Virginia Beach offers a variety of tourist attractions, including the Cape Henry Lighthouse, Ferry Plantation, Ocean Breeze Waterpark, and the Virginia Aquarium and Marine Science Center. There is something for everyone to enjoy, from history to water fun and ecology.
If your vacation travels take you through Virginia Beach, Virginia, be prepared to spend some quality time there. The thing is, the city offers a wide variety of things you’ll want to see and do. Vacationers to Virginia Beach will find something for even the most discerning and weary of tastes and preferences. Here are some examples of tourist attractions in Virginia Beach that you shouldn’t miss.
One of the best surviving lighthouses in the country is located in Virginia Beach. The Cape Henry Lighthouse began service in the aftermath of the Revolutionary War and served faithfully as a beacon for mariners along the Virginia coast through much of the 19th century. After a routine inspection revealed potentially dangerous cracks in the foundation and first floor walls, a newer structure replaced the Old Cape Henry Lighthouse in the 19th.
However, the older structure continued to be a focal point for people traveling by water. Located on the Fort Story Army Base, the lighthouse is open for tours and now houses a museum and gift shop on the lower level. A popular Virginia Beach tourist attraction, kids of all ages will be able to step back in time amidst the modern look of the military base.
Another example of colonial life can be found at Ferry Plantation, established in 1642. Originally developed by Adam Thoroughgood as a means to connect various plantations using the waterways of the time, the site once housed the Third Princess Anne Courthouse, which was built in 1735. Later, a manor house was built on the property, but it was destroyed in a fire. The current Ferry Plantation home, built in 1830, used a number of bricks salvaged from earlier structures. As one of Virginia Beach’s top tourist attractions, the plantation house is open Tuesdays and Thursdays, it’s free.
If your family is in the mood for some refreshing Virginia Beach tourist attractions, there’s always Ocean Breeze Waterpark. With sixteen waterslides and nineteen acres of pools, playgrounds, and plenty of splashing opportunities, the Ocean Breeze is just a couple miles south of the oceanfront. Restaurants and plenty of places to set up a picnic make this water park an ideal setting for a fun day out with the family.
For indoor tourist attractions in Virginia Beach that still have a touch of the ocean, there’s always the Virginia Aquarium and Marine Science Center, located on General Booth Boulevard. As one of Virginia Beach’s most popular tourist attractions, the Aquarium boasts over 800,000 gallons of aquarium space. The Coastal River Room offers the chance to see free-roaming birds and turtles, while the largest of the aquariums offers a snapshot of Chesapeake Bay’s marine life, with stingrays and horseshoe crabs included among a variety of fish.
Virginia Beach tourist attractions are numerous and very easy to find. From water fun to history to learning more about the ecology of the area, there’s something for everyone to enjoy.
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