Virginia Living Museum
Virginia Living Museum
4.5
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
About
View endangered red wolves. Get up close to a loggerhead turtle and moon jellies. See fish with no eyes and frogs that change colors. Touch live spider crabs and fossilized dinosaur tracks. It's all at the Virginia Living Museum, Newport News, where living exhibits depict Virginia's natural heritage from the mountains to the sea. Experience a steamy cypress swamp and cool mountain cove. Explore the underwater world of the Chesapeake Bay and the underground realm of a limestone cave. See flying squirrels, stingrays and other creatures of the night. Touch famous Bay creatures. Kids will especially enjoy the Touch Tank with its sea stars and horseshoe crabs. Enjoy hands-on activities. See spectacular views of the sun from the observatory and travel the universe in the state-of-the-art digital planetarium. Outdoors, stroll the boardwalk to view coastal birds, beavers, otters, coyotes, endangered red wolves and other animals in naturalized habitats. Butterfly Garden, Virginia Garden and landscape plantings display one of the most extensive displays of native plants in Virginia. Learn how to live, build and garden green in the Conservation Garden and Green Living House.
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4.5
767 reviews
Excellent
512
Very good
204
Average
38
Poor
9
Terrible
4
cheryl h
Durham, NC57,910 contributions
Dec 2019
I found this to be a very nice living museum which offers over 250 species of animals, reptiles, birds, fish,and more that's found in Virginia. The glass on the aquariums was clean of nose and finger prints which made for good photo taking.
Along with the animals inside they have an outside boardwalk and during the walk you will see different animals that have been rescued and for one reason or the other are not able to be released back into the wild. Since the boardwalk is raised you are looking down on the animals and some were hard to find. It also takes you around a lake.
Also outside they have a dinosaur trail that will be fun for kids of all ages. That trail also has fossil huts loaded with fossils and bones which I found very interesting. They also have excavation areas so the kids can dig for fossils and bones.
Along with the animals inside they have an outside boardwalk and during the walk you will see different animals that have been rescued and for one reason or the other are not able to be released back into the wild. Since the boardwalk is raised you are looking down on the animals and some were hard to find. It also takes you around a lake.
Also outside they have a dinosaur trail that will be fun for kids of all ages. That trail also has fossil huts loaded with fossils and bones which I found very interesting. They also have excavation areas so the kids can dig for fossils and bones.
Written 24 July 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Nomarama
Fredericksburg, VA29 contributions
Apr 2022 • Family
Ive just always loved places like this!
Spots like this will forever hold a special place in my heart. If you have ever wanted to get outside, step 1. Get up and go!
Step 2. tho, I’d recommend getting a little familiar with things you may encounter while being outdoorsy af 🙌🏾
You know answering questions around what leaves you may not want to touch and how insects don’t actually want to kill you!
It’s one thing to google them but to see real examples at this hybrid aquarium, zoo, 🌺botanical garden and science center is just super dope to me.
If you have never been, be a tourist where you live, pack a lunch and make a day out of it, I think you’ll dig it!
Spots like this will forever hold a special place in my heart. If you have ever wanted to get outside, step 1. Get up and go!
Step 2. tho, I’d recommend getting a little familiar with things you may encounter while being outdoorsy af 🙌🏾
You know answering questions around what leaves you may not want to touch and how insects don’t actually want to kill you!
It’s one thing to google them but to see real examples at this hybrid aquarium, zoo, 🌺botanical garden and science center is just super dope to me.
If you have never been, be a tourist where you live, pack a lunch and make a day out of it, I think you’ll dig it!
Written 15 December 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
jessicafb_16
King George, VA172 contributions
Feb 2022
We got to see all the outdoor animals awake except the possums. Even heard wolves howling. The apiary was closed due to bird flu risks. The aquariums could have used a little better signage, but we still enjoyed the indoor exhibits as well. It looked like a great place to bring kids.
Written 22 February 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Leann411
Carrollton, GA11 contributions
Jun 2024 • Family
Wow. Not what I expected. There was construction. Everything was closed and things were kind of run down. There were 2 fox on display. A coyote, a red wolf, a deer, and some buzzards. The aviary had about a dozen birds(maybe) we didn’t stay long enough to really search. The Dino statues were pretty cool and I enjoyed seeing them but was disappointed with everything else.
Written 5 June 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Katie S
Pittsburgh, PA33 contributions
Oct 2020
My husband and I visited in late October 2020 during the week so it was pretty dead, which was nice as we could roam around freely without having to worry about social distancing in a crowd. I'm not sure the size in total of this place but there is a large out door portion and then the inside is pretty big as well. I was beat tired and ready for a seat when all was said and done.
The outside I think was my favorite. I love coyotes, wolves, etc. and many animal places up where we live in PA don't have any canines. All the outdoor exhibits I feel were well designed, so you could always see the animals. Everything had a very natural setting for the animals which was nice to see.
The inside had so many fish, so, so many fish! If you or anyone you know like fish, this is the place to go.
The outside I think was my favorite. I love coyotes, wolves, etc. and many animal places up where we live in PA don't have any canines. All the outdoor exhibits I feel were well designed, so you could always see the animals. Everything had a very natural setting for the animals which was nice to see.
The inside had so many fish, so, so many fish! If you or anyone you know like fish, this is the place to go.
Written 20 February 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sandra K
Anchorage, AK22 contributions
Oct 2023 • Friends
My first visit, and am I impressed! This is a combo zoo that you explore on a lovely boardwalk through trees and ponds; the animals have well thought-out enclosures, and are well signed. There is a planetarium that my group had no time to explore, various snack shops, a very nice visitor/information center and gift shop. Did I mention the dinosaurs? oh yes…..for kids of all ages. Don’t miss this attraction. I’m returning soon.
Written 6 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
abigailsarah523
Bowie, MD32 contributions
Dec 2019 • Family
We got here early and it was absolutely perfect. If you have school aged kids, I would suggest getting there when it opens before all the strollers arrive. The displays were clean, clear, and educational. The energy efficient house was so informative! There were so many animals to see. Highly recommend. It’s also a part of the science center reciprocity program.
Written 1 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Edie
Castle Hayne, NC23 contributions
Nov 2021
We came with 2 of our grandchildren and enjoyed the visit very much. The downside is that It was so cold so we rushed our outdoor experience a bit. Loved seeing the animals and the kids loved the dinosaur area. Sad to see the snakes in such small areas and a few other creatures as well.
Written 22 November 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Katty W
Houston, TX135 contributions
Jul 2020
So.... Wednesday (7/15) my husband and I set out to go to museums.... (or that was what we thought). We try several different museums with no luck. And then my husband found the Virginia Living Museum! WHAT A FIND!!!
Great for children of all ages (1-100)! Great information and live exhibits. I really enjoyed the outside portion through the "swamp/marsh" area. Part museum, aquarium and nature walk. LOVE IT
Great for children of all ages (1-100)! Great information and live exhibits. I really enjoyed the outside portion through the "swamp/marsh" area. Part museum, aquarium and nature walk. LOVE IT
Written 21 July 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
annabear_87
Morristown, TN59 contributions
Oct 2022 • Family
Love this place! It’s a unique combination of museum, aquarium, and zoo. It’s laid out very nicely with the indoor and outdoor areas intersecting nicely. The animals looked well cared for. I love that it includes all the ecosystems of Virginia and breaks it down for even smaller kids to understand. It entertained a teen, child, and adult. Not easy to satisfy all three of those!
Written 11 October 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I was trying to answer others questions. Sorry, my computer skills have not developed.
I still use my own head to do computations!
Written 1 May 2017
Is there a sea turtle that lives there ???
Written 28 April 2017
There is a tank that houses a wonderful sea turtle. He was as big as my eight month old grandson. Awesome turtle!
Written 29 April 2017
denbroncos7
East Brunswick, New Jersey
How long is the visit to see most/ all of museum? Half-day, few hours, all-day?
Written 21 April 2017
Few hours with most of my time spent at the wolves, deer, turkey
Written 22 December 2017
miketracy1969
Oxfordshire, United Kingdom
Hi would you be able to take my wifes ball python off her , as she's moving abroad on thursday ? .
Michael Jenkins
Written 23 June 2015
Across the street from the Living Museum is an animal shelter. I would check with them.
Written 25 June 2015
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