15 Things To Do on a Family Vacation at Virginia Beach

Virginia Beach has been my family’s go-to vacation spot for the last 30 years. Just like at home, we have seen businesses come and go, the landscape change and the culture evolve with the times. Below are some favorite locations and activities that we love to hit that are family friendly and cost effective.

Beach Street U.S.A.

Location: Along Atlantic Ave.

Mainly the 24^th St. Stage 2400 Atlantic Ave

7:30-11pm

June-Labor Day Weekend

Beach Street U.S.A. is free, nightly entertainment along the beach. They have everything from singers to jazz musicians, jugglers and magicians.

31 Ocean Stage

Location: 31st Street Stage in Neptune Park

You can find more entertainment at the 31^st Street Stage outside of 31Ocean near the Hilton Hotel. They have nightly musical acts. Also, Neptune Park is nearby on the beach where the kids can play on the jungle gyms. Tourists can also take pictures by the King Neptune statue located along the boardwalk.

Rudee Tours

Location: 200 Winston Salem Ave, Virginia Beach, VA

Boat tours give you a chance to see a different side of the landscape and catch glimpses of sea life, especially the swarms of dolphins that reside at Virginia Beach. The Rudee Tours are a popular tour at the beach. Their routes usually pass by the shore where many tourists spend their sunny days. I also suggest the Chesapeake Bay tours. It’s more out of the way but offers a good chance to see some dolphins.

Motor World

Location:
700 S Birdneck Rd

Motor World has your average Go-Kart tracks, mini-golf, paintball and other outdoor activities. They have 11 tracks featuring mini Go-Karts for younger kids and regular sized cars for older kids and adults. Look for the giant gorilla statue at the entrance.

Pirates Paradise Mini Golf

Location: 2109 Pacific Ave

There are mini-golf courses all over, but Pirates Paradise is just a few blocks from the beach and has play all day rates centered around a pirate-themed course. So, you can keep coming back throughout the day. Check out their website for hours and prices

Fireworks Nights

Location: Atlantic Ocean Boardwalk

Fireworks are regularly shot from a barge on the ocean at night. They can been seen just about anywhere on the boardwalk and are a nice, free activity for travelers walking the beach or hanging out on their beachfront balconies. Check out their websites for this summer's schedule.

Beach Garden Park

Location: 2854 Kilbourne Court

This is just your average playground and picnic area a few blocks from the beach. It’s a quiet place to go when you want to get away from the crowds on the boardwalk. They have a playground where the kids can run around. You can bring food and picnic in the park.

Atlantic Fun Park

Location: 233 15th St, Virginia Beach, VA 23451

You can see the Ferris wheel of Atlantic Fun Park from the other end of the beach. So, it's easy to find. This park has several rides, games and other basic amusement park features right next to the ocean.

Flipper McCoys

Location: 2212 Atlantic Avenue

Flipper McCoys is a Chuck E. Cheese-style arcade with ticket games for the kids and pinball machines and pool tables for the adults. We used to save up our tickets and cash them in at the end of the week for the biggest prize we could get. It’s a nice place to go for a half hour or so in the evenings after dinner.

The Movies - Cinema Cafe

Location: 758 Independence Blvd.

When it rains, it’s nice to kill a few hours at the movie theater. Virginia Beach has many movie theaters, but more places are popping up that double as a movie theater and restaurant. Cinema Cafe allows you to order a dinner to eat as you're watching the latest blockbuster.

Bowling - Pinboys

Location: 1577 Laskin Rd.

Bowling is another good activity for a rainy day when you can’t go to the beach. Pinboys bowling is off the main drag and is your typical bowling alley. Check out their website for rates.

Nightmare Mansion

Location: 2008 Atlantic Ave

This haunted attraction is located on Atlantic Avenue. It’s hard to miss with its giant skull looming over the corner of the building. Several souvenir shops sit directly under it, and it’s fun to walk past the main entrance and listen to the theme from Halloween playing on the speakers between two ghoulish guys guarding the front door.

Souvenir Shops

Location: Atlantic Avenue

Speaking of souvenirs, there’s plenty of places to find t-shirts, shot glasses and postcards at the beach. Atlantic Avenue has the best shops, including Sunsations, Oh! Fudge, and Beach Bargains. No vacation is complete without the endless search for the perfect souvenir. Grab a Sunny Days book before you shop, and see if you can score some deals on your saltwater taffy.

Don't let my short list fool you. There are a lot of places to eat in Virginia Beach. They have breakfast places, seafood places, Beatles-themed restaurants and bars. However, my family eats a lot of fast food to keep within a reasonable food budget. The following are the two places that we go that are not national chain restaurants.

Giovanni’s

Location: 2006 Atlantic Ave, Virginia Beach, VA

Giovanni’s is the only sit down restaurant that we go to at the beach. It’s an Italian restaurant located on Atlantic Avenue. Their portions are large, and you get seated right away. I recommend their baked ziti, but check out the menu to see if they make your favorite pasta.

Zeros Subs

Location: Several locations.

Every time we go to the beach, our dinner that first night is always Zeros. With the closest location several blocks from Atlantic Avenue, the subs are made to order and take a bit longer than Subway to put together, but it’s worth the wait. Check out the link to their menu, and be sure to try their Italian Grinder.

Where are your favorite places to visit at Virginia Beach? Leave your answers in the comments below!