Our experience was slightly disappointing. We originally went here for the dolphin tour which we found out after we arrived that all tours were canceled. We did get a refund but was so disappointed. We ended up just enjoying the aquarium which is a beautiful aquarium. Their tanks are amazing! Took my 9&6 year old and we loved it. Tons of different fish to look at love the tunnel. I was very impressed by the size of tanks. Overall was a good experience

Such a different experience with COVID but still highly enjoyable, minus the mask requirement but, I understand the times .One thing I will say we enjoyed and hope they keep around is “scheduled” visits . It was nice to not have to fight through a crowd to see the exhibits . We love the updated areas and we do miss the touch tanks. They are still there, just now allowed to touch ... still kind of confused by that? But, either way even within this weird time, we still had a great day.Price is pretty steep, but... it felt worth it for all we saw.Will always go back

Charming little aquarium with impressive exhibits. They have some land animals such as komodo dragons and even a talking crow. With COVID, there are several restrictions, but you would be able to touch rays and a few other animals under normal conditions. No dinning options when we visited. Outside there is a short nature trail along with an adventure park. If you arent afraid of heights, you should definitely check it out. Overall, we enjoyed ourselves looking at reptiles, sharks, seals, and ocean and fresh water fish. Plenty of nice souvenirs for all ages also.

Nice place but I wouldn’t recommend visiting at this time. They require timed tickets but they sell out frequently. Also they set a pretty high limit for the timed tickets . So it was quite busy for a small place. Lastly somethings were closed due to covid.

The Virginia Aquarium and Marine Science Center has great collections and exhibits, and did a wonderful job of adapting the experience to be covid safe. Although the experience was definitely different than it would have been in the past, it was great. I never felt rushed, crowed, or unsafe. The animals are amazing and we interacted with many friendly and knowledgeable staff and volunteers. Highly recommend!

Great time. Social distancing was done well enough. Education was great and the staff were extremely knowledgeable. Kids had a blast and enjoyed all the exhibits. With COVID a lot of demos werent available due to them not wanting all the hands on it. Id suggest having instructors there so demonstrate instead. Overall a great time and would love to come back next year to see how it grows.

We had a great time. The staff are super sweet and eager to help and talk about the exhibits. The aquarium also has measures in place to protect against COVID.

This place is really awesome. A variety of species to look at. The talking crow was interesting. The ambience and give is awesome. Aquatic feeling. The dolphin show was a hit. Staff is really helpful and informative, you can ask them as many questions as you like and you get full co-operation.Highly recommended.

Great place to take the family oht for the day! During COVID they have blocks of time you can get tickets for. Most of the exhibits are still available but some are closed. We enjoyed it thoroughly!

Visited on a rainy day from hurricane Sally. For 2 adults $24.95, senior 62 and over $22.95. The reason I gave 3 stars is that Covid19 has effected some of the exhibits and there is no touch pools or giant screen theater and some other exhibits closed. Mask required whole visit & I would recommended it. All the adults had mask but, a few children did not have them and did touch exhibits, so use caution. The Aquarium Building was clean and all workers wore mask. Also, the visual care of the aquariums & aquatic life are healthy looking and well maintained. I would recommend to have a meal before as there wasnt a place to eat there (Covid19 - end of season assuming? ). You cannot leave and return at this time from the building exhibit and was informed of this at the start. This does, however, have some interesting tanks filled with a variety of fish & sharks. The kids that were there, with their parents, really enjoyed seeing the sharks and sea turtles in the hugh tanks. They have a nice gift store at the end of tour as well. We did do a walk-in to buy tickets and was able to get in. The ticket lady suggested to make reservations on line for future visits. I felt the price was a bit high for this place at this time, considering closed portions of Aquarium but, Covid19 has had an effect on many tourist places.

One of the beat place to visit in Virginia Beach, it has many varieties of eco system, amphibians, birds, sea ecosystem. Enjoyed a lot here. Allowed persons only by appointment slots, book your slot and enjoy the aquarium...

We really enjoyed our visit to the aquarium. Staff was very pleasant. Ticket time slots working very well here. We was able to take our time and not be rushed through the exhibits. I would like to see this kind of scheduling continue beyond the Covid issue.

This was a great experience for the entire family. Friendly, well laid out with an educational format and an attendant in each section/exhibit ready for questions and answers. It takes at least an hour to simply walk through, so plan accordingly. There are dolphin tours and behind the scenes tours also available.

Nice experience for all ages. It wasnt crowded due to their requirement for pre purchased timed tickets. The staff was friendly and knowledgeable.

I love this place because I love the stingrays here. Theyre friendly, cute, and have personality! They like to chase each other and wave to you. The staff is really good at answering questions and informing you things you dont think to ask. Like I didnt know the male stingrays had little hooks on them to stay close to the female!Due to covid, we couldnt pet them this time which made me pretty sad BUT this is still a good place for learning and seeing cute sea critters do cute things!

We took our Nieces and Nephews to the aquarium for a day out. Since COVID, they had been stuck on the farm, and it was time for a field trip. We had reservations for 12, but we were a bit late arriving at 12:45 due to life happening, but the staff was very accommodating. We had even purchased an extra ticket, but they were happy to refund even though the tickets listed no refunds or exchanges.They have done an outstanding job of dealing with COVID. There was hand sanitizer every 20 feet or so, and they limit the number of guests. I was disappointed to see the hands-on displays all out of commission, but I understand due to the current health issues.

First time going. Absolutely fabulous! Everyone was super friendly and informative.

The place was really clean and they had the floor marked for guest to distance during Covid. They have a cleaning crew that comes through during the visiting hours for extra cleaning. The shark tank was pretty impressive. My children loved the turtles and it was wonderful to be greeted by the playful seals at the front of the aquarium.

It was amazing. I enjoyed every second of it. Perfect place for any type of trip

I enjoyed the trip to the aquarium. I felt the facility and staff have dealt with the covid restrictions extremely well. Everything was clean, there were hand sanitizer stations throughout, and the spacing of entry times went well.The displays were great and the fish in them were numerous and varied in size and type. The tunnel was especially good!Well worth the trip!

Beautiful aquarium with different types of sea animals. Kids enjoyed it the only thing is it couldve been longer and have other marine life but overall very nice. I did not do the dolphin boat tour but is also an option for a separate cost

Love this place! Sucked for my kiddo that you cant touch the stingrays right now due to Covid.

Had a great time, wasnt completely blown away but the staff were AMAZING and knew their stuff making it much more exciting. I would recommend bringing kids here theyll love it.

All the staff was knowledgeable and friendly. Visits were scheduled to more easily monitor attendance and enforce social distancing. Also great exhibits! We wished they had an octopus exhibit.

It was nice and quiet. The team members were very friendly and knowledgeable. We were in and out in about an hour.

I have a service dog to help with my disabilities and and I didnt have any access problems. They asked the appropriate and legal questions, and it was his first time ever seeing anything like it and the workers understood that hes going to make mistakes. 10/10 recommended. Best day ever!

Good place to visit with the kids. It keeps them occupied and engaged. They love to see the exhibits. It takes anywhere between 1.5 to 2 hours to cover aquarium. We were little disappointed since our dolphin boat ride were cancelled.

Normally very good. They have touch tanks and interactive exhibits. There are boat tours where you get to see whales feeding and dolphins swim by. Love the location and big picture windows. The adventure park part is very cool too!

I absolutely loved this place!!! There were so many cute animals there and the outdoor areas were really nice too. 10/10 would come back if I have the chance!

Our family loved it! The exhibits were done so nicely and detailed. I wish it was a little bigger

Kids had a great time seeing the animals. The gift shop was probably the cheapest Ive ever seen, ever - I was able to get so many things to remember our vacation! There was a family, like an entire family lol, who didnt have on their masks, had their 12 kids running back and forth between our distanced group and their mob, and took up so many exhibits at a time that we just got mad and had to skip the entire tunnel experience because they created a huge line of socially distanced people waiting just to pass them up. There should have been more staff between exhibits to enforce masks and distancing. But Im just glad I got to take a photo with my favorite animal.

This place was very fun! The stuff they have is very cool and interesting! Like the Komodo Dragons!

I love that social distance measures are put in place, there was hand sanitizer at all entrance. Although there were some displays that were close. The over all experience was nice. I loved it.

My kids loved it. I had a good time also

Everyone always has a great time. Great mental and physical exercise for children (and adults) of all ages.

This is the place to bring your family and get your shark and fish fix. From the beautiful aquariums that house fish and sharks to the petting section for stingrays this place is awesome. The best part is the tunnel aquarium that houses a few sharks and reef fish, the coral is beautiful and getting a below the surface look for little ones is magical. This place is great for the family, or even just researching aquatic life.

The kids had A-blast. It was sad that covid19 prevented some of the interactive features to be closed but the kids still had a great time.

Great place to take the kids. Displays are well marked and the volunteers and employees knowledgeable. We went the second week after reopening during the pandemic and they seemed to be doing all they good to make it safe and enjoyable. There were a few people not adhering to the mask rule (though they had one with them) and I was disappointed the employees (not volunteers) didnt say anything to them. -1 star. Otherwise a great experience and certainly a place to visit because, lets be honest, were all ready to get away from our houses for a while.

Enjoyed all the exhibits and learning opportunities. We were here at low tide so got to see all the crabs. Highly recommend.

Even with the hands on exhibits closed, and the inconsiderate self-absorbed idiots that didnt seem to comprehend the six feet rule, nor control their troglodyte children- My son and I still had a really good time. The aquarium has lots to see and learn. The staff was super friendly and helpful. Everything was very clean. I liked that there were hand sanitizers all over the place. I will definitely be going back.

One amazing place almost on par with Baltimore aquarium but Covid definitely has made it less special as alot exhibits are not in service.Very overpriced for how much covid19 rules has ruined the experience

Lovely relaxing place to take the kids, even adults get a good thrill. Would definitely visit again.

World class says it all. The variety of Life on display is wonderful but for me the most outstanding feature was the enticingly educational information. The staff and volunteers were knowledgeable and genuinely friendly.Perfect for adults and a delight for youth.

Great place, lots to see. We had a good time and would definitely come back ️

Awesome! Brought my daughter here for her birthday and she loved ever moment of it! A bit pricey but you get what you pay for. It was a great afternoon.

We had a great time at the aquarium! Max was very informative, friendly and seemed to really enjoy working there, she is an asset to the establishment. The kids loved our visit.

Visited the aquarium this week and enjoyed our time. It is smaller than expected and we got thru it in about an hour. After we finished, we spent time on the Nature Trail which was really nice! Without all the demonstrations and events taking up time, it seems like you can get through a lot faster than normal.

We love it! We did the aquarium tour and also the tour to see the dolphins! All very nice and friendly people!

Small business but super great! I found a try scuba for two on Groupon and it was a great deal! They provided everything you needed except a towel and swimwear. The instructor (Luke) is a fun but hardworking guy who wants you to be safe and have the most fun during your time! I would recommend this to anyone!!!

This tarpon has been here since 86. The same year this establishment opened and my first elementary field trip. Fun facts.

A great place to visit year-round with family or solo. There really is something for everyone from some great large tanks that you can just sit and watch to hand-on touch exhibits and scientific displays with great content that is really educational. There is a huge outdoor area and boat rides that are available if you are interested in more than the aquarium. You could easily spend the whole day if you wanted between all that is there. I fully recommend an annual membership for locals.

Apparently kids LOVE fish! Every child got excited over the fish lol wish there were more animals. Purchase tickets ahead of time for the scheduled time or you will be disappointed. They allot a certain number for each time, you go through once(cant revisit anything). They take pics upon entry (for purchase upon exit) which are reasonably priced on cool backgrounds.

Its a nice aquarium. Ive been spoiled by the Boston Aquarium, but this is a real nice place. Amidst COVID, they have taken many precautions to ensure the health of everyone. The place is super clean inside & out. Staff is helpful, friendly & informative. Id go again & recommend it.

Best part is probably the underwater glass tunnel. Pretty cool sharks, too

Always a fun place to visit. Traveling the predetermined one-way/ follow the leader style during the pandemic, made our trip feel a bit rushed but we still had fun.

We usually have a great time at the Aquarium but this time, unfortunately, we did not. We booked a spot online (a Sunday @ 2:30) for our visit and this was a great sign that physical distancing wasn’t going to be a problem. We were wrong. We have never been here and seen it so crowded in our 16 years of living here. My daughter has a panic disorder and we were so crowded in by people, I had to frequently take her aside to a corner to get her out of the crowd to calm down. We thought the aquarium would be a relaxing experience because it usually is. It was a terrible encounter for her. There were no employees enforcing any physical distancing rules or suggestions. Quite a disappoint considering many of the exhibits were closed due to Covid so it seemed like there had been some attempt to mitigate the spread. Just not limiting the amount of people allowed inside the aquarium. Although one employee at the very 1st exhibit asked someone to please wear their mask properly. We usually see lots of employees throughout but we didn’t. Only at the front, the stingray tank, and horseshoe crab tank. I would have hoped that more employees would have been scattered around to help crowd control, considering we paid the usual price for less open exhibits, less helpful employees, and more guests packed into small spaces.

Very enjoyable visit. Only reason that I didnt give it 5 stars was because I wished that it was a little longer for the price. I sometimes dont enjoy aquariums because of the crowds, but the way that they do reservations by time now really helps. Nice way to spend a couple of hours at VA Beach.

We bought a membership here because our 16 month old loves it so much. They have some wonderful exhibits and it provides a wonderful experience. However, I wish staff was more diligent on making sure (adults mostly) were wearing their masks indoors and wearing them properly. I saw a few people not wearing them and staff never said anything about it to them.

I really liked the aquariums and seeing all the different fish. The one exhibit with the eagle rays or manta rays swimming above your head is amazing. We really enjoyed the shark tank too. I havent ever seen a shark in real life so that was pretty neat. They are scary but I think they also enjoyed the attention, well at least one of them did. It kept swimming up and around in front of the window. There were various lizards, frogs, and turtles as well. At the entrance there ate a couple seals or sea lions not sure what they are called exactly. They were really cool. All in all it wad a good time. Except they didnt tell us closing time was at six and sold us tickets at five so we had to rush through. An hour isnt enough time so make sure you go earlier. Just wanted to say thank you to Skylar, I hope I spelled it right, for taking time to give my daughter an extra special gift. You made her day.

They are reserving time slots so its not packed for social distancing but it was also amazing because I have anxiety! I started having a panic attack at one point and it was nice that it wasnt crowded so I could step aside and calm down. The animals and exhibits were wonderful!

We always enjoy the Virginia Aquarium. The staff is polite, knowledgeable, and helpful. Love the animals and exhibits. Its well worth the drive and for us its almost 2 hours one way.

My wife and I took our granddaughter there and needless to say she absolutely loved it

I love the fact that the people working with the animals take the time to tell folks a bit about them. We got to see a horseshoe crab getting ready to molt, and the employees at the touch pool were more than happy to answer all questions about the process!

Its a cool place but not really worth the money, I would rather go to Baltimore aquarium, much more to see there.

I had a good time on vacation with the Family. It is kinda expensive but its worth it for the kids to see all the cool exhibits

Disappointed in how much is roped off that you can’t do because of COVID-19- I think they should reduce their admission prices accordingly- I have been at this center numerous times in the last 28 years- and I was so disappointed in my grandson’s first experience there 2 weeks ago- but I love the place and people regardless!

Fun. Even though a lot of things were closed due to Covid, we enjoyed the time there. The staff was well versed and they knew the animals well. Would highly recommend this!

What a wonderful place to visit, I hadnt been in years. Purchased tickets last night and throughly enjoyed the walk through and pictures.

I really enjoyed the aquarium but that interaction with Chelsea really overshadowed the fun I was having because I was trying to figure out why this employee felt the need to exclude us from the greeting and conversation. I would go back when everything opens up and by then I hope someone has given Chelsea some diversity and inclusion training.

I loved this aquarium the first time I was there 18 years ago. A lot of things were closed due to pandemic, they were hands on/interactive exhibits. Place was clean everyone was wearing masks...if you were not wearing a mask they ask you to please put one on, if you have one. If you do not have one they will give you one. Hand sanitizer by all exhibits. No food or drink stations open. Bathrooms were very clean. They had an attendant clean every stall and sink after each use. Not a bad trip. Usually took minimum of 3 hours to go through but this time about an hour.

Staff have done a wonderful job in keeping guests safe during the pandemic. Entrance is timed, just reserve your timed tickets online. Touch pools are closed for touching, but are open for viewing, with educators stationed to answer questions and provide interesting facts.It took us a little above an hour to complete the one way path through the exhibits, if you have impatient little kids it might be less.

This was actually one of the most fun, interesting, and memorable places Ive ever visited. I nerded out with my girlfriend for 3 hours and we honestly couldve probably stayed longer. Even in the midst of a pandemic, the staff were really informative and the exhibits were very interesting. I can say with absolute certainty that this should be a stop on any vacation trip. 5/5 easy dubs.

This place needs lots of maintenance but I understand that the times are tough. It is very much worth being a yearly member if you plan on visiting more than twice in the year.

I had the pleasure of visiting the aquarium prior to quarantine and the whole coronavirus pandemic. Such a treat! I’ll definitely be revisiting when everything reopens.

Good representation of the cycle of water, making its way to the ocean. Explanations on some displays are sparse.

Great we love it ..kids had a wonderful time

AWESOME TIMECant wait until COVID-19 is done

Really great experience, The staff were very friendly!

Not too bad of an experience, was expecting more. Probably would be better if there was no pandemic, some activities were closed because of it

Our daughter had a blast. Have done the private tour with my wife and loved that even more. Always a fun time.

Despite several features being closed due to Covid-19, we enjoyed our tour. The staff was friendly and helpful.

Tickets were sold out when we got there, but the staff was super nice and explained everything. We ended up buying tickets for the next day and it was well worth it. I highly recommend this aquarium.

Great place to take kids, my child always loves going here. One of the buildings is currently closed for renovations and the other building has some exhibits closed due to covid 19, but it was still a fun time.

Good aquarium. They have some very informative displays. It is laid out well. Definitely not at the level of the Baltimore aquarium, but decent.

Nice exhibits. Had sharks, stingrays and Harbor Seals. Was a little limited due to Covid, but worth the trip if you are in to fish and coastal habitat.

The aquarium really is beautiful. They have a nature walk as well, which i highly recommend. Its worth the stop, especially if you have children.

Very well maintained and following phenomenal covid practices.

Well managed kid friendly place. Everyone is nice and is peaceful.

This place is FUN no matter your age! I went not sure what to expect & really enjoyed my visit from the harbor seals who greet you as you walk into the building to the adventure trail for a leisurely walk after you’ve seen the indoor exhibits. The stingray pool was amazing & recommended for everyone. Well worth the admission, definitely will go back.

The kids loved it. We will definitely be going back

The Aquarium was a terrific experience. The workers were very helpful.

Not the best aquarium Ive been but still fun to visit. Similar to the aquarium in Chicago but they have boat tour and IMAX movie. animal talk show are available and you can touch the Ray if you want. Cafe is available and free pretzel coupon is provided if u buy the bundle. Great place for pictures and the tunnel is beautiful. fun and educational, worth a stop.

It was nice though only lasted 45 minutes. It was worth doing but wish there were more exhibits. There was a overhead tank which was pretty cool as a shark and stingray swam overhead.

With current Covid laws its hard to visit all of the Aquarium, however its still worth the visit. I unfortunately only seen 2 sea turtles and a few sharks. They also have all touch tanks and areas shut down, along with machines that are touch.

Super fun and covid accommodating . My 2 year old loved this too

Visited as a kid and came back 13 years later and spent the night in the aquarium. Hands down the best aquarium in Virginia.

Loved the aquarium, really enjoyed the visit. It wasnt that busy, Even though they didnt presentations it was still a very enjoyable experience.

A little pricey for such a small aquarium but it was nice. Took less than an hour to do the whole interior portion of the aquarium.

Overall a very good aquarium. It was not busy when visiting in the shoulder season which made seeing the exhibits efficient and interesting since you could see. Parking was also easy this way. There are a few hands on areas for children which is good. Overall a good variety of live species exhibits and static educational exhibits, some dated however. 4.5 stars overall.

Loved the entire experience! Great place to take the family. Beautiful and educational.