Culture in Virginia Beach facts for kids
Virginia Beach, Virginia is a fun city that many people love to visit! It's known for its cool history, interesting science spots, and awesome shows.
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Explore Virginia Beach's Amazing Attractions
The Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center is a super popular place right by the ocean. It has a huge tank with sand tiger sharks, nurse sharks, and brown sharks, plus stingrays and other big ocean animals. You can also see a 70,000-gallon tank for sea turtles and even a lab where baby sea turtles hatch! There are hands-on exhibits, jellyfish, octopuses, and a life-size model of a humpback whale. Don't miss the Owls Creek salt marsh and a nature trail outside.
If you love music and shows, the Farm Bureau Live is the place to be! It hosts all kinds of concerts, from country stars like Kenny Chesney to rock bands like Coldplay. The Sandler Center is another great spot for shows. It's a beautiful theater that opened in 2007 and can seat 1200 people.
Virginia Beach is also full of history, with 18 places listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Some of these cool old spots include the Adam Thoroughgood House, which is one of the oldest homes in Virginia from the colonial times. There's also the Francis Land House, a 200-year-old plantation, and the Cape Henry Lights, which are historic lighthouses.
One interesting historical story is about a house built by William and Susannah Moseley in 1649. They came from the Netherlands and built a big house with a Dutch-style roof. Later, during the American Civil War, the house was used as a school for 200 freed people who had just gained their freedom.
The Edgar Cayce Hospital for Research and Enlightenment was started in Virginia Beach in 1928. Edgar Cayce was a psychic who lived there until 1945. His followers are still active in the city today. He also opened Atlantic University in 1930, which later reopened in 1985.
Movies Made in Virginia Beach
Did you know that several movies have been filmed in or near Virginia Beach? Some of them include:
- Deep Impact (1998)
- Hearts in Atlantis (2001)
- Navy SEALs (1990)
- Mission: Impossible III (2006) was filmed at the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel, which connects to Virginia Beach.
Awesome Parks and Outdoor Fun
Virginia Beach has over 200 city parks, covering more than 4,000 acres! These parks offer everything from open fields to playgrounds, picnic spots, and sports fields.
One of the most famous parks is Mount Trashmore Park. It's easy to spot from the highway! This park is 165 acres and features a "mountain" that is 60 feet high and over 800 feet long. It was actually made from compacted layers of solid waste and clean soil, which is pretty unique! The park also has two lakes, Lake Windsor and Lake Trashmore, where you can even go fishing.
Another great park is Great Neck Park, which is 70 acres. It has picnic shelters, playgrounds, volleyball courts, walking trails, and baseball fields. There's even a gazebo with a beautiful view of the Lynnhaven River.
The Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge, started in 1938, is a huge 8,000-acre freshwater refuge. It's located between the Atlantic Ocean and Back Bay. Here you can find big sand dunes, forests, marshes, ponds, and ocean beaches. It's a great place to see wild birds in the winter!
You can also visit First Landing State Park and False Cape State Park, both located right on the coast.
The famous three-mile boardwalk at the oceanfront is always buzzing with activity! You'll find outdoor cafes, concerts, and lots of people enjoying themselves. Every September, the Neptune Festival is held here, which is a huge outdoor celebration.
The Naval Aviation Monument Park was opened in 2006. It has amazing statues and carvings that tell the story of Naval Aviation, which is super important to Virginia Beach's history.
Cool Places to See
Here are some other cool spots to check out in Virginia Beach:
- Adam Thoroughgood House
- Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge
- Cape Henry
- First Landing State Park
- Francis Land House
- Military Aviation Museum
- Mount Trashmore Park
- Naval Air Station Oceana
- Norwegian Lady Statue
- Ocean Breeze Waterpark
- Virginia Beach Surf & Rescue Museum
- Virginia Beach Convention Center
- Virginia Beach Town Center
- Virginia Aquarium
- Virginia Beach Oceanfront
Sports and Fun Events
Virginia Beach doesn't have any major professional sports teams, but there's still plenty of sports action!
There are two soccer teams called the Hampton Roads Piranhas. The men's team plays in the USL Premier Development League, and the women's team plays in the W-League. Both teams play at the Virginia Beach Sportsplex. The Sportsplex is also where the U.S. women's national field hockey team trains!
If you love surfing, you'll want to know about the East Coast Surfing Championships. This is the oldest surfing contest in North America, and it happens every year! Over 100 professional surfers and 400 amateur surfers compete for big prizes.
Virginia Beach also has many golf courses open to the public. Some of the best-known ones are Hell's Point Golf Club and Virginia Beach National.
For gymnasts, there are great gyms like Ocean Tumblers and Excalibur that host competitions all year.
The North American Sand Soccer Championship is held once a year on the beach. Teams from all over the world come to compete in this exciting tournament.
Virginia Beach also hosts a Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon every year on Labor Day weekend. It's one of the biggest half marathons in the world, and the last three miles are run right on the boardwalk!
News and Media
Virginia Beach has its own daily newspaper called the Virginian-Pilot. There are also other local papers and magazines like Hampton Roads Magazine.
You can also find many radio stations and television channels that serve Virginia Beach. Some of the main TV channels include:
Channel | Callsign | Network(s) | Website |
---|---|---|---|
3 | WTKR | (CBS) | http://www.wtkr.com/ |
10 | WAVY | (NBC) | http://www.wavy.com |
13 | WVEC | (ABC) | http://www.wvec.com/ |
15 | WHRO | (PBS) | http://www.whro.org/ |
27 | WGNT | (CW) | http://www.cw27.com/ |
33 | WTVZ | (MyNetworkTV) | http://www.mytvz.com |
43 | WVBT | (Fox) | https://web.archive.org/web/20080214194335/http://www.myfoxhamptonroads.com// |
49 | WPXV | (ION Television) | https://web.archive.org/web/20080215223141/http://www.ionline.tv// |
Residents can also get cable TV from Cox Cable or Verizon FiOS, and satellite TV from DirecTV and Dish Network.