i went to nauticus and did the self guided tour of the uss wisconsin battleship museum. we got to…read morego inside the battleship and walk through a bunch of different areas, which was probably the best part because it made everything feel more real instead of just looking at pictures or exhibits. the ship itself is huge, and seeing everything up close was really interesting. i liked being able to walk around at my own pace instead of being rushed through it. the deck views were really nice too, and the giant guns were honestly crazy to see in person because they're so much bigger than i thought they'd be. overall it was actually really fun and i'd definitely recommend it if you're in norfolk because it's something different and really interesting to experience. note -- it isn't handicap accessible, there are a lot of stairs you need to go up and down on.

A Must-See Winterfest Experience! I had such a magical time…read moreat Winterfest on the Wisconsin battleship! I went last Wednesday with family, and exploring the ship completely decked out in lights was honestly unforgettable. I knew ahead of time that they offered mocktails and cocktails, but I was not prepared for the surprises waiting onboard--like fresh donuts and spiked hot chocolate! Speaking of which... the spiked peppermint hot chocolate with a shot of white chocolate peppermint bark RumChata has officially changed my life. I don't think I can go back to regular hot chocolate for the rest of the season. It's the perfect holiday drink, and clearly a huge hit with the 21+ crowd. Beyond the festive drinks, Winterfest had so much more to offer, including a charming winter mini circus with magic and other fun acts. It was genuinely enjoyable for both kids and adults. I loved the added light displays leading up to the ship and throughout Town Point Park--they make the whole area feel like a glowing winter wonderland. Even if you can't make it onboard for the full Winterfest experience, the nighttime walk from the Pagoda in lights to Town Point Park is absolutely worth it. Such a wonderful holiday outing for families, friends, and anyone looking to soak up the season!

Went there the day after Thanksgiving and it was one of the best children's museums we've ever been…read moreto and that says a lot considering all of the free museums in DC where we are from. Also their miniature train exhibit is massive and very extensive. We could've spent all day there but we had to get back on the road to go home.

I took my niece to the Children's Museum today! It was so much fun! First of all it is an…read moreaffordable outing . Prices are excellent to get in. Parking is ample . Staff were super welcoming. The whole museum is interactive. There is a grocery store with fake food and checkouts. A train area with a tunnel and toys . There were science exhibits. There is a really cool race track in the circus area. My niece loved the dry erase marker art area and the blocks . We spent a good 2.5 hours! So much to see and do. We ended the day at the play area that had a cute bubble area next to it. Place was clean. I appreciated the hand sanitizer stations. Overall we had a wonderful experience at the Children's Museum in Portsmouth!

Great store! Great help! Large variety! It's a drive for us from Newport News so we dont go as…read moreoften as we would!

So I've been coming to this fish store for years, and I decided to come here on my birthday this…read moreyear to get some fish to add to my tank. I will NEVER step foot in this fish store ever again after my last experience. Started off with a female staff member offering help. A younger female employee ended up coming over and telling her that someone had a fish surrender. The two men working were nowhere to be found. She never came back to help me and ended up helping other groups In there. Fish are just put into tanks Willy nilly now as well which is irritating. Half the tanks are labeled poorly. Now the worst part. EVERY. SINGLE. TANK. HAD. DISEASE. There was even a catfish covered in some biofilm standing on its back fin STILL ALIVE. I will attach the photo. Bettas are also in horrid conditions. They used to clean their little jars often, but most definitely not anymore. Half have a swim bladder problem. Why charge so much for fish that are treated like crap? The Pride in the fish here is definitely gone. I ended up getting no fish that day and a bad taste in my mouth for my (used to be) favorite fish store. If I wanted diseased fish and garbage customer service, I would have went to petsmart.

When I saw on Taste Tidewater's Facebook post that there were only 3 spots left for their Oyster &…read moreWine tour, I reserved the same day! It is also my birthday month and have had my eye on this tour for awhile. It was fate! Not knowing what to expect, I jumped the gun and paid immediately. When Rex, the owner, sent the itinerary, I saw 3 local restaurants, Catch 31, Rockefeller's, & Tautogs. My first thoughts were, "I hope this isn't lame...", "I could go to these places myself..." The group met at Virginia Aquarium for an optional tour inside for the first 30mins. I arrived late. Now, I wish I made it on time to hear more about oysters. Rex tried finding the group for me & we walked all around the museum. It was way too crowded, I was late, & didn't mind waiting. Perhaps walkie talkies as a communication tool for the husband & wife team. Not just for late arrivals. :) Could be distracting too but, just a suggestion. The aquarium attendants had no idea who or where the group was. I did appreciate the effort. Not many would help me catch up with group especially, since I was late. Our first stop was Catch 31. Table was set and ready to go. We had three chefs(one including one of our guides, Chef Patrick Evans-Hylton) and the sommelier at our table. They educated us about the oysters & wine. They walked us through the various types of oysters & wine, regions, how to eat, & how to taste. We were served 4 oysters each from one of the 7 regions & two wine tastings. There were condiments and crackers on the table. I thought this was definitely the most informative restaurant out of the three. Next stop was Rockefeller's. Again, tables were set & wine was poured! No menu w/ descriptions. We had 2 raw oysters and 2 oysters rockefeller. Then, we were served hush puppies w/ pimento cheese which were amazing. Last, was coconut cake! This restaurant had more food offerings which was good because after several glasses of wine, I was hungry & others were too!! Last stop was Tautog's. They sat us outside & setup was more buffet style. Glasses of wine were on a table for us to pick up as we walked in. The presentation was beautifully prepared. They had 3 of their house sauces which were delicious! I thought the sauces were needed with these oysters. Others agreed. Didn't taste as fresh as the previous restaurants. I believe they were Lynnhaven and I've had Lynnhaven oysters before. So, not a reflection on the tour. There was also fresh cut fruit on the oyster platters. Only because TT asked, my recommendations would be: * Posting sample itineraries on social media * Clearer description of what to expect with regards to food so people know whether or not they should eat prior to the tour or pack a snack/sandwich. * Website shows they would be "happy to provide water and light snacks." None were offered. * Market/advertise the 10% off Yelp Check-in offer * Advise up front the 10% off Yelp Check-in is NOT valid for the Oyster & Wine tour. A portion of proceeds go towards non-profit which I totally understand & appreciate, just set the expectation. Overall, this was a lovely experience that one can comfortably do solo! I did and I truly enjoyed! Hands down. I am so happy to see a company like this on the East Coast and executing with such class. Please don't think this is a drunken wild party bus. It is a tasteful informative experience with subject matter experts who also enjoy partaking in libations while sharing their knowledge! :) I hope to see more food tours added to their current list. Rex, Lisa, & Chef Patrick were cordial, knowledgable, fun, and professional. Thank you so much for a memorable experience!

I went on the vineyard tour for a bachelorette party!! It was a fabulous time! Lisa, our tour…read moreguide, was knowledgeable, informative, and very hospitable!! Looking forward to the opportunity the either do a brewery tour or a different vineyard tour in the near future!!

Very disappointing experience. I do not recommend purchasing pets from this store…read more Today, my husband generously donated two large, healthy Oscar fish (which can grow up to 7 inches) because our tank at home was too small for them. While there, our 7-year-old son picked out three small glow fish, which we purchased at full price ($10 each)--no discount or credit was offered for the donation. We chose to support a local business, so we were happy to pay it forward. Unfortunately, within 30 minutes of introducing the new fish to our tank, they all died--despite proper acclimation. When my husband called the store to explain what happened and seek a possible resolution, he was told there was nothing they could do: no refund, no replacement, and no discussion of the fish we had donated just an hour earlier. The store simply cited a strict no-return policy. When I arrived home, our son was heartbroken and in tears. He had gone from feeling excited about his new fish to having none at all in the span of half an hour. This experience felt very disrespectful and dismissive, especially considering our goodwill donation. The customer service lacked empathy, and it's clear this business is not community-oriented. I will be sharing our experience with other local and military families so they can make an informed decision, NOT to shop here. If I could give zero stars, I would.

This business is associated with an online scam! Don't fall prey like I did, they got $450 out of…read moreme and tried for more but weee unsuccessful in attempts made. I reached out to the shop hoping they were not part of this online bird sale scam. I was disappointed to find out they were part of it. They ask for Zelle money in hopes of a new baby in this case a bird. Then they have a third party ask for more money for a "refundable wildlife insurance " to help it along. In this case it was another $800. Please be aware

So I used to come here quite often until I noticed a trend in who couldn't and could actually…read morehandle the small animals. So I scaled my patronage down a bit. Fast forward to today. My husband told me about some smaller bunnies he'd seen in there a few weeks ago. As I own a few New Zealand Bucks. Personally my trip in today was for a live feeder rat for my 6 year old ball python. Needless to say I saw two little bunnies behind a little girl who was sitting on a bench who actually wasnt even aware they were behind her because I asked were they hers and she said no. So then I asked the young lady at the counter could the bunnies be held or pet and she said yes. Soon as I go to pick up a bunny another lady who 1. Fails to even identify whom she is states Oh no you cant hold it, but you can pet it. So let me get this straight as a potential customer I cant hold an animal I'm potentially interested in?? So how many people go to buy a car and just purchase it right off the lot, no test drive? I'll wait... My point is every time I come into Pet Paradise I'm being told oh you can pet the bunnies or the ferrets but you cant hold them. Mind you I've seen "others," allowed to do just that. I've owned every animal mentioned previously in my 40+ years but it appears only certain people have the privilege here to actually interact with potential furbabies. Whelp they say word of mouth is the best form of marketing so figured I'd put the word out because it's a reoccurring theme I'm quite tired of and figured I'd let folks know about the fickle behavior of oh peep this the supposed manager who "Can Do what she wants," as I was told by the young lady behind the counter. Now last I checked a manager wasnt the owner but hey what do I know? I just need to find a better pet store with similar or BETTER options closer to me in Suffolk. Nobody buys cars without test driving, nobody adopts a dog without interacting, so why am I limited to petting a rabbit only and not holding it, but told oh you can hold it if your intentions is to buy one by the young lady behind the counter.. whew I could say so much but trust me I dont think I have to.

Customer service was terrible! We drove a hour just to get a feeder for our King corn, and they…read moreacted like we were aliens in the store! We couldn't touch anything. When we made it to the bird section, I was literally reaching for the sanitizer and the man demanded we put some on, and got mad at me for replying "I'm perfectly capable of reading " I'm new to the area ,and don't know if we will be returning to spend money in an establishment that acts as if they don't want you there. Super cute animals though!

This review is for the grooming salon. They are very flexible in drop off times and pick up. Erin…read morehas groomed my shih tzu several times and always does a great job! Reasonable prices, too. Update: fast forward several years, and they still provide exceptional service. I now have a 15 week old Shih Tzu puppy that came for a puppy grooming. I had a negative experience at another facility where my puppy got a trim around her eyes, and I was told my puppy was "very bad, worse than other puppies and was biting the staff aggressively." I informed Erin, Ashley, and the other team members here that my puppy Harley had been labeled as a biter. They reassured me that they would take good care of her. An hour and a half later, I got a call that they were done, and that Harley was sweet and well-behaved. After her services were completed, they even had her sitting out with them in the grooming area, rather than in the kennel and had no problems. So happy with the grooming team here!

I was just informed that the punch card I was given for s only valid if it's punched and also put…read moreinto my account each time I made a purchase. Which hasn't happened. So now the card is basically useless! I'll buy more $100 dog food every three weeks online from now on! Same price and it gets delivered. They told me it's a corporate thing. Whatever!!

Have been going here for over 7 years. My fur babies love it here! The owner is top tier and is…read morealways very welcoming!

They left my baby at max fluff capacity! I will definitely be going back. (He has a part of his arm…read moreshaved because of a vet visit, we're waiting for it to grow back). Staff was professional, friendly & explained things clearly.