Boardwalk: The sounds of waves crashing on the shore, children laughing, music playing in the distance, the smell of suntan lotion, your favorite foods grilling just steps away; the sight of happy people biking, jogging, rollerblading or taking a leisurely stroll; the feel of a cool ocean breeze on a warm summer night. This is the Virginia Beach Boardwalk, truly a piece of Americana. Free entertainment at the 24th, 17th and 7th Street stages. Walk.

Beach Street USA: Along the sidewalks of Atlantic Avenue, between 17th and 25th Streets, enjoy theme performances June through August. In addition, there are over 100 days of entertainment at the oceanfront, along with special events and festivals throughout the city year-around. 757 425-3111/800 822-3224, www.beacheventsfun.com Walk.

Virginia Aquarium Marine Science Center: Explore the mysteries of the deep (and the shallow) at one of the top marine science museums in the country. It features a huge open-ocean aquarium, live sharks, over 100 hands-on exhibits, a giant sea turtle aquarium, a loggerhead turtle hatchling lab, plus the amazing six-story-high IMAX 3D Theater. 757 385-FISH, www.virginiaaquarium.com  3 miles – by trolley, bus, or car.

Boat Trips Sponsored by the Virginia Marine Science Museum:

• Coastal Explorer: Half-hour pontoon boat tours through Owls Creek Marsh.
•  Dolphin Watch: Two-hour ocean excursion to observe bottlenose dolphins in their natural habitat.
• Ocean Collections: Professionals trawl the ocean floor for samples of sea life to bring on board during this 90-minute boat trip. 
• Reservations required. 757 437-6000

Virginia Beach GTE Amphitheater: Enjoy concerts and other special events. For concert schedule: 757 368-3000, www.vwvba.com 9 miles – by trolley or car.

Golf: Between our year-around sunshine and over 20 challenging area golf courses (designed by the likes of Pete Dye, Curtis Strange, Fred Couples and Gene Bates), Virginia Beach is fast becoming one of the top golf destinations in the southeast. 757 491-7866/800 822-3224, www.vbgolf.com Courses are from 4 miles to 60 miles away. Car.

Tennis: Close to 200 free public tennis courts throughout the city. Most courts are lighted. 757 219-2695 Courts are from 4 blocks to 4 miles away. Walk, trolley or car.

Kayak Nature Tours, Ltd. offers guided Dolphin Kayaking Adventures, calm water Kayaking at 64th Street inside First Landing State Park and Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge. We also offer many other paddling locations as well as all day trips.
Visit our web site at  http://www.kayaknaturetours.net   or call us directly to plan your next kayaking adventure.
Local-(757) 480-1999    Toll Free-(888) 669-8368

Fishing and Oceanfront Cruises:  Deep sea fishing excursions and sightseeing cruises from Rudee Inlet. 757 491-8000, www.virginiafishing.com 2 miles – trolley, bus or car.

Water Sports and Equipment Rentals: Information on surfing, boogie-boarding, windsurfing, jet skiing, para-sailing, scuba diving, canoeing, sailing and more. Most equipment can be rented near the beach. 757 491-7866/800 822-3224

Surf Report Hotline: 757 428-0404 ext. 2

First Landing State Park: Virginia's most visited state park is also famous as the site of the landing of the first permanent English settlers in 1607. Today, this National Natural Landmark features 19 miles of hiking trails, a bike trail, boat ramp and picnic areas. 757 412-2300, www.dcr.state.va.us/parks/1stland

• Chesapeake Bay Center: Informative visitor center features aquariums, environmental and historical exhibits and displays, classroom space and information on nature-based tourism activities in the area. 757 412-2316 
• Main entrance on Rt. 60(Shore Dr.) is 10 miles away – car only. The back entrance on 64th Street is 3 miles from "Angie's" – walk, trolley, bus or car.

Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge: A 7700-acre beach, woodland and marsh refuge for a wide variety of migratory birds, endangered species and other wildlife, including snow geese, marsh hawks, red foxes, loggerhead turtles and American Bald Eagles. Bike, hike or take the tram. 757 721-2412, http://backbay.fws.gov Car only - 45 minute drive.

False Cape State Park: A pristine, ocean-to-freshwater bay habitat. See white-tailed deer, wild boar, and horses on six miles of unspoiled beaches and miles of hiking and interpretive trails. 757 426-7128 www.dcr.state.va.us/parks – then click "False Cape".  Car only - 45 minute drive.

For information or reservations on the TRAM RIDE through Back Bay Wildlife Refuge to False Cape State Park, operated by the Back Bay Restoration Foundation, contact 757 426-3643 or www.bbrf.org.

Virginia Beach Pavilion Convention Center: It's a fantastic vaulted structure, and host to a number of events including theatrical and musical performances, meetings, craft shows and trade shows. 757 437-7600 1 mile – walk, trolley or car.

Contemporary Art Center of Virginia: Don't miss this center which focuses on 20th-century art and features an incredible hanging exhibition of American and international artists. 757 425-0000, www.cacv.org  5 blocks – walk.

The Old Coast Guard Station: Built in 1903, this museum vividly depicts its own life saving and Coast Guard History, as well as the many shipwrecks off the Virginia coast. 757 422-1587, www.oldcoastguardstation.com. Walk.

Ocean Breeze Waterpark, Va. Beach: 757 422-4444, 422-0718, 800 678-WILD
www.oceanbreezewaterpark.com. 10 min. drive or trolley
 
 

Cape Henry Lighthouse, Va. Beach: 757 422-9421

Children's Museum of Virginia, Portsmouth: 757 393-8393,
www.portsmouth.va.us/childrensmuseumva
Farmers' Market, Va. Beach: 757 427-4395
Mount Trashmore Park, Va. Beach: 757 473-5237
Sportsplex, Va. Beach: 757 427-2990
Adam Thoroughgood House, Va. Beach: 757 431-4000
Francis Land House, Va. Beach: 757 431-4000
Upper Wolfsnare House, Va. Beach: 757 491-3490
Virginia's Jewel, dinner ? sight seeing cruise, 757-425-6688
American Rover, Norfolk Harbor: 757 627-7245
Norfolk Botanical Garden, Norfolk: 757 441-5830
Virginia Zoological Park, Norfolk: 757 441-5227, www.virginiazoo.org
Norfolk Naval Base, Norfolk: Tours available: 757 444-7955
Norfolk Tides AAA Baseball, Norfolk: 757 622-2222, www.norfolktides.com
The Chrysler Museum of Art, Norfolk: 757 664-6200, www.chrysler.org
Virginia Air and Space Center, Hampton: 757 727-0900, www.vasc.org
Virginia Living Museum, Newport News: 757 595-1900, www.valivingmuseum.org
Nauticus, The National Maritime Center, Norfolk: 757 664-1000, www.nauticus.org

Busch Gardens, Williamsburg: 800 343-7946, www.buschgardens.com
Colonial Williamsburg: 800 HISTORY, www.colonialwilliamsburg.com
Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, Suffolk: 757 986-3705
Water Country USA, Williamsburg: 800 343-7946, www.watercountryusa.com
Jamestown Settlement, Jamestown: 757 253-4838, www.jamestown2007.org
Yorktown Victory Center, Yorktown: 757 887-1776, www.historyisfun.org

The following is a partial list of events and festivals in and around Virginia Beach: