Neptune's Park is a must-visit if you're in Virginia Beach. That giant bronze statue of King…read moreNeptune? It's basically the Eiffel Tower or Big Ben of the Oceanfront; towering, iconic, and perfect for photos. I got an amazing pic there with my little brother that I'll always treasure. The park itself is a chill, grassy space right off the boardwalk, often buzzing with live music and people just soaking up the vibe. It's the perfect spot to relax after a stroll or while waiting for the next show to start, there's also beach access not too far from the park if you want to feel the sand in-between your toes, soak up the sun, or hop in the Atlantic Ocean. Surrounding the park is a whole world of things to do; plenty of places to eat, drink, and shop within walking distance. Whether you're in the mood for seafood, a cocktail, or something sweet, it's all right there. Great views, good energy, and that unforgettable Neptune statue this spot is a Coastal Virgina staple for tourists and locals alike.

I went to Neptune Park to participate in the SOLD OUT She Crab Soup competition…read more It was a great experience. The restaurants really came out for this competition. There was even the Food Network doing a special! The only downfall was that the space was crowded! I definitely believe they should move it to a larger park either in VB or Norfolk. The winner was Tempt! 100000/10 recommend.

My son and I were in Virginia Beach for the NHSCA Wrestling Tournament this year, and we had an…read moreepic time. One of the absolute highlights of the trip was visiting Nightmare Mansion--and wow, it did not disappoint. This was hands down the best haunted house I've ever been to. The actors were incredible, the timing was perfect, and the scares are very real--in the best, most fun way. They do an amazing job of keeping you on edge the entire time. If you're anywhere near the boardwalk, this is a must-do. Be ready... you will get scared, and you'll love every second of it. Highly recommend!

Nightmare Mansion is a thrilling, spooky experience with creepy surprises at every turn. Perfect…read morefor fans of a good scare and a fun adventure. Highly recommend!

Don't know why this place was moved here but here we are. This place was a huge let down. The size…read moreis small and the self guide tour is over pretty quickly. There are two main rooms and a kids room before the exit where arts and crafts can be done. Viewing the entirety of the museum takes 20 minutes tops. The art itself is creative and eye catching for sure. The best part is it's free, otherwise this place would have no value at all.

This review is for Thank You Gallery…read more Tucked inside another museum, Thank You Gallery is a hidden gem in Virginia worth seeking out. The space is intimate but thoughtful, and the curation feels fresh and intentional. Andrew (who worked there) was excellent -- welcoming, knowledgeable, and clearly passionate about the work on display. Definitely a nice surprise and well worth a stop if you're in the area.

I remember years ago, when the project was first discussed, the vision that there should be a…read morerevitalized pathway between the Oceanfront & the Convention Center. The area would provide a walking zone for tourists, turning the rundown area into an arts & entertainment center. Fast forward to 2015 when City Council voted to establish the ViBe Creative District. In addition to the city's participation, a nonprofit organization was created and the vision of the ViBe began to be created into reality. An area adjacent to the Oceanfront didn't need to be filled with rundown buildings and vacant lots. It deserved to be a vibrant area that both locals and tourists would love and appreciate. Today the area contains restaurants, coffee shops, art galleries and a plethora of beautiful murals. Longtime popular surf shop WRV shares new neighbors that range from a distillery to leather smiths. The district is home to an annual mural festival and the Old Beach Farmer's Market. It's an area that calls for walking and exploration, rather than driving to a favorite eatery or coffee shop. If one motors through the area today there isn't a lot of foot traffic, even during tourist season. That's disappointing. Hopefully its new neighbor, the long anticipated Atlantic Park, will change that. The Dome Concert Arena has already opened as has the Surf Park, the only man made wave park in the world located near an ocean. Under construction are still urban residences, office space, shopping & restaurants. The future looks bright for the ViBe Creative District. So park your vehicle and walk the area built on the vision of a world where art is an integral component of the community.

Absolutely love wandering around & bringing friends to see all the cool art in the Vibe District! :)read more

We took my sister out for her birthday and the Lost Planet was on her list of what she wanted to do…read moreand we did. We arrived as soon as they opened, the girls behind the counter were very sweet and informative. They were very matter of fact type of energy so it might rub some people the wrong way. Reasonably priced. I wouldn't suggest that anyone under 12 try the upstairs portion. They do have a mirror maze though for all ages. They will ask you to wear plastic gloves though. I would say it could take between 30 minutes to an hour depending on how many people are there or how long you stay in one area. There is a photo op room first; they say it's two but really one large area where a worker (our girl was funny as heck) will help you take photos and offer suggestions. There are a few other rooms with different aspects that are super cool or interactive. I'd share exactly but wouldn't want to ruin the surprise. They also do a "scavenger hunt where you take a photo of the item and at the end get a surprise. It's just a small kids trinket (like a squishy). They could use some updates and fresh paint. Biggest suggestion is having a broom for the confetti. Picking them up with your hand was gross. It's definitely a one type thing but still fun. Overall enjoyed our experience.

Decided to give this place a try while out on the boardwalk. They have a mirrors maze downstairs…read moreand a Selfie/Funhouse upstairs, so we decided to do both. We did have a 30 minute wait to do the Funhouse so we decided to do the maze first. The maze wasn't very long, honestly probably five minutes or less to go through it, so we basically went back and forth through the maze numerous times to pass the time. I would give the maze a 6/10; it was decently fun, but would've been better if there was just more to it and it was longer. *they take and hold purses/bags with them behind the counter while you're in the maze; you get your purse back before you go upstairs though* As for the Selfie/Funhouse, I definitely loved the concepts/themes in the different rooms and the trippy aspects in each room. I recall there were only 4 rooms and a few decorated/themed walk through halls. I would give it an 8/10; I thought it was pretty cool. Definitely felt like it could've used a few more rooms/interactive areas. For what they provided though, I would say it was a pretty decent experience. You definitely go through the entire thing in about 15-20 minutes, so just like the maze, not very long; really just in and out. After doing it once, I don't see myself going back again unless they were to add some new aspects to the place. My overall rate of experience : 7/10

This mural is huge. It is the work of a very talented local artist, Sam Welty and is part of his…read moreGreat America series. It is located on Pacific Avenue and 24th street, across from a 7-11. It on the side of the Blue Marlin Motel and over looks a private parking lot, but it is up high, so the parked vehicles do not present any obstructions. It is amazing and is a whopping 50 feet tall and 140 feet wide. Welty primary objective of the mural was to show appreciation to COVID frontline workers. It depicts several essential workers including a bunch of doctors and nurses, firefighters, police officers, grocery store clerk, a chef, delivery person, a construction foreman and an EMT. At the bottom of the mural is a quote by the late Fred Rogers, host of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood. It reads, "Look to the helpers, you will always find people who are helping." Below that, you will see a bunch of identical panels with people dressed in formal wear with mask on. They read, "Health Care & Service Workers of the World" at the top, "Thank You" and "You Are Appreciated!!" across the bottom. The color and detail of this mural is very impressive. It demands your attention. If you want to get out and take a closer look, there is metered street parking and a few commercial lots and garages within walking distance that you can park at to visit here. The meters cost about $2/ hour and the lots vary in price depending on what is going on and the season. I saw the mural after going to get some snacks from the 7-11 right across the street. I just left my car parked there and walk across the street. What I found extra interesting about the mural is that you will find instructions on how to create the perfect selfie/GIF there on a plaque. It shows you where the best spots for the photographer and subject to stand and give the final instruction to "have fun and be creative". I really like this mural. It puts Welty's talent on full display. This is a must see for any public art hunters or fans in the area. Anyway, as with most murals that I have visited and reviewed, this is not a very long stop. I was there less than 5 minutes.  You may want to consider planning out additional stops at many of the other boardwalk attractions, or making this stop part of a larger itinerary to maximize your time and trip. I would start with the King Neptune Statue and the Naval Aviation Memorial to name just a few.

Easy upgrade and update on the oceanfront library. Since my last review the library has been…read morerenovated and looks amazing! I had a book on hold that I picked up. The staff was efficient and took care of my transaction without a hitch. The library is now bright and attractive. The sections I saw were clean and organized. It was also nice to see quite a few patrons utilizing the library. It's been way overdue for me to update my previous review. I'm thrilled to see the oceanfront now have a beautiful renovation.

This small but resourceful library is located in the VIBE district of Virginia Beach. It has a…read morelarge children's collection of books. Lots of media like DVDs and CD audio. Also, the front area has a great resource area for social assistance. The library also has a good natural sunlight to brighten up the facility.

This is a cool lighthouse to see and you can actually walk up to the top of the oldest one. It is…read moremaybe about 100 steps or so and there are good views. You can also walk down the street some and go to an look out point over the ocean. There is also an old chapel there but it is currently under construction. What makes this lighthouse a pain to see is that it is located on a military base and it seems apparent that it is an inconvenience for them and thus they will make it so for you. Once you go through a TSA like process and show you ID 3-4 times, they take the ID for your ticket. Then you are shuttled in by a van. The driver was nice enough and they do come around often to take you back to get your idea. I do NOT recommend doing this if there is any line to get through. It is a slow process. There was no one else in the screening shed and it was SLOW. Plus it must be a hang out location as well because when we got back there were 4 people laid out in all the chairs in there just hanging around. Good lighthouse- unfortunate location

Whether you're a local or visiting, make sure to carve out 30 minutes to an hour to visit…read more Located on Fort Story - a military base, Cape Henry Lighthouse is a historical site with 191 steps leading to the top opening to beautiful views of the ocean and the newer Cape Henry lighthouse in the backdrop. IDs are required to enter base as well as proof of car insurance. Please refer to their website for more up to date info for entrance. If you are a civilian visiting you can still visit but must park to the left upon checking in at the gate. From there a tram will pick you up and drive to the lighthouse entrance. If you have military base access you can park right in the lot at the entrance of the lighthouse. I suggest purchasing tickets on groupon for the best prices. The only restrooms are port a potties to the left of the gift shop entrance. Check in is at the counter in the gift shop. One person from your group needs to sign in. As someone mentioned before, the wifi can be spotty so if you have a groupon or ticket on your phone, you might want to do a screenshot. There are a lot of steps to navigate once you exit the gift shop to the actual entrance of the lighthouse. There was a docent at the top of the stairs that automatically spouted out facts and history about the lighthouse. Although there are 191 steps it's manageable for most people even if you don't exercise on the daily and as long as you have ability to navigate stairs in general. There's one landing on the spiral staircase and a straight ladder to climb to get to the top. It can get hot up there. All three of us were sweating but it wasn't the hottest day either. Maybe roughly 5-10 people max can fit at the top. The views of the ocean are relaxing. We even had a sailboat peacefully sail by. I wouldn't wear a dress to the lighthouse if you're climbing up. If you decide to, wear shorts underneath. Probably not a long dress or skirt or flip flops either so you don't trip going up the ladder. If you have sandals with ankle straps you should be fine. There really isn't much else to see at the lighthouse though. At the base there are more scenic photo ops and a compass on the ground. The newer lighthouse isn't open to the public except on lighthouse day, August 7th, the main reason it's not open to the public the rest of the year is it's a working lighthouse.

Cannot believe that I've never been to the Hermitage Museum and Gardens until yesterday…read more The home is stunning. The wood working, the art collection and the beautiful grounds; all stunning. If you are looking for something to do on a sleepy afternoon this may be the place for you to visit. Almost forgot to mention that they allow dogs to walk the grounds as long as you clean up after your fur baby.

I came expecting "a nice little museum" and accidentally entered the main character phase of my…read morelife. The house looks like Gatsby retired here to start gardening and finally find inner peace. Every room feels fancy enough that you instinctively whisper, even when you're alone judging antique furniture like you suddenly have generational wealth. The gardens? Absolutely disrespectful to regular parks. Trees posing like they know they're beautiful, peacocks walking around with the confidence of influencers, and views of the water that make you question every life decision that didn't involve buying a mansion in 1915. Perfect place for a peaceful stroll, deep thoughts, or pretending you're in a period drama waiting for someone to confess forbidden love near the azaleas.

I was originally super excited to check out this coffee shop that so many of my yelp friends…read moreenjoyed. The parking situation is a gravel road with a good bit of parking spots. In the backyard of the house, there's a playground and picnic tables, making this a cute spot to bring the little ones while you enjoy a treat outside too. Of course, I ordered a Lavender Honey Latte because that's just my go to. It was beautifully and perfectly crafted! It was so delicious. At the end of the cup, I was debating ordering another because it was that good! I also order the breakfast bowl, but wish I hadn't. I knocked off one star due to the poor food experience. I waited maybe 15 mins or so for my food to be ready (no biggy as I wasn't in a rush). But when I bit into my food, it was cold. The eggs were inedible. The bacon was chilled and I guess served in syrup. The avocado was perfectly ripe. Overall, I wouldn't recommend the breakfast bowl, especially not this for $15+ dollars. If I visit again, I'll stick with the lattes and skip the food!

I haven't been here since it changed from Sawdust Road. I absolutely love the drive out to Pungo,…read moreso decided on Sunday morning to take the drive out and give Corduroy a try! For a Sunday at 9AM, it was not busy which was great since I was on a time crunch. It's an old, rustic farmhouse that when you walk in, truly feels like you're walking into someone's home. I ordered an iced latte with their homemade strawberry syrup and almond milk, and my friend got a black cold brew. The strawberry syrup was incredible. Not too sweet, and it was the PERFECT addition to my usual coffee order. 10/10 recommend for you strawberry fans. The food menu looked fantastic, but I was not hungry so we settled for the liquid diet this morning. But, the burrito and the pimento BLT definitely caught my eye for next time. The inside is super cute, with such a cool vibe. It would be a great place to come back with my laptop to get work done! We sat outside before it started to get too hot, and it truly felt like we were at someones house, drinking coffee on their porch. Such a cozy vibe. I loved this spot.