free two-day beach party on the Oceanfront closing out August with funk, R&B, and soul acts on the sand. Part of the official Beach Events season, Funk Fest draws a big, dance-heavy crowd to the resort beach for one of the last major music weekends before Labor Day — no ticket needed, just claim a patch of sand.