If your vacation travels are going to take you through Virginia Beach, Virginia, then prepare to spend some time there. The fact is that the city offers a wide array of things that you will want to see and do. Tourists in Virginia Beach will find something for even the most discriminating and jaded of tastes and preferences. Here are some examples of tourist attractions in Virginia Beach that you do not want to miss.
One of the best surviving lighthouses in the country is found in Virginia Beach. The Cape Henry Lighthouse first began service in the period shortly after the Revolutionary War, and faithfully served as a beacon for seafarers along the Virginia coast well through most of the 19th century. After a routine inspection revealed potentially dangerous cracks in the foundation and first story walls, a newer facility replaced the Old Cape Henry Lighthouse in 1881.
Still, the older facility continued to be a day marker for persons traveling by water. Located on the Fort Story military base, the lighthouse is open for tours, and now features a museum and souvenir shop on the bottom floor. Popular among the tourist attractions in Virginia Beach, children of all ages will enjoy the step into the past among the modern look of the military base.
Another example of colonial living can be found at the Ferry Plantation, establishing in 1642. Originally developed by Adam Thoroughgood as a means of connecting various plantations using the waterways of the day, the site once held the Third Princess Anne Courthouse, which was construction in 1735. Later, a manor house was constructed on the property, but was destroyed by fire. The present Ferry Plantation house, built in 1830, used a number of bricks salvaged from the earlier structures. As one of the main tourist attractions in Virginia Beach, the plantation house is open on Tuesdays and Thursdays, is free.
If your family is in the mood for tourist attractions in Virginia Beach that are refreshing, there is always the Ocean Breeze Waterpark. With sixteen water slides and nineteen acres of pools, playgrounds, and lots of chances to splash around, the Ocean Breeze is only a couple of miles south of the ocean front. Restaurants and plenty of spots to spread out 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 is always the Virginia Aquarium and Marine Science Center, located on General Booth Boulevard. As one of the most popular of all the tourist attractions in Virginia Beach, the Aquarium boasts over 800,000 gallons of aquarium space. The Coastal River Room offers the chance to see birds and turtles roaming around freely, while the largest of the aquariums provides a snapshot of Chesapeake Bay marine life, with stingrays and horseshoe crabs included among a variety of fish.
Tourist attractions in Virginia Beach are plentiful and very easy to find. From fun in the water to history to getting to know more about the ecology of the area, there is something for just about everyone to enjoy.
