family friendly things to do in hampton roads, virginia
First things first, if you are looking for FREE things to do in Hampton Roads with kids, you've got to check out this blog post! This post will contain fun things to do in Hampton Roads with kids, but they might cost a little money.
I think our little area of Virginia is pretty dang great. I love finding new adventures to take my kids on and to suggest to my clients. We love being busy and we especially love being outside, even on the hot days!
Fun things to do for kids!
1.) The Chrysler Museum of Art in downtown Norfolk. This is an amazing, somewhat hidden gem in Norfolk. This art museum boasts a beautiful and dynamic collection, kid friendly exhibits (plus art scavenger hunts!), a cafe, a glass blowing gallery, and guess what? It's free. Donations are always appreciated though. This is without a doubt one of our favorite places to visit in all of Hampton Roads (side note: If you are in downtown Norfolk, let's say after you've visited the Chrysler Museum and you want a refreshing treat? You've got to stop across the street from the museum and grab a delicious Dole Whip at the Ghent Grab n Go! It's the best Dole Whip I've ever had outside of Disney! They carry really unique grocery items and gourmet foods too. Try the red velvet muffin, you won't be sorry! 230 West Olney Road, Norfolk, Virginia.)
2.) The Virginia Living Museum is a super fun, educational way to spend several hours. I would venture to say that you could possibly spend a whole day here. There are just so many exhibits! With indoor and outdoor exhibits, it's doable rain or shine. They have an amazing dinosaur play area, a planetarium with lots of shows, a boardwalk trail, a 30,000 gallon aquarium, and so much more. It's hard not to love this place. Check it out here.
3.) Norfolk Botanical Gardens is another one of our favorite places to go. The littlest loves to ride the tram all over the gardens. The older two love to hike all the trails. There are a ton of exhibits and beautifully themed gardens, a lovely butterfly house, and the children's gardens feauturing a big and cheerful splashpad. The perfect way to burn off a ton of energy and get them home in time for nap! The family pass is well worth it here. Plan your visit here.
PS: The Christmas lights are legendary around these parts!
4.) The Children's Museum of Virginia is the perfect indoor, rainy day activity located in downtown Portsmouth. If you've got a train lover, you will definitely want to visit this museum! There's a huge train exhibit with an enormous model running! It can get a little busy at times, but it's pretty well laid out and there are so many exhibits to explore. There's several little resturaunts and cafe's down the street too. You can make a whole morning of it! Here's a link to their website.
5.) The Virginia Zoo is located in Norfolk, Virginia and you can easily spend several hours here. It's always been one of our family favorites. If the kids were bouncing off the walls and we needed a quick getaway to burn off some energy, the zoo was always our place to go. It's got a lot of exhibits, places for free play, a splash area, a petting area, and of course a ton of animals to learn about. Click here to visit their website.
Stay tuned for more blogs just like this one with even more ideas on how to make some fun memories with your family and explore our little corner of the world. I sure think it's pretty great!
And if you want me to come along and document some of your adventures, just send me a message here! I'd love to hear about what memories you want to make!
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