This was such an awesome experience! I’ve never been on a WWII Battleship before. The experience is two parts - naval history museum and the battleship. You can do guided tours or just walk the ship on your own. They’ve done a great job preserving this piece of history as well as describing the ship and life aboard it. I highly recommend this. Plus it’s a very affordable experience. All in all an excellent piece of military history!!

Amazing museum with an awesome historic monument. I would highly recommend to people of all ages & interests. I think about anyone can go to this museum and find it as a really neat experience. You can explore the ships deck including 3 floors up and 2 floors down. Expect it to take quite some time to explore the whole thing.

This was absolutely AMAZING!! As an Army veteran myself, I loved it! I did this tour with my wife. It is self guided, but a pay tour is available. We spent 3 hours touring every nook and crany of this vessel. The history of it is so much more than I imagined. This is a must see exhibit! Come early as this does take a while to tour completely, as there is an inside museum as well. We will definitely visit again.

Very cool big boat. Also extra cool it’s named after our fav state. Some interesting history through its service. Seeing it up close really makes you think about all the awesome people who served on it. They allow you to see a few internal decks. But a lot is off limits, which is unfortunate. I really wanted to see the bridge and engine room and that was not possible. Also banged my noggin a few times, but I’m over 6 ft so if you’re tall be careful.

A very informative self tour through a once operational battery ship. The teenagers loved it! There was a great indoor science center as well for young and old. Heads up: Getting down to the different levels isn't possible from what I saw if you are handicapped, too young, or unable to climb up and down steep ladders.

Had a great time. Awe inspiring historic displays. You can pay for a tour or go self-guided. There are 7 decks and two museums to explore. Navy vets hang out and talk to tourists about their experiences. I met a naval surgeon and since I am an OR nurse I found his stories fascinating. Great value.

Did the self guided tour. Great chance to see history in person. If physically able there are plenty of opportunities to walk through and see a great variety of different departments within the ship.

There’s easy parking which is not too expensive across the road from the museum. Staff are friendly and the exhibits in the museum are very informative. The actual ship is an education in itself the history of USS Wisconsin from World War II to the modern day conflicts that It found itself in. how shipboard life was able and is very real once you go below decks you realise how cramped and confusing it is, also what an amazing piece of engineering that wasn’t designed on a computer rather with a slide rule!

In the are for a hockey tournament and decided to spend time seeing new things. My family and our friends enjoyed exploring the USS Wisconsin. Even told other families who went to visit the next day and enjoyed it just as much!

What a great experience for all ages. You visit the WWII Battleship after touring the naval history museum. There's a kid section in the museum that is informative and educational. They offer a guided tour (additional fee) or just walk the ship on your own. Cost of entrance to museum and battleship: $17.95/adult plus tax is $19.25. They did a wonderful job preserving this piece of history and documentation. They describe the ship and life aboard it quite accurately. Wear comfortable foot wear as the ship is huge and lots of walking. I highly recommend this visit as it details a part of the US military history!

Very cool ship. Great history and fun to walk around. There are three levels you can go through. The top deck is off limits, which was a little disappointing but still had a good time. Took about an hour to walk through at a decent pace. There are employees throughout ship to answer questions if needed. Museum is nice. It is operated by the Navy, which was pretty cool. Gift store is also nice. They are currently renovating so there will be more to do in the future.

A fantastic experience - both the museum and the ship. Our volunteer tour guide (an army artillery captain) put on a great show and was extremely knowledgeable. After our tour because he saw my extreme interest he continued around the ship with me explaining various additional things beyond the tour and telling some wonderful stories. Strongly recommend to visitors of all ages.

This was a very informative attraction and display. I like the fact that they have tour guides to take you around and describe the workings of the boat. Behind the scenes is definitely the way to go and don't forget to go inside the gun to it. Never living on a ship this gives you a good perspective how daily life was.

If your a history Buff this is a must see while in Norfolk!! We did not do the guided tours this time but we did see the entire ship minus the pilot house and a lower deck! It is an amazing experience and well worth the price of admission. No guided you can spend all day here! We spent about 4 hours taking it all in. It was a workout for sure, lots of places to climb down to or up to! Take your time and enjoy the experience! Thinking 18-25 yr olds ram this ship is completely amazing! The greatest generation for sure, it really is a great experience! I hope you enjoy my many photos. The galley and mess hall was great, officers area was neat to see as well !

My family and I loved exploring this ship and we highly recommend your family checks it out too! It is such a great learning experience for kids. Definitely visit the museum as well. Expect to spend most of the day here if you want to see everything.

Love these giants of the sea. We had the extreme pleasure of getting Charlie as a guide. He was friendly and had the advantage of being very versed in the Navy. Thank you!!

The second year going and it got even better. Absolutely beautiful. They allow you into more of the lower deck which makes the event so much more interesting. They should consider offering tours of the ship’s interior all year round.

It was an amazing Christmas light display while also getting to be up close with some very cool history. This was tastefully done with some many beautiful lights and sections set up. Getting to go below deck was especially cool to see, especially with the Christmas theme carried out there as well. The train display was nice to see as well. A very good visit, especially with the family.

Wow that was a big ship a lot of climbing stairs. Bring your walking shoes. And don't miss the museum that's included with the admission. A lot of people around that can answer question. And if your a veteran or active duty go to there web site to get free admission.

The Wisconsin battleship and connected museum are fantastic & well worth your time ! I traveled solo & took around 2 hours ! Great experience about battleship ! Must visit if you’re in Norfolk 👍

Battleship that didn't sink and became a museum! We look through the ship first before heading over the museum to learn more of its history and all the other ships that used to roam the world. Always amazed me how people used to practically live in these things and operated them.

Well worth a visit for people of all ages. A large amount of the ship is open to explore at your own pace. As well as several exhibits throughout the museum building covering local and maritime history of America.

Mind-blowing landmark. I was really pleased to hear the history of the ship as a part of the guided tour from the retired navy captain Jim. You can go around the ship and see how it was to be a seamen back in the days. Some free parking space with a time limit of 2 hours is available across the street, but they recommend to park in the garage.

Beautiful, large botanical gardens. Wonderful variety of local and exotic floral. You just feel happy walking around this beautiful garden. We spent several hours here, there is ample parking, a nice visitor center with multiple bathrooms on site throughout the gardens. There's a gift shop, and tour guides available. We did speak with several garden employees, all. We're very friendly and knowledgeable about the different species of plants. The garden was very clean, fragrant, and just plain lovely. Went during the summer months early in the morning before it got warm. It did take several hours, and I'm not even sure if we saw it all. There are many maps throughout the gardens to help you navigate grounds, and you do receive a paper copy when you enter through the gate. The gardens itself is very child friendly, with a large children's garden with interactive splash pads and a center. This would definitely be a cool place to take toddlers to spend the day. We took our two school age children and they enjoyed it very much. They had a good time learning about the plants, exploring the grounds, and also viewing the planes taking off on the other side of the gardens. Would recommend bringing some water, wearing good shoes, and spending several hours here to truly explore the whole thing.

Went to the Dominion Energy Garden of Lights last night at the Norfolk Botanical Gardens. It was basically the drive through light show, but walking. Everything looked amazing! I think the experience was a little more immersive walking compared to driving. You can tell very clearly that there is a lot of work that goes into putting this light show together. Kudos to whoever was involved in making this happen! You can also bring your dog(s)! There are snacks, hot cocoa, and other things to purchase, but we didn’t end up getting any.

Love the flowers and beautiful walk ways. The main building is clean but does need to be ADA compliant as there are no push button door openers. I went on a Sunday which is take your dog day. I also love the kids splash pad, great for families. Highly recommend being a member and getting tickets early. When there is a carline sometimes having that gets you in all that much faster. The garden is awesome and lots of things to see and places to relax. The only thing it could use more of is parking.

Love the botanical gardens! Will be back for a doggy Sunday walk or to enjoy the cafe patio. The last few times I've been was to drive through and see the Christmas light displays, so it was interesting to walk the grounds. The botanical gardens are HUGE! Definitely take your time strolling and try to catch the circuit shuttle. Spent some time picnicking under the cherry trees, very peaceful. There are ground bee projects around the area, though the bugs didn't bother us.

First time back in many years. Gardens do not disappoint. Beautifully maintained. The rose garden is amazing. Definitely the best Botanical Gardens we've been to in a while. Will have to come back next visit to VA Beach. Lots more to see.

Beautiful gardens with a nice layout for walking around. The day we went was super hot and muggy, so the big trees provided some welcome shade. Love the giant magnolias and old trees in general. My favorite area was the butterfly sanctuary where the two lovely naturalists enchanted us with so much great info about the butterfly and moth life cycle. The NATO observation tower is also neat for its unique shape and fun views. They have a great online reservation and parking system, and the website is very informative. All the staff we interacted with were great as well.

Beautiful gardens with plenty to see. Parking and navigation are pretty easy and the website has some helpful information for planning a visit. It’s easy to make a reservation online. The trails are long which allow for ample walking, and there is also plenty of shade and seating if you need it. Restrooms and water refill stations are conveniently located along the pathways (I highly recommend bringing a water bottle). The gardens are clean and very well maintained, and have lots of flowers, trees, and other flora to admire as well as some wildlife. I would say the butterfly house, the NATO tower, and the magic forest are my absolute favorite areas. It’s truly the perfect place to go on a nature walk or have a picnic with loved ones. Side note, the airport is right next to the parking lot and it will generate some noise, but you can go on top of an overlook and watch the planes land and take off!

We took our mom to Gardens to enjoy the beautiful weather, and we were not disappointed. The Gardens are fabulous! We rode the tram, and the guide was friendly and informative. Great way to spend some time outdoors.

I can not say enough wonderful things about Norfolk Botanical Garden. It is a bit of beauty and peace in a chaotic world. Flowers are blooming all year round. There is always something different to see each time you visit. It is a great place for kids. There is a kids water park that is open in the summer. If you want to bring your dog you can on Sunday. You can ride your bike along the path. They have an assortment of programs to suit the interest of any age group. Their native plant sales let you bring home your own part of the garden to plant in your own. It is well worth it to get an annual membership. The holiday lights can't be beat.

I loved this place so much. This place was absolutely beautiful and so fun. We went and spent a ton of time at the butterfly house which was a blast. We got to learn a ton from Lauran the butterfly specialist. The rest of the garden was super pretty and very peaceful. There weren't very many people there which was nice.

Awesome gardens. Great informational signage all over. The World of Wonder - children's area - is incredible. I've been several times and still not seen it all. They have different events all year. Their holiday light are great, and have also seen artwork made from ocean trash, and the birdhouse contest. Also attended a conference there. Well worth a visit.

I tell everyone I know in the 757 to get a NBG membership. It is hands down the most beautiful, tranquil place to go for a scenic walk or picnic. If I ever get married again, the ceremony will be here! We go every Sunday for doggie day because the doggies love it as much as the humans do. We are so fortunate to have this place!

12/22/23 - I am writing a review based on the Christmas lights. I went with my family and there was 8 of us. It's nice they have food and drinks right before you start your walk. We got a donuts from duck donuts which were delicious. The lights were great! The walk seemed kind of short though. Also the crowds were a bit annoying. Taking photos you had to wait for people to pass or have them wait for you to finish taking your photo. Overall though it was very enjoyable and very pretty. I think we took about an hour to walk through it but felt quick. I would still recommend to go see the lights!

We went for early spring blooms. Daffodils and cherry blossoms were the highlight at this time. Gorgeous gardens, lovely walk by the water and really cool lookout tower.

Absolutely beautiful, i recommend carrying food and a blanket to have a little picnic. Enjoy the space for as long as you can. Very peaceful

What an amazing Christmas Light display. It was such a nice walk, a mix between asphalt and fine stone, but all of it easy on the feet. There is a stand to get some delicious hot chocolate to take on your walk or enjoy there at a table. The lights are absolutely amazing. We had a blast and want to visit this summer.

Lovely experience, it's the beginning of spring and there are already plants that have tons on flowers on them. The flowering trees and shrubs are in their mid to full bloom stages and it's definitely a sight to behold🥰 visited the children's garden for the first time and my son loved it lol

Perfect location for family or maternity photos! The Norfolk Botanical Gardens is serene, peaceful, and idyllic for families to adventure around and enjoy the gorgeous landscape and variety of plants and animals, and is also a great location for family or maternity photos in Norfolk! As a professional photographer, I like to recommend the gardens for portrait sessions as the landscape provides a timeless, classic background which is ideal for documenting your family's memories. As a mother myself, I bring my toddlers to the splash pad in the summer for hours of endless fun, stopping off to get coffee from the coffee truck, and then enjoying ice cream from the Ben & Jerry's truck on our way home from a day in the sun at the garden. The rose garden is one of my favorite spots for family photos, and especially beautiful for maternity photos to document the incredible milestone of each pregnancy.

We LOVED OUR EXPERIENCE! Beautiful display. Yummy snacks and coffee drinks. A booze free environment. I recommend the first showing cause the traffic and parking gets pretty bad! A nice long walk at your own pace. Very elderly and disabled will definitely need a wheelchair. A good 1/2 block before you get to a bench each time.

Wonderful visit on Sunday! Daffodils are in full bloom, beautiful camelias, and the azaleas are just starting! Always love walking through the Japanese Gardens and on the tranquil and peaceful paths throughout the gardens! ❤️

We recently went to the norfolk botanical gardens for the Garden of Lights Christmas lights display. What a beautiful event with plenty of things to enjoy for every member of the family. We enjoyed the event immensely and would plan on visiting during the regular season based on our visit. We spent just about an hour walking through the varying displays. Really liked the Under the Sea, aircraft carrier, and frogs! And the waterfalls! And the... well, I hope you get my drift! Go and see this for yourself!

My family and I had a great time visiting the Wisconsin battleship decorated with Christmas lights. We paid the extra price to visit with Santa and we were not disappointed. He was a wonderful Santa and very personable. The Grinch was also there and he put on a funny show. There were light displays on the pier next to the ship. We will definitely come back again.

The Nauticus was so much fun. It is a lot of walking so make sure you have comfy shoes on. The exhibits were fun and very interactive if you have kids. They even have little movie rooms to watch different documentaries so you can take a little break from all the walking. The gift shop is nice and they do have a cafeteria if you're hungry. I would recommend eating before or after you go just to save some money. The staff is super nice all throughout the museum. Now the Nauticus ship itself was a ship there are a lot of stairs to climb nothing super special but fun to have that experience.

Wonderful experience! Great informative historical exhibits. We didn't take the guided tour of the ship, but the self guided tour was amazing. My only issue was that the science museum on the 3rd floor was lacking slightly, but I can hardly fault them for that since they just got done with renovations when we were there, and I'm sure they'll be adding to it in the future. What they did have was good enough for the kids though.

A well layed out and fun place. From, education, hands on experiences (water curre to, giant Battleship, making paper, etc.) Informative photos and plaques are located everywhere. Staff is really friendly and helpful. This place willfully up your whole day, and then you have the ship! It is HUGE, so much to see, fabulous! Well worth seeing, I recommend getting a yearly or season pass, it is place that takes time to experience the full scope of it and is great for a repeat experience. (Military discounts available (bring your spouse card))

We All enjoyed this place very much. The ship is really cool and very realistic. You see actual cabins, the kitchen is extremely realistic with vending machines, where you walk in line with your tray and get your food, which they have that looks very realistic by the way. You experience what it's really like to be on or working on a ship. Inside the museum there is a theater, aquarium, play areas and more. Three floors I believe. It's fairly priced as well. If you're in the area and haven't seen it or been there, it's something nice to do. It's good for the whole family:)

Amazing navy museum! 3 floors of facts and fun! They have amazing original boat equipment to touch and see. History at every turn! Not just the writing with pictures on the walls but films and documentaries playing. Educational games and brain boosters and even not so educational games like the old sonic. I personally loved the huge battle ship game! Once you circled all there is is see there (which could take hours) be sure to board the battleship itself! It's HUGE! You can play where they shoot the guns, go see where they slept and ate and bought things. It gives you a great respect for our Navy and the sacrifice they make to serve our country. Thank you all who have and are serving💙

Hey guys, I'm back again with another review for ya. I have many reviews to catch up on so many more to come. Nauticus! So, for this place, I can say I enjoyed myself as much as the kids. There are areas for everyone to like here. Some areas I found myself trying to pull the kids away from and some areas they had to pull me away from simoly because it was that interesting or that much fun. This Naval exploration museum, as Im calling it, was a good family fun place to visit that impowered us with naval knowledge that we would not have otherwise been exposed to. It is a good experience for all.

In Virginia for training and wanted an experience out of the ordinary. Group of us got together to go see the museum and all it has to offer. The ship the mighty Wisconsin was interesting to walk through and explore. It had plenty of places for sightseeing above and below deck. The rest of the museum had great facts and learning activities foe all ages. From the previous history and wars and the involvement of the area through the years to a well developed kids learning area about the facts of shipping and transport. If you like your history this is your spot. Well worth the stop. Cheers!!!

Had a great time. There is an indoor museum and a real battleship you can tour if you desire. There are some guided tours of the battleship that will take you into areas inaccessible to your general self guided tour. There are additional charges for the guided tours. The battleship can get hot and there is allot of walking involved if you want to see everything. There are signs located throughout the ship that explain things and gives you some of the history. There are also people walking the ship who would love to answer your questions. The sailor we talked to didn't serve on this ship but was great to talk to and answered all of our questions. The prices are very reasonable and would recommend doing if you're in the area.

Wonderful experience. Great, friendly and knowledgeable people. The museum was fun and sobering. The battleship was fun. The food was good there too.

Not too big into naval history but the sheer scale is something to awe at in person. Spent well over an hour to see every section in detail. Quite the center piece of the city, if you only have a couple days in Norfolk definitely has to be one of the places to make it a point to go to.

It is a very cool nautical museum right at the harbor of Norfolk, Virginia. The museum has very interesting and educational exhibits and you can explore the Battleship Wisconsin!

Toured the battleship and museum. A great place to see and learn about the U.S. Navy and Chesapeake Bay. It's more than just the battleship. Has a lot of interactive activities for kids. Don't wear a dress if you plan on going in the battleship.

Haven't been here in a while and decided to check out the 21 plus after hours event and I had a good time.

A must see while in the Norfolk or Virginia beach area. Take tour time touring the Wisconsin yourself and enjoying the museum.

Highly recommended,,, specially for kids,,,so much history to learn about, made us very proud and thankful. Winter fest is a must!!! We had fun with the shows .

Amazing! There are interactive areas and a museum. The USS Wisconsin was so massive. It was great to go through. There was a video playing of soldiers telling their experiences on the ship. It's extremely interesting. A great look into history. The staff is very friendly and informative. It has a museum, interactive activities, a gift shop, a restaurant, and the self guided tour of the USS Wisconsin.

The Family Nauticus Winterfest on the Wisconsin 2023. It was a great and very kid/toddler friendly event. The kids loved the s’mores station. There were endless lights and entertainment throughout the boat. Be cognizant of the traffic pattern when leaving. There are plenty of ongoing holiday events in the area. There is a lot of walking so make sure you’re dressed appropriately for a long and chilly walk. Lastly, purchase your tickets online before you arrive.

Incredible afternoon, touring and wandering around the ship! So much history!! God bless our troops!! 🇺🇸❤️🤍💙

The new exhibits are really, really well done. Lots of new hands-on activities, interactive play, always a volunteer with some sort of learning experience. I can't wait to see the rest of the renovations next year.

1 adult, 3 kids $64 admission. Kids had a great time. That was with access to Wisconsin. The cafe there has great food. Sanitizer and bathrooms throughout the museum. Lots of interactive activities. Went on a late Sunday morning. No crowd.

We loved our visit! Spent nearly 3 hours exploring every inch of this place. Very well organized and curated. Some really great pieces. Especially loved the double takes placed throughout the museum to give thought provoking comparisons between two separate pieces of art. Friendly staff. Interactive section was so fun! And how amazing that this is a free experience! Parking is plentiful and also free!

This is a gem of a museum! Admission is free, and there is so much to see here, from ancient Egyptian artifacts to grandiose American landscapes to contemporary video art. They have collections that feature pieces from all around the world, especially from regions and eras that I wish museums would pay more attention to. The building itself is a labyrinth of themed rooms beyond a beautifully decorated and bright atrium. It's easy to spend several hours wandering around. My only complaint is that a few of their spotlights are flickering or burnt out, leaving some pieces and portraits in the dark. I believe that this is an easy fix that will greatly improve people's experiences. I was extremely impressed by their glass exhibition, which features glass from all around the world (from ancient to modern) and an impressive collection of Tiffany Studios pieces. I believe that they also host glass blowing classes and workshops. In all, this is a must-see in Norfolk!

As a lifelong Beatles fan, #PaulMcCartney as my favorite, this McCartney photo exhibit got me there from North Carolina! It was a wonderful experience, curated nicely, and enough space for all us Beatles fans to linger. It was great to see things from his perspective. As we walked out of that exhibition, we were astonished to see the others. Wonderful art and antiquities were found throughout the museum, which was a beautiful building. Thank you to the person with the connections to make this happen, and thank you to the museum staff today (3/29).

If you haven't seen the M.C. Esher exhibition at the Chrysler please DO NOT miss it - such a treat! So rare to see his actual works. The labelling/ explanations were superb, better than in most museums I've visited. I've come away educated & soul-satisfied. Thank you

I could spend days walking around the different exhibits and amazingly, admission is free. I spent most of my time in the glass exhibit which had a beautiful diversity of glass including ancient glass, Tiffany style windows, blown glass and modern artwork glass. Also, there is an exhibit on different sands and how they affect the appearance of the glass. There is a very nice gift store too. Across the street is an affiliated glass studio which has a small but amazing display of pieces make there, multiple artists actively blowing glass and hands on classes.

I don’t understand how such a great art museum is free. The building is beautiful and there is free parking as well. Really cool pieces from a bunch of different time periods. I visited at opening in a Saturday and had a lot of the galleries to myself. I especially love their Bierstadt piece. I am excited to go back.

I love museums, so visiting them was excellent—great artwork, glass, work, crystals, and beautiful. Bring a camera in many rooms with artwork for a picture-perfect backdrop. There's a remember tree; you write notes in remembrance of a loved one.

I have waited a while to write this review to see if my feelings changed over time. They have not. Went in not expecting a lot. Figured there would be some cool glass pieces and not sure what else. Let me just say, don’t miss the first floor. Upon entering we went to the right and checked out the glass pieces. Not sure how some of these were created. Wow. Then we went to the left side to see the McCarty Photographs. These are a don’t miss set of photos. They tell some fantastic stories of history of himself, the Beatles, girlfriends, and others. We eventually went to the other floors. The whole time we kept thinking about how cool those photos were. One of the other outstanding features of this museum you may not think about is they put the don’t miss items on the first floor. So if your old, hurting, handicap, or just want the highlights, they make it easy for you. Well done to the museum staff!

Amazing location, unbelievable free entrance access. It is a haven of modern artwork and historical artifacts, they even have mummies! Two full floors with immense collections from all cultures and eras, from Ancient Egypt and Greece all the way to French impressionism and very modern new age creations. I could and will come back here again and again!

Wonderful experience! So much to see! I love the blown glass exhibit. It's huge and took an hour just to skim through. You could easily spend days looking at the art and the unique pieces of furniture. The porcelain room has some beautiful pieces of American history. Some pics have political significance and as to the history of the time.

Absolutley a gem of Norfolk and a must to do in the downtown area. The staff was outstanding from the moment they opened the door when you walk up. The exhibits are of very high quality, particularly the glass and the antiquities. It is not about quantity but rather quality. There is also a fine new restaraunt/cafe. Very modern and chic. It is a truly beautiful museum and a perfect way to spend the day.

Still floored this place is free. It seems enormous walking in but is very easy to navigate. Great curation - exhibits flow well and the information on art pieces or galleries is always easy to find. Definitely check out all the wings, there are a lot of incredible pieces lurking about. There's a few Degas, a Monet, and a Picasso just to name a few of the classics here.

An enormous and stunning collection of paintings, sculptures, glassworks, and multimedia pieces. Spent 5 hours walking around and basking in every minute detail in every room. During my visit, the museum was hosting a field trip for an elementary school. Never seen a group of kids so engaged when their guide was teaching them how art can make you feel.

A wonderful free art museum. Super clean and very handicap accessible. Two stories of awesome art work. I really like the Roman era work. Admission is free and there is a free parking lot adjacent to the museum. They also have a great gift shop and food area. The staff is super helpful. You can spend two hours or more there.

Highly recommend this FREE museum in Norfolk if you have an hour or two and enjoy art and history! Has a range of historical cultural art around the world, including Asia, Europe, and Africa. Has modern galleries for art as well, including glass made art pieces. Don't forget to check out their glass blowing studio just adjacent to this museum! Lots of parking available. Bring the whole family to enjoy this gem of Norfolk and Hampton Roads community.

Stopped at the glass studio to watch the noon demonstration. The artists were informative and fun to watch and listen to. I wish the other attendees had been quiet (other than asking questions) but they were busy chatting with each other instead of paying attention so that was distracting. But the presentation was very good!!

Great collection for glass, the core strength of this free and sizable museum. Highlights include big names such as tiffany (lovely wisteria lamp) and a rare variety of galle pieces (france). The gift shop is well stocked in glass. The temporary exhibit are a bit more 'eclectic' but they try to broaden the museum's reach so that it's not too much about glass only.

A beautiful museum, and it’s free - what’s not to love? Lots of varied exhibits, the lady at the front desk was very helpful explaining where to go, and the map is fairly clear - once you realise they have painted the walls in the same colour as the section on the map you can’t go wrong. I started off reading everything in detail, but after 2 hours they were closing, so I had to speed up through the older paintings upstairs and skim them. Great glassware section, and I loved the Beatles exhibits. (The photo with Muhammad Ali is awesome). Highly recommended!

Finally free. It used to be so expensive to get in. Thank you to whoever made this possible. I would have lived going there with my daughter when she was younger, if it hadn't been so pricey for us. The glass shop demo was wonderful yesterday. I also got to see the ODU students making items. A docent was giving a tour, small group, just me! They're in the process of putting up some new exhibits. I'll look forward to a return visit to see them.

It's a beautiful museum. Contemporary art isn't my thing, but I did enjoy the ancient statues and statuettes from around the world. I would definitely still recommend anyone, local or visiting, to give this place a shot at least once. It's freeee..

I love this zoo. My parents used to bring me here as a child and I have such fond memories of those visits. I still enjoy it now. It's a well designed zoo with basically a single route through all of the exhibits. My wife and I can walk it easily in several hours and grab lunch about halfway through. Compared to the national zoo in DC and the Baltimore zoo I actually prefer this one for both exhibits and size. If you are in the area you should pay it a visit.

This is a nice Zoo with a variety of animals for a family or couple to enjoy. The prices for admission are reasonable and I even received a discount for showing my college identity card. There is a cool little train ride that is great for kids and a fountain area near the entrance to cool you off. Some animals were not visible or were out of their exhibits but that was mainly due to the heat.

There weren’t many animals outside since it was a hot day, which I understand, so that’s not the reason for my low rating. You can still spot them in the shady areas if you look close enough. My rating is due to the lack of animals at all. Most of the enclosures had nothing in them whatsoever, almost like they were never there in the first place. The ones that did had animals that, quite honestly, appeared depressed, especially the Orangutan in the main enclosure. A lot of the enclosures also seemed far too small for certain animals. There were also animals that usually live in large groups (bison, monkeys, lion and lionesses, etc.) who were all alone in their enclosures. The Orangutans were separated. Two were in a very small viewing area. One of them was sitting near a window inside, staring out at the main enclosure like he wanted to be outside instead. The third Orangutan that was in the main enclosure was just lying on the ground, fiddling with some hay. I’ve never in my life seen Orangutans act like this. They’re usually very lively and happy animals. Other animals looked overheated, but had nowhere to go. I can’t remember what type of bird it was (maybe a toucan) who was on the hilltop area — the poor thing looked miserable and he didn’t seem like he had anywhere to cool off. Quite a few animals looked sick or like they weren’t receiving proper care, especially the Bald Eagle. He was sitting on a perch by himself and his feathers looked absolutely pitiful. The path for the hilltop area was under construction. Once you reached the top, you had to walk all the way back and go around to see the other side. Most of the zoo is filled by play areas or blank space. It feels more like a city park with random animals tossed in at certain points than an actual zoo. It really feels as though this zoo cares more about appearances and being pretty rather than the conservation of the animals that live there. Overall, I wouldn’t return to this zoo for another visit. It’s very lackluster (and, quite frankly, sad) in comparison to other zoos. I also didn’t take very many pictures, which I normally do, since it was so underwhelming.

Great well maintained zoo, not as many animals as other zoos I’ve been. Not crowded. Most exhibits had better views than other places. Very kid friendly.

Overall a very clean and well kept zoo. Not the largest we have been too, but the paths were nice and the enclosures were large and detailed. If I lived closer, it is one I would consider revisiting frequently. Staff was very friendly , and the family memberships were reasonably priced.

We love it here! My kids enjoy it every time we come! They love it so much we had to get a membership. Visiting in the Fall and Spring is a little better than coming in the Summer, not as hot and more action with the animals but we love it either way! Early mornings when they open have been little more lively when it comes to the animals in our experience too but prepare for little bit of a wait as there is usually quite a line, it moves pretty quickly though! I definitely recommend getting your tickets in advance if you can, it helps to cut down wait times!

Came here at the beginning of August with my boyfriend and his sister and we had a great time. They had some very cool and interesting animals including lions, tigers, giraffes and rhinos and more. There were some enclosures that we didn’t see any animals in which was kind of disappointing but other than that we all had fun and would definitely come back again. I loved the giraffe exhibit and how they had it where you can be up close to the giraffes face/head and see them eating. And they have a college student discount on zoo tickets as long as you bring your valid school id

Nice little zoo, nothing too big but plenty to see. The enclosures had great viewing areas and some of the animals were closer then what I have seen at other zoo's. The walk in goat area was pretty cool for the kids. There are plenty of rest room areas in the zoo, but garbage was overflowing in the trash cans in the bathrooms and in some that were outside, ie at the end of the giraffe area before going into their building.

Hi 👋🏼 I was there this Saturday. It was my first time in Virginia and first time at the zoo. Such a wonderful find ! The zoo is kept so clean and the animals all seemed so healthy and happy. I love how close the animals were. And how interactive we could get with them. I'm from NY and our zoos are nothing compared to this one. The animals in our zoos are so far and out of reach it is so hard to even see them. I also appreciate and have nothing but great things to say about every single staff and volunteer member. Even down to the Cafe staff. I had so many questions about the animals and I was answered with such knowledgeable answers and they did not tire of my questions and were so nice . It was also so amazing to see not only the baby giraffe but the rhino ! Plus the countless other animals and reptiles I have never encountered before. Also, Molly the goat stole my heart. Such a wonderful experience. Thank you so much !!

This is a good zoo but we have been member’s about two years and visited several times. Most times many of the animals are off exhibit without explanation such as today. Still a pretty place. They do have a adorable baby rhino and giraffe.

Beautiful zoo and animals are well taken care of with spacious habitats! Definitely the zoo to go to if you’re worried on supporting a place that properly cares! There’s even a petting zoo section where you can pet cows, goats and alpacas! Just don’t get soda from the vending machine because it will explode😅

For the admission you really can't beat it it has so much gd walking and really taking care of sceneries. Well kept ground with very nice knowledgeable employees we had the honor to see a born yesterday giraffe he was big 6ft and ready to go the Zoo layout was very gd no issues of see animals or being close to them I loved the meerkats pretty cool animals a must for kids and toddlers a must if your in the area. Thumbs up Virginia always a pleasure coming here

A great zoo for all ages, but especially toddlers and small children. Manageable in a day or even afternoon, but with great animals! My toddler loved the tiger and giraffes, as well as petting the goats. Beautifully landscaped with many fun play areas. The “playground” isn’t really what I’d call a playground, but over all I was very impressed.

We visited Virginia Zoo as part of the YMCA/Zoo membership swap for the month of October. The kids loved every exhibit. The staff was friendly and knowledgeable, they encouraged and answered all of our questions about the animals. We had a great time and will be visiting again in a couple weeks.

Went to the zoo with my family, wife 2 daughter's son-in-law, and 3 grandchildren. We had a fun time seeing all the animals and reptiles i had rented a scooter from them for the day. We stopped for lunch in their food court. The French fries are a must. Their food was good. If you're going or you don't know what to do for the day, definitely go you and your family will have a great time there.

I have been to many zoos, it is not Omaha or San Diego but as Virginias only zoo it did not disappoint. The day we went was a public holiday and had over 2k visitors but the flow of the park made it feel less congested. Staff were kind and because there was no parking had us park in an employee space. I liked the paved and brick walkways and well made wooden structures. The use of bamboo throughout the park made it beautiful. The zoo also sported lions, giraffes, and rhinos. Near the entrance is a snake for kids to walk on which is nice and there are lots of benches and a huge tree cuts out the sun on hot days. They also had lots of places to eat if you want to spend money. I'm glad there were no pay extra to see animals like in Chicago and other zoos as I think that is a fleecing of Americans. My family will definitely go again.

Surprisingly great zoo! My favorite was the massive reptile/amphibian house, as well as the baby giraffes and rhinos. Looks recently updated. Lots of informative signs and cute animals. Can see the whole zoo in 2-3 hours depending on pace. Still a lot of animals on exhibit during the winter, although some are not there. There’s also a petting zoo section for young kids. Food was available, but at least off-season (January), the options were pretty limited — hot dogs, fries, nuggets.

Me and my daughter absolutely loved it. She wanted to see tigers so bad...I wanted to sit lol. She wandered around the Asian Landa for a bit and I sat my but down on a cross breeze bench. Looking at the exhibit. After about 15 min she came back sad and I said patience is what you need as I gazed back towards the enclosure...when guess what showed!!! The tiger!!! Best day ever

Went on a Saturday with my wife, and it wasn't too busy. You can see all the exhibits in about 2 hours. It was semi-warm with some wind this day, so most animals were active being up and about.

A long weekend trip to VA Beach and a spare day led me to the zoo. My visit was on a Monday and there were few other guests. Most of the animals were out and active (less the Red Panda) in the sun. $19.00 admission was a bargain. I'm looking forward to a future visit and a 'behind the scenes' activity / tour that you pay extra for and need to book in advance. Great place for kids, adults or seniors. Everywhere is wheel chair accessible. Super clean facility and very kind staff. Limited lunch items to buy there

Well worth the visit when in Norfolk. Great collection of memorabilia and historical stuff related the General MacArthur and various campaigns that he was involved with spanning decades and wars during his career. He definitely lived in interesting times and was involved with some major turning points through history. Very well maintained museum with brief video history of MacArthur’s lifetime and involvement in the military. Clean bathrooms, nice gift shop and friendly staff. Parking is available across the street at the MacArthur mall for $1.00 an hour. Expect to spend at least an hour for a quick tour or longer if you want to immerse yourself in the collection. Admission is free and there is lots to see in the downtown area. Highly recommended.

Interesting, not crowded. Parking next door at the mall. Pretty park setting around the building. And….free!

As a kid I didn't appreciate this museum when my family would bring relatives. Basically, if your Filipino, you visit this museum because of how important and beloved General MacArthur is to us and our history. Now as an adult I can't get over how awesome this place is. There's a wealth of knowledge and the exhibitions and gift shop are cool. I love the courtyard and all three buildings. I'm definitely getting a membership and bringing more people here.

The MacArthur Memorial offers an unforgettable experience with its insightful tour that unveils untold stories. Exploring the memorial is a journey through history, and the guided tour brilliantly brings to light the often overlooked narratives. The depth of information and the engaging storytelling make this visit truly memorable. A must-see for anyone seeking a profound understanding of MacArthur's legacy and the untold tales that enrich our historical perspective.

Nicely done. Great memorial. Lots of history I hope that gets to stay around for many years to come.

Went there for the first time in like 95 I believe in kindergarten. Went back when I was older I love it. It's a good free date. If you're looking to save money. Plus learn some history. Entry is free just donate some money.

It is a great place to know more details for one of the most famous America 5-star General. What he did had a huge impact in Asia, especially Japan, Korea, Philippines, and China! As a Chinese, I am glad to visit here and gain so much information about the history and the brave General. Highly recommended!

Free admission Open Tuesday-Saturday 10-5pm Metered Street parking was easy to find and there's a garage nearby They offer a podcast tour and group tour. There's a great gift shop, theatre and courtyard to explore

A wonderful museum which takes you through MacArthur's storied life and accomplishments. Of course, you can visit the man himself too!

A good memorial/ museum to learn about General Douglas MacArthur, a man who dedicated his entire life to serve the country and protect all American citizens. Cost $0 to get in and you can easily spend 1.5 hours in it so there is really no excuse for you to no go and learn about the history. Parking is available in the shopping mall, cost only $1 for the first 3 hours.

A must visit place for any WW2 enthusiasts. The memorial was beautiful and very well kept. The musuem had lots of personal items that belonged to General MacArthur. I am a huge history fanatic and I was in awe of seeing his corn cob pipe Raybans and hat in person.

Such a highly informative museum dedicated to a true American hero! Highly recommended for history buffs! My kids even enjoyed the scavenger hunt he museum created inside the mausoleum. 🇺🇸🇵🇭

As a Korean-American and also military fam, I will always be grateful to General Douglas Macarthur for saving South Korea from North Korea. Had he not intervened at the Battle of Incheon with his smart strategy, North Korea would’ve won and all of us would be under communist rule. I came to give my thanks to his gravesite and also viewed the museum with awe at this amazing and accomplished General, giving his life to duty with his masterminded war strategies. I am thankful to him both as an American citizen and as a Korean national. Most Korean people view Americans very favorably due to General Douglas Macarthur saving our country. Thank you. There is also a statue of him in Korea (Incheon) as well.

So many awesome things to look at and they have a wonderful gift shop. Everyone working there was very nice and knowledgeable. We parked in the mall parking garage and spent three hours between the Museum and eating at the food court. It does cost to park in the garage, but we were there for 3 hours and it only cost us $1, not bad at all. We could have easily spent the whole day there if we took our time to look at everything. It really is a great place to go, and to top it off, it is all free for the public and so well kept. I am actually looking forward to going back for a showing about Iwo Jima they will be having in their theatre room.