Visiting Virginia Beach with Kids  

In addition to its pristine beach and three-mile boardwalk Virginia Beach is perfect for family travel because it provides plenty of indoor and outdoor activities for kids and adults to enjoy together. As you finalize your itinerary, book your Virginia Beach hotel and prepare to pack, start getting excited about all the fun things to do with kids in Virginia Beach.

Bring your fishing rods

Whether your little ones are beginners or pros, they’ll get a thrill each time they cast a line into the Atlantic Ocean at the Virginia Beach fishing pier. Located on Fifteenth Street, the pier is open 24 hours a day from Memorial Day to Labor Day, and no fishing license is required. Call 757-428-2333 to get their fall and spring hours. Admission is $2; fishing fee is $10 for adults, $5 for children under age 12.

Snuggle up with dolphins

Get up close to marine life on a dolphin-sighting tour along the coastline.

The award-winning book The Dolphins of Shark Bay by Pamela S. Turner is a great read to prepare your kids for a dolphin-sighting tour. Then board a relaxing, 90-minute cruise to look for bottlenose dolphins and other marine wildlife along the Virginia Beach coastline. As you travel from Rudee Inlet to Cape Henry, an experienced and knowledgeable crew will narrate the trip, making sure you don’t miss a thing. The 65-foot-long, 28-foot-wide cruiser has a climate-controlled cabin, upper and lower decks for a 360-degree viewing range, a snack bar and a full adult beverage bar. Tours are $21 for adults, $16 for kids ages three to 11 and free for kids under three.

Buy some new shoes …

Ditch your beach sandals for tennis shoes. Then pay a visit to Virginia Beach Rock Gym, a state-of-the-art climbing facility featuring a climbing tower, boulders and a pro shop. Everyone in your family can tackle a 32-foot main wall, which features a rugged textured surface with realistic edges, corners and bulges. Older kids and adults will want to check out the Rappel Tower, where experts teach the important skills of safe rappelling, top belaying, ascending and basic self-rescue. Day passes are $12 for adults, $10 for kids ages 13 and under; additional fees for equipment rental.

… and take a pair of old ones

Head on over to Cullipher Farm, located on the Pungo Ridge in southern Virginia Beach, where you and the kids can pick strawberries, apples or pumpkins, depending on the time of year. The farm, which grows more than 250 varieties of vegetables and over 30 different fruits, is family-owned and operated by fourth- and fifth-generation Culliphers.

Explore your artistic side

The Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art has regularly changing exhibitions of painting, sculpture, photography, glass and other visual media. Photo Credit: Wayne White: Monitorium. Installation view at the Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art. Photo credit: Glen McClure

If it rains during your stay, don’t despair—sometimes the haziest of days inspire the most striking art. If your family is even the slightest bit artistic, schedule a trip (online, in advance) to the Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art. Younger kids can take a painting or drawing class, while teens may want to join a photography class or even attend one of the Teen Takeover Nights planned throughout the year. Some events are free; others have a small admission fee.