Welcome to the Virginia Living Museum!
Whether you’re exploring our immersive exhibits, learning about animals up close, or diving into hands-on activities, there’s something for everyone to enjoy. Purchase your tickets online in advance or in person and get ready to discover the wonders of our museum.
You are welcome to enjoy the Museum until we close at 5:00 p.m. Boardwalk closes at 4:30 p.m.
Animal Birthday Celebration: Medieval Times Edition June 14, 2026
Ticket prices
Members
FREE with valid membership
Adults (ages 13 and above)
$21.95 – $23.95
Children (ages 12 and below)
$16.95 (ages 2 & under free)
Add a Planetarium Show
Schedule:
DAILY: June 13 – 30
9:30am Sun, Moon, Planets
12:30pm The Sky Tonight
1:30pm Astronaut
Members
FREE with membership
Non-Members
$3 per guest (ages 2 & under free)
Behind the Scenes Tours
Go behind the scenes and get a closer look at the Virginia Living Museum’s animals and exhibits!
Please note: Children under the age of 16 must be accompanied at all times by an adult guardian 18 or older.
Admission Discounts
Military: The VLM offers active military personnel and veterans $1.00 off admission with valid ID upon entry.
Senior: The VLM offers seniors 65 and older $1.00 off admission with valid ID upon entry.
AAA: The VLM offers $1.00 off admission to AAA members with current AAA membership card and valid ID upon entry.
Museums for All program: For neighbors receiving food assistance (SNAP or WIC benefits), Virginia Living Museum offers $5.00* admission, up to
4 general admission tickets – show current EBT or WIC card and valid photo ID upon entry.
Student: The VLM offers a discounted $10 student admission ticket at the front desk for CNU with valid student ID.
The VLM offers additional special admission discounts for individuals and charitable groups. Click here for more information.
Enhance Your Experience with a Behind the Scenes Encounter!
The Otter Side: A Behind-the-Scenes Otter Encounter
Browse Behind the Scenes: A Deer Encounter with Orion and Artemis
Animal Training Experience
Cold-Blooded Encounters
Home Consultations
Ambassador Animal Encounters
Sacks Community Education and Outreach Program
Honoring the legacy of Dr. Lawrence J. “Larry” Sacks, the Virginia Living Museum is able to offer a variety of discounted admissions to both individuals and charitable groups in our community.
During his lifetime, Dr. Sacks promoted science education in Hampton Roads as a Virginia Living Museum volunteer, an educator, scientist, community leader, and TV personality. Through his family trust, Dr. Sacks and his wife and children continue to inspire a love of fun science education.
Thanks to the Sacks family, the Museum participates in Museums for All, which aims to break down barriers to education and create accessibility to engaging programs and exhibits.
Individual Discounted Admissions:
Museums for All program: For neighbors receiving food assistance (SNAP or WIC benefits), Virginia Living Museum offers $5.00* admission, up to 4 general admission tickets, at this highly reduced rate by showing current EBT or WIC card and valid photo ID upon entry.
*Reduced admission does not apply to special events and exhibits.
Click here to find other participating institutions- more than 850 -throughout the United States through the Museums for All program, simply by presenting an EBT or WIC card and ID.
A special thanks to additional program sponsors: the Ella Fitzgerald Charitable Foundation, the Annie Belle Reavis Tuccori Foundation, and the Bass Pro Shops / Cabela’s Outdoors Fund.
Group Discounted Admissions:
Learn more here.
Who is eligible?
The offer is valid for individuals and families receiving food assistance benefits through SNAP Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) or WIC and includes up to four visitors per EBT card.
What do you need to bring?
Bring your SNAP Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) or WIC card and valid photo ID to the front admissions desk at the museum.
What is included?
- Single day admission during normal operating hours.
- Access to daytime special events and changing exhibits that are included with museum admission offered throughout the year. Reduced admission does not apply to separate ticketed programs and events.
View endangered red wolves. Touch live horseshoe crabs and fossilized dinosaur tracks. It’s all at the Virginia Living Museum, Newport News, where living exhibits depict Virginia’s natural heritage from the mountains to the sea. The Museum introduces visitors to more than 250 living species native to Virginia through exhibits, discovery centers and interactive hands-on exhibits.
The Virginia Living Museum is a public non-profit 501(c)(3) organization (54-6055922) whose mission is connecting people to nature through educational experiences that promote conservation.
Children under the age of 16 must be accompanied at all times by an adult guardian 18 or older.
Hours
Daily 9am to 5pm
Outdoor areas close at 4:30pm
Closed
Thanksgiving, December 24, 25, January 1
Location
Parking
FREE parking in our extensive parking lots adjacent to the museum. There is also ample parking for buses in our secondary parking lot (the first parking lot as you enter the museum grounds).
Community Education Program
The Virginia Living Museum Community Education Program allows complimentary admission to the VLM for a one-day educational visit. Requesting organizations must be classified as a non-profit charitable organization and be located within a 60 mile radius of the Museum. Program requests will be considered for either Group Visitation or Individual Passes based on guidelines as funding is available. See guidelines and request procedures.
