The Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center

Come explore over 800,000 gallons of one of the best aquariums and live animal habitats in the country at the Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center. Check out our hundreds of hands-on exhibits, outdoor aviary, nature trail, and marshlands. Plus you won't want to miss our 3D IMAX® Theater. Of course with a screen six stories tall and eight stories wide, it'd be impossible to miss! Bay and Ocean Pavilion: From the rivers to the Chesapeake Bay and finally, into the depths of the Atlantic Ocean, this Journey of Water through Virginia introduces you to the many aquatic animals and plants that are native to the state. See the largest collection of Chesapeake Bay fishes and meet a horseshoe crab at the Chesapeake Bay touch pool. Observe Loggerhead, Kemp's ridley, and Green turtles in the Chesapeake Light Tower Aquarium. Watch in wonder as sharks, stingrays and other ocean dwellers navigate Norfolk Canyon Aquarium. Learn about the science of oceanography through engaging, hands-on exhibits. Restless Planet, opened in 2009, features 6,000 new animals including Komodo dragons, rare Tomistoma crocodiles and more. Four immersive habitats, new hands-on exhibits, and 110,000 gallons of new aquariums show forces that shaped Virginia to become the landscape it is today.